Audi premiered today the A3 e-tron concept at the Shanghai auto show and left us a bit confused, but not by the amount of technology it features, nor by its hybrid powertrain. Audi's Chinese A3 e-tron seems to be based on the A3 Sedan concept which had its world premiere at this year's Geneva motor show. However, a couple of weeks back, the Ingolstadt manufacturer released a number of images and details of an Audi A3 e-tron based on the sportback version of the current generation model. It looks like Audi is trying to make the A3 e-tron just a bit more interesting, because the initial public reaction might not have been what they would have expected.
Anyway, the new Audi A3 e-tron concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid system featuring a 1.4 TFSI four-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct
injection and an electric motor. The power is sent to the wheels via an seven-speed S tronic transmission. The 1.4 TSI unit of Audi's A3 e-tron develops 155 kW (211 hp) while the electric motor is good for 20 kW (27 hp). In total, the A3 e-tron delivers 175 kW (238 hp) and is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.8 seconds. Its top speed is rated at 143.54 mph (231 km/h).
Audi built the A3 e-tron concept on an RS3 chassis, so the hybrid's final dimensions are 4.44
meters (14.57 ft) long, 1.84 meters (6.04 ft) wide and 1.39 meters (4.56 ft) tall.
Watch the Audi A3 e-tron concept on video lower down this page.
Audi A3 e-tron concept video:
