Press Release
The 2.0 FSI four-cylinder engine
This two-litre engine with FSI technology and petrol direct injection unit has a common rail injection system and a single-piston high-pressure injection pump. The four valves per cylinder are actuated by low-friction roller cam followers. The intake camshaft can be continuously adjusted.
The 2.0 FSI in the A3 develops an output of 110 kW (150 bhp) and a torque of 200 Nm at just 3,500 rpm. With this kind of power, the A3 2.0 FSI with 6‑speed manual gearbox accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 8.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 214 km/h.
But an FSI engine is not only noted for its dynamic character, its remarkable efficiency is equally outstanding. In view of the performance figures achieved, an average consumption of just 7.2 litres of Super Plus petrol per 100 kilometres (overall) is more than impressive. The A3 2.0 FSI is available in combination with a 6-speed manual gearbox or 6‑speed tiptronic.
The 3.2 V6
The most powerful engine for this model and also the sportiest petrol engine for the A3 is the four-valve V6 engine with a displacement of 3.2 litres.
Through its outstanding torque and power characteristics, this six-cylinder unit is a particularly good match for the most dynamic version of the Audi A3. It delivers a maximum output of 184 kW (250 bhp) and an impressive torque range, peaking at 320 Nm between 2,500 and 3,000 rpm.
This is just perfect for powerful pulling at all speeds as well as nimble acceleration – regardless of whether the driver opts for a 6‑speed manual gearbox or the new, sporty Direct Shift Gearbox DSG.
The performance figures are correspondingly impressive: the A3 3.2 quattro with DSG accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (governed). This makes this new six-cylinder version the sportiest A3 ever.
With its cylinder angle of 15 degrees, the V6 is extremely compact – a basic requirement for installation transversely to the direction of travel. The valve control process generates only little friction thanks to the use of roller cam followers with hydraulic adjustment. In order to reduce emissions and further improve efficiency, the inlet and exhaust camshafts are continuously adjustable.
Throttle valve actuation is designed for an exceptionally agile, spontaneous engine response to accelerator pedal movements. Particularly the interaction of the engine with the ultra-fast and precise control of the new Direct Shift Gearbox DSG provides an entirely new feeling of power and performance on the road.
The A3 3.2 comes as standard with quattro permanent four-wheel drive and is available in conjunction with a 6-speed manual gearbox or, as an option, the new Direct Shift Gearbox DSG.
The TDI engines
The 1.9 TDI four-cylinder engine
One of Audi’s most successful engines is also to be found in the new A3: the four-cylinder 1.9-litre TDI with pump-injector direct injection. The current version develops a power output of 77 kW (105 bhp) and a maximum torque of no less than 250 Nm at just 1,900 rpm.
The A3 1.9 TDI takes just 11.4 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. And with a top speed of 187 km/h, the entry-level TDI model is the ideal car for long stretches on the motorway at high average speeds. This is especially the case considering that its fuel consumption of around just 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres means that a distance of over 1,000 kilometres can be covered before having to stop for fuel.
This once again demonstrates the superior maturity and efficiency of TDI technology in conjunction with the pump-injector unit. Indeed, this system produces injection pressure of up to 2,050 bar – equivalent to the weight of a car on an area as small as a fingernail.
This high pressure assures ultra-fine atomisation of fuel within the combustion chamber, thus providing excellent thermodynamic efficiency. On the road this means outstanding fuel economy and, at the same time, a high torque yield. And thanks to pilot-injection control, the performance spectrum of a pump-injector engine includes good engine acoustics and efficient emissions control. This likewise applies to the 1.9 TDI, which easily undercuts the EU4 emission limits. The A3 1.9 TDI is available in combination with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The 2.0 TDI four-cylinder engine
There can be no doubt about it: the 2.0-litre TDI, which Audi first offered for its A3, has all the virtues of its smaller brother – high power output, superior fuel efficiency and low emissions.
A maximum output of 103 kW (140 bhp) and peak torque of 320 Nm, available between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, make this the most powerful and dynamic four-cylinder diesel that Audi has even installed in its cars. Performance on the road is correspondingly impressive: the front-wheel-drive 2.0 TDI with 6-speed manual gearbox accelerates to 100 km/h in just 9.5 seconds and continues briskly on up to its top speed of 207 km/h. It goes without saying that this model is economical, consuming 5.5 litres of diesel per 100 km.
In terms of design, this power unit is distinguished from its 1.9-litre counterpart not only by its larger capacity, but above all by its cylinder head.
Two overhead camshafts and low-friction roller cam followers with hydraulic valve-play compensation help to optimise the valve management process. The pump-injector units are operated by roller rockers running on the exhaust camshaft. Another feature of the 2.0 TDI is the rapid-starting diesel system allowing the driver to start the engine immediately in all outside temperatures, without a long preheating process.
The A3 2.0 TDI comes with front-wheel drive in combination with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The top-of-the-range diesel model is also available optionally with quattro permanent four-wheel drive or the Direct Shift Gearbox DSG. Audi offers a diesel particulate filter as an option for front-wheel-drive versions of the 2.0 TDI.
The Direct Shift Gearbox DSG
The Direct Shift Gearbox DSG combines the advantages of a conventional 6‑speed manual gearbox with the qualities of a modern automatic transmission to produce a superior drive concept. The driver benefits from supreme agility and driving pleasure combined with harmonious and dynamic acceleration without any interruption to the flow of power from the engine. This is coupled with good economy thanks to low fuel consumption, and convenient operation.
The basis for this revolutionary transmission is a three-shaft 6-speed manual gearbox which offers considerable variability in the selection of the transmission ratio. Thanks to the use of a twin multi-plate clutch with ingenious electro-hydraulic control, one gear is engaged whilst another is pre-selected.
Apart from its high standard of efficiency and the ability to transmit high levels of torque, a further advantage of this wet multi-plate clutch are the various options it offers the driver when pulling away. In other words, the driver is able to control the multi-plate clutch as required, varying from particularly gentle acceleration on slippery ground all the way to sporty full-power acceleration – and with every conceivable scenario covered between these two extremes.
The gearshifts it produces feel spontaneous and crisp, as if executed at the push of a button. The electronically controlled throttle blip in the manual and S modes reinforces the impression of ultra-dynamic gearshifts.
quattro permanent four-wheel drive
In the year that celebrates 25 years of quattro, it goes without saying that the A3 is also available with permanent four-wheel drive. Like the previous model and the Audi TT quattro, the Audi A3 quattro models feature a hydraulic multi-plate clutch which varies the distribution of power between the front and rear axles. This technical solution is indeed particularly suitable for cars with the engine fitted transversely, incorporating all the well-known advantages of an Audi quattro.
Offering a permanent, situation-specific distribution of propulsive power between all four wheels, quattro drive guarantees maximum traction and, as a result, optimum acceleration at all times. At the same time, there are still ample reserves for transmitting cornering forces in the interest of directional stability and cornering safety.
The heart of this sophisticated drive system is the multi-plate clutch fitted between the driveshaft and the rear differential. A package of plates running in an oil bath within the clutch housing can be pressed together by controlled hydraulic power, thus providing variable torque distribution between the front and rear axles.
The more pressure is able to build up on the multi-plate clutch, the more drive torque can be transferred to the rear axle. The electronically controlled system responds instantaneously to any change in traction.
With the engine at the front and the four-wheel-drive multi-plate clutch at the rear, axle load distribution benefits accordingly. Indeed, this weight distribution is crucial to the excellent driving stability and good handling of the Audi A3 quattro.
quattro permanent four-wheel drive is available for the Audi A3 3.2 quattro (standard) as well as for the A3 2.0 TFSI and A3 2.0 TDI (optional).
