Audi Unleashes New S3 Sport Hatch with 296-Horsepower 2.0 TFSI [33 Photos & Video]

The new generation of the more practical A3 Sportback, which was revealed online on Wednesday, will be joined by the spanking new S3 at Audi's Paris Motor Show stand next week.

The performance model of Audi's MQB platform-based compact hatchback is lighter and more powerful than the model it replaces. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe early next year with a starting price of €38,900 (US$50,500) in Germany.

At the heart of the car lies a newly developed 2.0-liter TFSI direct-injection and turbocharged gasoline engine that belongs to the EA888 engine family.

The new powerplant weighs around five kilograms (11 pounds) less than the previous EA113 2.0 TFSI and is also much more powerful delivering 296Hp (300PS) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, an increase of 35Hp and 30Nm respectively. It redlines at 6,800 rpm.

Read more »

New Audi A3 Sportback Grows in Size, Shrinks in Weight [50 Photos and Video]

Audi will showcase a new addition to its redesigned A3 series at the 2012 Paris motor show from 27 September. The 2013 A3 Sportback is the more practical and versatile five-door version of Audi's premium compact model.

The evolutionary (according to Audi, stale according to others) styling language of the A3 can be found on the Sportback variant as well, with the five-door variant employing the use of three side windows and a sloping tailgate design. For a sportier look, buyers will be able to opt for Audi's S-Line package that adds different bumpers, spoilers and larger alloy wheels.

While the car's exterior dimensions at 4,310mm (169.7 inches) long, 1,780mm (70.1 inches) and 1,425mm (56.1 inches) tall are only slightly greater than on the previous Sportback, the new model now rides on a 2,636 millimeters (103.8 inches), an increase of 58 millimeters (2.28 in).

The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version, resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down.

Read more »

Run Forest, Run…Woman Takes Gas Pump as She Leaves Filling Station

The young driver of what looks like a previous iteration of the Audi A3 hatchback was caught by a security camera taking something with her that she shouldn't have when leaving a gas station.

That something happened to be the gas pump that was still connected to the car… Fortunately, she noticed it but not before a very dangerous fire erupted at the base of the pump.

Read more »

EuroNCAP Tests New Audi A3, Ford B-MAX, Isuzu D-Max, Kia Cee'd, Renault Clio and Volvo V40

Six brand new models including the 2013 Audi A3 hatchback , Ford B-MAX minivan, Isuzu D-Max pickup truck, Kia Cee’d hatch, Renault Clio supermini and Volvo V40 premium compact have undergone safety tests by Euro NCAP and all but one of the vehicles assessed received the full five-star rating.

The most impressive results came from the new Volvo V40 five-door hatchback that not only achieved five stars but also became Euro NCAP’s all-time top scorer in its segment.

Read more »

Upcoming 2013 Audi A3 Sportback Illustrated Ahead of its Paris Motor Show Debut

On Wednesday, we told you about Audi's plans to blow the covers off the second member of its new A3 family of compact models, the five-door Sportback at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, and now, we gave give you an idea of what it will look like thanks to this rendering made by Khalil Bouguerra.

The artist shortened the front doors to create space for a second set of doors behind while also making the necessary changes to the roofline and the side windows, the styling of which is similar to the outgoing Sportback.

Read more »

We Hear Audi to Debut New A3 Sportback at the Paris Motor Show

With the presentation of the all-new A3 three-door hatchback (pictured above) at the Geneva Motor Show in March, it was only a matter of time before Audi begun expanding the range of its premium compact model.

And the time for the five-door version of the series with the Sportback moniker has almost arrived as we just learned that the German automaker will debut the car at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show in late September.

Read more »

Audi's Worldwide Sales Grow 12.4 Percent in 2012, European Deliveries up 3.4 Percent

The brand with the four rings recorded a double-digit growth in the first seven months of the year delivering 852,900 vehicles worldwide, an increase of 12.3 percent over the same period last year.

In July, Audi sold 119,600 automobiles globally, up 12.9 percent from the same month in 2011. The German company expects an even better second half thanks to the arrival of the new A3 hatchback.

Read more »

Audi Reportedly Green Lights Seven-Seater Minivan

At the same time that many automakers are pulling away from the minivan segment offering alternatives in the form of seven seater crossovers, Audi has reportedly given the green light for the development of its first MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) that will arrive in 2016. Read more »