Audi A3 Saloon launched at New York show

* Audi A3 Saloon revealed * Wider and lower than the A3 Sportback * Available from late summer...

Audi A3 Saloon launched at New York show

The Audi A3 Saloon has been revealed at the New York motor show.

This four-door version is marginally lower and wider than the five-door A3 Sportback, while the saloon boot makes it 15cm longer than the hatchback.

It will be available in both standard and S3 guises, with four engines on offer: three petrols and one diesel.

The entry-level 138bhp 1.4-litre TFSI petrol comes with cylinder-on-demand technology which deactivates two of the cylinders when under lights loads such as motorway cruising so does an average of 60.1mpg and emits 109g/km of CO2. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and has a top speed of 132mph.

The 178bhp 1.8-litre TFSI petrol has a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 144mph. It emits 135g/km of CO2 and has average fuel economy of 49.6mpg.

A 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel will also be available at launch. It emits 108g/km of CO2, has average economy of 67.3mpg, accelerates from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds and has a top speed of 132mph.

A six-speed manual and a seven-speed S tronic gearbox will be available.

The four-wheel-drive S3 model will be offered a few months after the standard version. Its 296bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine will fire it from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds with the auto gearbox (the manual model takes 5.3 seconds) and on to a top speed of 155mph. The auto will emit 159g/km of CO2 and offer average economy of 40.9mpg, while the manual does 40.4mpg and 162g/km.

Full specifications haven't been confirmed, but the A3 Saloon will come with a colour screen and folding rear seats as standard. Options will include an adaptive cruise control system, park assist, lane-keep assist, while 16- to 19-inch alloys will also be offered. A Bang and Olufsen stereo and DAB digital radio will also be on the options list, along with Bluetooth and a sat-nav with a touch-sensitive input pad.

 

The order books for the standard A3 Saloon are set to open in the spring, with deliveries starting in late summer. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.