Audi has officially unveiled the all-new 2015 Audi A3 sedan and the high-performance S3 at the New York Auto Show.
Audi has officially unveiled the all-new 2015 Audi A3 sedan and the high-performance S3 at the New York Auto Show. This is the first time that the A3 is being offered as a sedan and it will arrive in the first quarter of 2014. Audi sees tremendous growth in the luxury entry level segment between now and 2020, so the A3 sedan is being introduced to capture as much market share as possible.
The A3 sedan will be offered with either a 170-hp 1.8 TFSI, 2.0 TFSI or 150-hp 2.0 TDI clean diesel engine. The high performance S3 will be powered by a high-output version of the 2.0 TFSI with around 300 horsepower. All engines are mated to the standard 6-speed S tronic transmission.
On the outside the A3 sedan looks pretty close to the hatchback versions already sold in Europe. It measures 175.5 inches long with a 103.4 inch wheelbase. Combined with its 70 inch width and 55.7 inch height, its proportions nearly resemble the original Audi A4 from 1994.
The A3 sedan’s interior is also pretty much the same as the other A3 models and will be a tight squeeze for four passengers, if any of them are around six-feet tall. The legroom is merely adequate, but the lack of headroom in the back will likely make a feel passengers feel claustrophobic.
The 2015 A3 sedan and S3 models will comes standard with leather seats and the MMI operating system has an electronically extending screen, its terminal housed in the console of the center dashboard. An optional 705 watt 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen Sound System is also available. For those of us that must always be connected to the internet, the A3 will feature 4G/LTW technology. Using the existing Wi-Fi connectivity for up to 8 devices, passengers can now view high-definition videos and make video conference calls from the vehicle.
Audi has also confirmed that it will be adding to the all-new A3 family by offering the A3 Sportback with a plug-in gasoline electric hybrid model in the U.S. market. The A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid features a powertrain with a combined 204 hp and 258 lb-ft torque.
