Audi Releases 'Cleanest Premium Hatch'

[ZachBowman]

Good news for our cousins across the pond. Audi has just announced the release of a new version of its excellent A3 compact hatch. The company says the car is the cleanest, most economical premium compact on the market right now. Just how thrifty is it? The new A3 can manage a staggering 74.3 mpg. That?s an impressive figure by anyone?s standards, but even more interesting is how Audi went about achieving that number. Instead of a heavy battery pack and electric motor, the four rings went with what it knows best ? a clean diesel engine.

A 1.6-liter diesel is paired with a start/stop system to reduce idling consumption, and a rash of other changes help up the efficiency as well. Audi ditched the huge wheels for smaller 15-inch rollers, dropped the car?s ride height significantly and reworked the transmission for an optimal final drive. Audi?s only offering the car as a three door hatch with a manual gear box to keep the weight low. Even better, there?s very little sacrifice in terms of performance. The squeaky clean A3 delivers a 0-60 run in the 11.4 second range and can work itself up to around 121 mph.

Sadly enough, this A3 is just like its brothers. Don?t expect to see it stateside anytime soon.

Source Audi