The Audi A3
The Audi A3 is a premium small family car; Audi has been making it since 1993. Based on a Volkswagen Group platform the A3 was designed to be the sporty compliment to VW’s Golf. To help it be sportier the A3 was originally only available as a 3 door hatchback to give it that “Hot Hatch” appeal.
Two generations of the A3 have been produced, the second generation being the current. The original A3 came with a choice of four engines including a diesel. There was a 1.6 litre, a 1.8 litre and a 1.8 litre Turbo, the diesel was a 1.9 litre TDI. The 1.8 litre turbo produced 178bhp and could do 0.62mph in 7.5 seconds, the original diesel 1.9 litre unit produced 89bhp but later models outputted 128bhp. A used Audi A3 in Staffordshire remains very popular and competes aggressively with the VW Golf.
The current generation Audi A3 has been around since 2003, it has had a few facelifts and revisions along the way but the main design still remains. The new A3 has a redesigned and more spacious interior, new petrol engines with Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI), and standard six-speed manual gearboxes.
Currently the A3 is available with 8 engine options, 3 of which are diesel. In the petrol range there is a 101bhp entry level 1.6 litre, a turbocharged 123bhp 1.4 litre, a 158bhp 1.8 litre turbo and a 197bhp 2.0 litre turbo. Though the entry level and small petrol engines are not very exciting they offer excellent fuel efficiency. The two larger turbo powered units provide ample excitement and respond really well to the throttle.
If you are after economy then the diesel engines are the ones, there is a 1.6 litre with start-stop that is the cheapest diesel, or there are two strong 2.0-litre units developing 138bhp and 168bhp.
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