We mourned when Audi stopped making the old Audi A3 because we new that for the US market, only a sedan would be available on the the MQB architecture……. that is, until now. Enter the e-tron, and yes it does sound like a character from the Iron Man movies, Audi’s first go at a hybrid. Move over diesel and the associated legal wrangles, this car is pretty damn good and a significantly better drive than the dismal Prius and the slightly better C-max. Best of all Audi hasn’t designed it to look all futuristic, instead it wears the all familiar Audi hatch design, it’s a proper, fully rounded driving machine with no compromises.

Engine And Power Train

The A3 E-Tron is powered by a 1.4-liter TFSI gasoline engine, coupled with a 75-kilowatt electric motor and an 8.8-kWh lithium ion battery pack. The gas engine is good for 150 hp and 184 lb ft if left in battery Charge Battery Mode (see modes below). The electric motor/generator is housed between the internal combustion engine and the S-Tronic six-speed dual-clutch transmission and makes 102 hp. Combined both motors make 204 hp and 258 lb ft . The hybrid system keeps the weight down by running the electrical components, so no alternator or starter motor

The battery pack is made up of eight-cell modules with 12 cells apiece. A liquid cooling system is located at the bottom of the battery to keep it operating under optimal temperatures. The battery is meant to last the life of the vehicle, and is covered under an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Driving Modes

There are 4 different driving modes which you cab select using the ev button.

EV Mode
In EV mode the A3 e-tron uses the electric motor and depending how you drive, gets 17-20 miles of range.

Hybrid Mode
This is the mode we spent most of our time in until the battery need charging. The car intelligently selects the most efficient power source, EV, Hybrid or gasoline.

Hold Battery Mode
Provides hybrid driving, while preserving any EV range for future use. We didn’t use this mode mostly because we didn’t understand it.

Charge Battery Mode
We found this mode very good if you need to charge the battery and you are on a freeway with some miles to cover. Once you exit the freeway you can return to Hybrid mode for surface streets to maximize gas mileage.

Driving and Handling

Around town the A3 feels sharp and quick and rides pretty well even when set to Dynamic mode, which we did for most of the time. The ICE and electric motor work together brilliantly and unless you stare a the dials for the little gas engine light to come on, you will barely notice the switch between the 2 power-plants.  If you are heading down an incline the car will go into ‘Glide’ mode, which disengages the transmission when you are not on the throttle. It works great.  As a hybrid skeptic I am very pleased with what Audi has done here.

Get onto some more twisty bits and the Audi is highly entertaining, with under steer virtually eliminated the car is very easy to drive fast. I did find myself toggling between the various hybrid modes in different situations, mostly to see if I could improve my gas mileage. During our week with the e-tron we averaged 33.1 mpg. I did plug the car in every day, seeing as I have a 240 v charger for my Chevy Spark EV.

Inside

As expected the A3 is a little luxury hatch inside with the same exquisite attention to detail as in other Audi  models. Our Tester was a Premium Plus with a sticker of $46,100 which included the the $2,600 Technology Package and 17 inch all season tires. We would prefer Summer tires but that is an easy fix. Premium Plus adds heated front seats, full LED headlights, upgraded wheels and Audi music interface with iPod integration.

We are especially thrilled that Audi has flipped the direction of the mouse wheel for the MMI, so right scrolls up and left scrolls down. Small things I know but that backwards logic was very frustrating.

Verdict

There isn’t much the A3 e-tron competes with, it is, however, more expensive than a Prius but I would do anything in my power to find the extra money. It’s super practical and doesn’t look like a spaceship gone wrong, like most alternate power vehicles.

The Audi A3 e-tron’s electric motor allows for near silent cruising through towns, and gives this A3 decent punch on winding country lanes, it lacks for nothing except maybe a little more EV only range. I am nitpicking here because Audi has removed most of the reasons that would keep most people from buying an electric car………and it’s a hatchback!!

BASE PRICE: $37,900
AS TESTED PRICE: $46,100
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, wagon
ENGINE: 1.4L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4, plus perm magnet DC electric motor
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed twin-clutch auto
POWER: Gas 150 hp, Electric 102 hp, 204 hp combined
TORQUE: Gas 184 lb-ft, Electric 243 lb-ft, 258 lb-ft combined
CURB WEIGHT: 3,620 lb (mfr)
MAX SPEED W/BATTERY ONLY: 80 mph
MAX SPEED COMBINED: 130 mph
0-60 MPH: 7.5 secs
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 33/37/35 mpg (est)*; 83 mpg-e (est, comb)**
BATTERY, ELECTRIC RANGE: Liquid-cooled 8.8 kW-hr lithium-ion, 17 miles (est)