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2015 Audi A3 Sedan.
Competition is heating up in the compact luxury segment, as evidenced by the recent launch of the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the third-generation Audi A3, slated to arrive in Canada for April 2014 as a 2015 model. By introducing a sedan designed specifically to appeal to consumers in the two biggest car markets of China and North America, Audi hopes to double its A3 sales, which currently account for 20% of the automaker’s volume worldwide.
Replacing the current, very practical five-door hatchback with this new sedan also means that Audi is adopting a different strategy for the A3, moving it upmarket and clearing the way for the arrival of the A1, a smaller hatchback already on European roads that is expected to become the brand’s new entry-level car for North America.
The new A3 sedan was penned by Canadian designer Dany Garand — who hails from Sherbrooke, Que., and has been working in Audi’s design department for many years — and its dimensions and proportions are remarkably similar to those of the first-generation A4 introduced in 1994. At first glance, you could almost say that the new A3 is a 7/8th scale version of the current A4 and casual onlookers will have trouble telling both cars apart. The large singleframe grille, the sculpted flanks with the Audi signature contour Tornado line and the trunklid spoiler all contribute to create a sporty yet somewhat understated and classic shape with a 0.29 drag coefficient. Audi is currently very big on headlight design and technology and the new A3 will be available with full LED headlights.
For the Canadian market, Audi will offer a choice between three turbocharged four-cylinder engines, two gas-powered and one diesel. The 1.8-litre gasoline engine and the 2.0L TDI diesel will be paired with front-wheel drive while the 2.0L gasoline engine will equip all-wheel-drive A3s. All models will also exclusively feature the six-speed S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox, as the six-speed manual has been dropped from the catalog for North America even though it will remain a fixture for the European markets. High-performance will be added to the mix in the guise of the 300-horsepower S3 variant, which will also arrive in the spring of 2014 (you can expect to read about it here next November). The five-door configuration will also eventually return to North America one year behind the A3 sedan as a dedicated plug-in hybrid model with a combined output of 204 hp supplied by a 1.4L engine as well as an electric motor.
Read more http://www.driving.ca/research-car/roadtest/Preview+2015+Audi+sedan/8612277/story.html
