AUDI has announced prices for its revised A3 range with the least expensive model being £1,360 less than the current car.
The order book has just opened for the newcomers, which are due on sale in July with prices starting at £14,995. The current range costs from £16,365.
The latest line-up is equipped with totally new or revised engines achieving reductions in CO2 emissions of up to 15 per cent.
This means that the 1.8 TFSI S tronic, for example, has a CO2 reduction from 179g/km to 153g/km.
All four petrol engines powering the revised A3 line-up, the majority of which combine sophisticated FSI direct injection with turbo charging, have been modified with a view to maximising efficiency. The TDI range also takes a stride forward with the adoption of the all-new 2.0-litre TDI unit with common rail piezo fuel injection first seen in the latest A4 Saloon.
Available in 140PS and 170PS forms, with the 140PS version expected to be the most popular in the range, the new unit replaces the 2.0-litre pump jet injection engine and brings significant gains in economy and a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 15 per cent. The combined fuel economy of the A3 2.0 TDI 140PS improves from 52.3mpg to 55.4mpg while its CO2 output falls from 143g/km to 134g/km.
The most economical and efficient model in the line-up is the 105PS A3 1.9 TDI e, which in standard trim retains a CO2 output of 119g/km despite the addition of air conditioning as part of the latest improvements.
A six-speed manual transmission is common to all versions except the five-speed 1.9 TDI and in all front-wheel-drive models except the 1.9 TDI it can be replaced at additional cost by the S tronic system.
The most expensive model in the line up is the 2.0 TFSI Quattro 200PS six-speed S tronic at £22,295.