$38,825 is not a small fee to pay but if you will be getting an all-new Audi A3 with that money, then it’s considered a steal.
Advertisement
The 2016 Audi A3 e-tron goes on sale in October, and Audi says it will be distributed nationwide, not just in California and the handful of states that share its tougher emissions rules.
All 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron models come with a gas-electric powertrain that combines a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a 110-hp electric motor. As for the aforementioned tax credit, Uncle Sam is willing to give you a credit of up to $4,168 for buying this thrifty hatchback.
Upgrading to the A3 e-tron in Premium Plus trim bumps the price to $42,925, including shipping, before topping out at $47,725 for the Prestige trim package. Combined with a liquid-cooled, permanent magnet-driven electric motor, the A3 e-tron produces 204 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque. Recharging through a 120-volt outlet takes approximately 8 hours.
The A3 e-tron is the first in a coming wave of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from Audi to wear the e-tron badge, with the next-generation Q7 midsize crossover and A8 large sedan expected to be among the next to arrive. Audi doesn’t mention what the maximum cargo capacity is, but I would guess it is somewhere in the high 20-cubic-feet range. On top of that, the A3 E-Tron is eligible for the federal tax credit thanks to it being a PHEV. It comes with HID headlights, LED taillights, LED interior lighting, automatic dual-climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Audi Advanced Key, a rearview camera, Audi pre-sense basic, Audi drive select, a 7-inch MMI screen, and more.
Advertisement
The European-market A3 e-tron gets 31 miles of electric-only driving range, but the U.S.-market A3 e-tron’s EV range will likely vary because of the different testing cycles used by U.S. and E.U. regulators.
