Audi would have been forced to delay the Mercedes CLA Rival until 2021

Audi has been thinking for a long time at the idea of ​​making a compact swoopy sedan, taking into account the concept of the TT Sportback presented here in October 2014. This model does not exist yet in the range. Ingolstadt. You do not really have a direct rival with the second-generation Mercedes CLA or the next BMW Coupe 2 Gran Coupé we just spied on.

It seems that those who are interested in a more elegant version of the A3 sedan will have to wait because a new report by Coach indicates that the five-door takeoff was delayed until 2021. The cause of the delay is due to a "bottleneck in terms of engineering capability", which means, to simply speak that Audi is busy developing other models.

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The report then goes on to describe the wide range that the A3 will offer to the next generation, including the usual Sportback and sedan, but not the three-door hatch or the convertible, both of these body styles having apparently been eliminated because low demand. While another report from Auto Express says Audi is preparing an A3-inspired "Cityhopper" inspired by the front-wheel drive crossover Coach understands that this hardened version will be called A3 Allroad and will be equipped with the AWD system when it makes its debut in mid-2021.

Sources at Audi said Coach The new A3 generation will be "the most advanced car in its clbad and a new benchmark in terms of refinement". Here are some important words, but a company manager is confident that the new model is better in all respects than its predecessor. , especially with regard to the cabin. It is said to offer the "premium feel" and technical features that one normally expects to find in cars from higher segments, while ride quality is set to be the best in its clbad.

Building on an evolution of the MQB platform to gain weight, the new Audi A3 is expected to have a seven-year lifecycle during which it will be offered with gasoline and diesel engines along with powertrains Rechargeable hybrids natural gas unit. A direct successor for the A3 E-Tron is being developed, supplemented by the latest battery technology from the SUV E-Tron.

According to the same report, the hottest S3 and RS3 models should both be marketed by 2020, with a maximum of 325 hp for the first model and a maximum of 417 hp for the latter.