This means an upmarket and clean/uncluttered layout, classy switchgear and outstanding ergonomics. That said, the sat-nav graphics on the pop-up screen are looking a little tired, and the giant TFT instrument display in the new TT puts the A3’s setup to the sword. Our point here would be that a little more tech razzle-dazzle would suit the e-tron, frankly.
Read our detailed Audi A3 e-tron pricing and specifications story here.
Rear seat space is on par with the average small hatch, while the 280 litres of luggage space (or 1120L with the rear seats folded flat) are both 100L less than the regular A3’s.
So here’s where we get to the real question of whether the A3 e-tron makes sense. At $62,490, it’s cheaper than the vastly more interesting BMW i3 (with its crazy styling, and production in a factory powered by renewables) that retails for $63,900 as a pure EV, or $69,900 with a range-extender.
Is the Audi better? Well, if you only do city driving, the 130km-160km BMW i3 is more novel and has a taller driving position. But the e-tron’s PHEV operation is more subtle than the BMW’s optional range-extender, and cheaper, and beyond the borders of the inner city, the A3 eats the i3 for breakfast.
On another angle, the hyper-efficient Audi A3 2.0 TDI diesel is almost $20,000 cheaper than the e-tron. At $62,490, the e-tron actually costs more than the $61,100 S3, and sits below only the forthcoming $78,900 RS3 in the A3 pantheon. It’s also more than $10,000 pricier than the larger Outlander PHEV.
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