Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 2015 Review

The future of Audi efficiency has arrived in Australia, in the form of the A3 Sportback e-tron.

By introducing plug-in hybrid technology to the 2014 world car of the year, Audi has made an emphatic statement to the market that electrification forms a strong part of its efficiency future, while giving potential purchasers yet another A3 option to consider.

We’ve comprehensively dealt with the pricing and specification of the latest A3 Sportback, but as we disembark at the tiny Mittagong airport, the shiny array of A3 Sportback e-trons before us means one thing: Audi’s first production plug-in hybrid is finally available on our shores.

As it turns, out, this will be a drive with a difference. Understandably, Audi is keen to spruik the A3 Sportback e-tron as an efficiency leader, but with driving pleasure thrown into the mix.

With a promised electric-only range of ‘up to 50km’ from the 75kW electric motor on a full 8.8kWh charge, and a top speed of 130km/h, its on-paper ability puts the likes of Lexus’s CT 200h hybrid to shame.

On top of that, indulging in the combined petrol/electric drivetrain reveals 150kW/350Nm of combined performance, and a 0-100km/h time of 7.6 seconds. Not that we’d be pushing for that today…

A challenge is set for our drive back to Sydney airport: see how close you can get to the claimed fuel consumption of 1.6L/100km in the real world.

A quick look at the route guide indicates this is no tailor-made economy route, either: There’s 139km to cover, some of it on 110km/h motorway, but other parts incorporating steep gradients that will surely put a strain on the battery pack.

My driving partner and I settle on a strategy: In harnessing the brake regeneration capability we should be able to eke out much of the trip in EV mode, with a petrol-powered ‘charge’ to bring battery life back up for the traffic-heavy final section into the peak airport traffic.

Sadly, this economy focus means there is little that can be revealed in terms of the dynamic and performance capabilities of the A3 e-tron (that can wait for a seven-day road test), but it does hint at the hybrid’s versatility in this form.

I’m reminded of what product executive Matthew Dale said: “We envisage people driving to and from work on pure EV, but the petrol engine [which gives a combined range of 920km] there’s weekend trips that can be done in the same car.”

Before we set off, a quick hunt around the A3 Sportback’s proportions reveals little has changed compared to the regular variant. There’s a discreet plug behind the front-mounted ‘four rings’ badge for charging, and the subtle e-tron exterior badging and 15-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels to add a tinge of class.

Open the rear door and there’s very generous head and leg room, and plenty of space to wriggle your feet. Rear-seat occupants also gain their own ventilation outlets (mounted on the back of the central console) and the depressions in the front seat back, as well as heightened roof sections, give the impression of being in a ‘one-size-up’ machine. The leather-trimmed seats are also comfortable, the cabin ambience welcoming in usual Audi tradition.

The e-tron does lose a little in terms of storage space, however. There’s 100 litres less capacity compared to the standard A3 Sportback, either with the second-row seats upright or folded flat, meaning the e-tron holds 280 litres with them up and 1120 down.

Sliding into the front seat, there’s a lovely leather-trimmed steering wheel, as well as new gauges for the e-tron including a power meter replacing the traditional tachometer.

Also new is the centre stack, which adds an EV mode button next to the standard-fit drive select (we won’t be touching sport mode today!). The EV button cycles through four programs; pure EV, hybrid auto, hybrid hold and hybrid charge.

‘Starting’ the A3 Sportback e-tron sounds vaguely like a Prius, as the tablet-style central touch-screen pops out of its hiding place atop the centre dash. Select reverse gear in the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, (designated ‘e’ for efficient, as it can decouple to aid coasting), resist the urge to honk that you’re mobile as you see people startle in the reversing camera… and we’re away.

We commence with our trip computer set to show anticipated EV range… of only 41km with a full charge. Feeling cheated out of the contest already, we ask why: “That’s based on previous driving of the car,” is the reply.

We’re instructed to run sans air-conditioning – forcing slightly-cracked front windows for these cold-blooded Melbournians – and note that the power window controls are over-sensitive, making that small crack difficult to obtain. It would prove an immense source of frustration throughout, as we weighed dehydration against crack aerodynamic effects.

Silently pulling away in pure EV, the amount of instant torque available from the 75kW electric motor is exceptional, especially at light throttle loads. Adding some more right foot not only drains battery life faster, but only mildly lifts the acceleration.

Once up to speed, there’s little ‘charge’ when rolling downhill off the throttle, unless you pull the left lever of the standard-fit gearshift paddles to generate engine braking, in which case the power meter falls sharply into charge mode… and the car behind has to squeeze its brakes with reasonable authority; the regen is impressive, but takes a bit of getting used to.

While on the topic of braking, the pedal feels similar to other plug-in hybrids. As the energy is shifted to brake regeneration, as well as actual vehicle retardation the pedal appears to need more pressure than in a conventional vehicle, especially in those last few metres.

Adding to that is the additional weight derived from the hybrid componentry, which adds around 300kg overall (the A3 Sportback e-tron weighs 1540kg without driver). As well as braking, the weight effects cornering, the hybrid vehicle feeling less agile than its counterparts and seeming to take longer to react to each steering input.

After gleaning around 45km (against the 41km indicated range at commencement), we are happy to risk a cheeky middle section in charge mode. Yes, it uses more fuel than in the hold or auto modes, but we want to boost the batteries to be in pure EV mode when the traffic hits.

Very quickly, the added urge of the combined driveline is welcome up the hills, but a light foot is still required. Nevertheless the fuel consumption booms up to 4.5L/100km quite quickly, even when using truck slipstreams to coast.

On the other side of the coin, a full charge is achieved through that middle section, so with 55km to go we risk EV mode to the finish.

We almost make it, what’s more, only engaging the petrol engine for the final 500m, though we’re miffed that in that space, the readout goes from 2.8L/100km for the trip up to 2.9L/100km.

That figure is remarkable given the widely varied conditions, and the fact it's still a full litre/100km less than Toyota's hybrid icon, the Prius.

On the flipside it's still getting close to double the claimed combined figure… and that’s with feathery feet. We hear one group achieves 2.0L/100km, but that’s still above the claim.

Overall, the A3 Sportback e-tron is very impressive, and we can only applaud Audi for introducing it here. The car feels every inch an A3 Sportback, which is to say it’s highly competent, comfortable and efficient. Just how efficient it is during normal use will have to wait for a longer test with real-world driving.

2015 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron pricing and specifications:
Price: $62,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol with electric motor
Combined output: 150kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 1.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 37g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)