COTY 2016 Best City Car: Audi A3 e-tron
Audi's plug-in hybrid A3 Sportback e-tron named carsales.com.au Car of the Year city-car for 2016Audi's A3 Sportback e-tron is a worthy winner of our Best City Car award for 2016 thanks to its unique proposition as a highly efficient, yet highly practical five-seater.
The A3 e-tron is a compact plug-in hybrid hatchback that pairs a 75kW electric motor with a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine to offer up to 50km of all-electric driving and a total possible driving range of up to 920km.
Unlike a pure-electric car there's no range anxiety here, yet the A3 e-tron can be recharged and driven in zero tailpipe emissions EV mode or range-extending hybrid mode, or as a pure-petrol model once its battery is depleted.
Also unlike some other electric cars and hybrids, there’s no compromising on packaging with the A3 e-tron, which still retains five seats and all the functionality of a family hatch.
Packaged cleverly within the A3 Sportback frame, the e-tron’s battery doesn’t intrude too much into the hatch’s boot, which can still accommodate 280 litres of luggage, or 1120 with the rear seats folded flat.
As expected from Audi’s premium small-car line-up, the A3 is impeccably finished with standard features including full leather seating, drive mode select, satellite-navigation, reversing camera and Audi’s excellent park assist. Further city-friendly technology including autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control are also all available within Audi’s optional assistance package.
The Audi A3 e-tron is an ideal city car for buyers looking to make a worry-free transition towards electric motoring. Short drives around town can be achieved with zero tailpipe emissions while longer journeys can still be tackled on the weekend without concerns over recharging stations -- all in a car which is both practical and fun to drive.
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron launch review
The carsales.com.au Car of the Year winners are:
2016 carsales.com.au Car of the Year category winners:
Best First Car: Skoda Fabia
Best City Car: Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Best Family Car Under $30K: Skoda Octavia
Best Family Car Over $30K: Mazda6
Best Green Car: BMW i3 ReX
Best Offroad 4x4: Ford Ranger
Best Performance Car Under $100K: Ford Focus RS
Best Performance Car Over $100K: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Best Prestige Car Under $100K: Audi A4
Best Prestige Car Over $100K: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Best SUV Under $50K: Mazda CX-9
Best SUV Over $50K: Audi Q7
Best Tradie vehicle: Ford Ranger
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