A3/S3/RS3 Officially official: 2013 Audi A3

[speed_kills]

Yes it is indeed. somehow the French have always had a knack for making the most of hot hatches equipped the poor man's choice of rear axle. Oh, and for your edification it's a torsion beam axle (not TORSEN which is a made up word joining TORque and SENsing for a very special limited slip differential).

I meant torsion. The beam when properly tuned it proves itself has a more than adequate alternative to the multilink. I believe Renault see's no point of changing to a multilink, they're doing great with a torsion beam.

 

[Human]

It's all about cost. Torsion beam rear axle is more of a 'A-Segment' trend towards saving cost.

Like the current Jetta and Beetle, MQB cars will feature struts at the front axle with either a torsion-beam rearsuspension or, in pricier or hot-rod versions, a multilink rear setup.

This I believe will be multilink on the next Golf also.

 

[F76]

First pictures of the new A3 Sportback at the links:

 

[Centurion]

First pictures of the new A3 Sportback at the links:

Thanks for that. I didn't expect Audi to differentiate the 3d and the 5d. You can clearly see that the tail lights on the SB has a shape and the recessed area for the license plate is different too. A very pleasant and unexpected surprise.

 

[Tumbo]

For the lazy ones:

First pictures of the new A3 Sportback at the links:

 

[Tumbo]

You can clearly see that the tail lights on the SB has a shape and the recessed area for the license plate is different too. A very pleasant and unexpected surprise.

Yeah, that SB rear looks soooo sexy!!!

 

[Centurion]

^^
This could be an Easter egg for all disinters who say that all Audi's look the same. I wonder whether this marks the start of Audi differentiating rear end for different body styles of various car models. Will we see different tail lights for the next A5 and A5 Sportback? I certainly hope so.

 

[Tumbo]

I wonder whether this marks the start of Audi differentiating rear end for different body styles of various car models.

Well, don't forget that the previous A3 and A3 SB differed quite a lot at the rear end.

 

[Levi68]

Looks good. I prefere Sportback over 3 Door. I don't like that the 3 Door has no frameless windows like the 1 Series, Mini or A1.

 

[EnI]

Well, don't forget that the previous A3 and A3 SB differed quite a lot at the rear end.

Exactly. Much more than the new two do.

 

[Deckhook]

Basically all the increase in length has come from between the axle.

 

[Zafiro]

I read an interview in Carmagazine and the guy from Audi said the new A3 is 200 kg lighter than the basic 1-series.


What’s so great about this platform? Carbonfibre, is it? Aluminium, maybe?
Nothing that exciting, I’m afraid. Remember, it’ll have to underpin Skodas and Seats, too. So only the bonnet and front wings are aluminium, the rest is a mix of high-strength steels, though it’s clever enough to ensure the new A3 weighs 80kg less than the old car and a massive 200kg less than a basic BMW 1-series.


Is that really true?

 

[EnI]

Official Audi & BMW figures (by EU standard):

A3 1.4 TFSI FWD 122HP: 1.250kg
F21 114i 3dr 102HP: 1.360kg
F21 116i 3dr 136HP: 1.360kg

A3 1.8 TFSI FWD 180HP: 1.325kg
F21 118i 3dr 170HP: 1.365kg

A3 2.0 TDI FWD 150 HP: 1.355kg
F21 118d 3dr 143HP: 1.390kg

Entry A3 models are 110kg lighter than entry F21 1er models.
But in other, more powerful variants the difference is much lower: about 40kg.
It's a cost of RWD. Expect FWD 1er models to be much lighter!

 

[MarcinM]

Also we are comparing 5 door 1 series with 3 door A3.

 

[Tumbo]

Also we are comparing 5 door 1 series with 3 door A3.

No, as you can clearly see, he compared 3 door (3dr) 1 series.

 

[speed_kills]

Official Audi & BMW figures (by EU standard):

A3 1.4 TFSI FWD 122HP: 1.250kg
F21 114i 3dr 102HP: 1.360kg
F21 116i 3dr 136HP: 1.360kg

A3 1.8 TFSI FWD 180HP: 1.325kg
F21 118i 3dr 170HP: 1.365kg

A3 2.0 TDI FWD 150 HP: 1.355kg
F21 118d 3dr 143HP: 1.390kg

Entry A3 models are 110kg lighter than entry F21 1er models.
But in other, more powerful variants the difference is much lower: about 40kg.
It's a cost of RWD. Expect FWD 1er models to be much lighter!

I would say it's the cost of being a smaller company with less buying power than VAG therefore not using as much aluminium.

 

[EnI]

I would say it's the cost of being a smaller company with less buying power than VAG therefore not using as much aluminium.

MQB / A3 don't use much aluminum. Check the picture (blue & cyan is alu, gray & red is steel). Alu is still too expensive for smaller cars.

And RWD definitely adds quite some weight (central tunnel housing & sound isolation, drive shaft, rear differential, bigger rear axle etc).

Why do you think apart from 1er all the other compact cars are FWD? Because RWD is completely useless in this segment (too heavy, too space consuming). But it adds some extra punch to better driving dynamics.

 

[Deckhook]

^Completely agree RWD is wasted in this segment and why BMW continue to beat a dead horse here is beyond me, especially when even market research shows that the majority of 1 series customers think it's FWD. Doesn't say a lot for the claim that driving dynamics are obviously superior when hardly anyone can tell.

 

[EnI]

Next gen of 1er will be FWD.

Developing FWD platform for current 1er only would be extremely expensive. So BMW had two choices: either to find a partner for sharing a FWD platform (eg. Fiat, PSA, Toyota, Hyundai etc) for 1er, or develop FWD platform in-house for BMW & MINI only ... and make it profitable with expanding the model portfolio of both MINI & BMW brands in FWD segment. For an expected profit margin at least 800k units of FWD cars should have been sold (right now 1er + X1 + all MINI models generate sales of a bit over 600k units).

And that's exactly what BMW is doing. Putting all BMW 1er & sub-1er models on FWD platform (except 2er coupe, cabrio & GC - which will still be RWD, and based on modular RWD platform), sharing the platform with MINI & at the same time expanding MINI product portfolio. So, 1er family (hatch, touring/GT, CST etc), X1/X2, sub-1er models, all MINI models (incl. Countryman Coupe, possible Countryman Cabrio, MINI "Spaceman" - a mini-van by MINI etc) all based on modular FWD "UKL" platform will definitely generate a sale of more than 800k units per year. An therefore the desired profit margin will be met.

Audi has VAG's "MQB" FWD platform - which is extremely profitable since lots of VW, Skoda, Seat & Audi models are based on it. So Audi profit margin is covered here. And this gives Audi a huge advantage over MB & BMW for at least one generation of compact models.

MB have developed current modular "MFA" platform on its own - initially for its A & B-class models. But the economies of scale doesn't work here since A & B do not generate enough sale for MFA platform to be profitable enough. Therefore MB's cooperation with Renault-Nissan: so I guess MFA platform will be offered to R-N for some of their models, boosting the profitability of MFA platform. Or perhaps in the future R-N & MB will develop a common FWD platform together for compact cars. Perhaps even for the next generation of A/B class already.

 

[speed_kills]

MQB / A3 don't use much aluminum. Check the picture (blue & cyan is alu, gray & red is steel). Alu is still too expensive for smaller cars.
And RWD definitely adds quite some weight (central tunnel housing & sound isolation, drive shaft, rear differential, bigger rear axle etc).

Why do you think apart from 1er all the other compact cars are FWD? Because RWD is completely useless in this segment (too heavy, too space consuming). But it adds some extra punch to better driving dynamics.

If that is true, then the A3 AWD and 1er AWD will weight the same. Let's see if that happens.