2021 Audi A3 sedan debuts wild new design, mild-hybrid option

After the debut of the Audi A3 sport back at the not quite Geneva Motor Show last month. Today we're getting a peek at the four door variant that will eventually be coming to America. Meet the new A3 sedan and wow it looks like the little Audi's been hitting the gym. The dimensions aren't much different from before. At 128 inches, the new a three is only about 1.6 inches longer than the current model. But within its compact footprint, it boasts a much more aggressive design. Get a look at the meaty quatro blister bulges around the wheel arches and the 40 lower sills, which pop even more thanks to deeply creased planks. Despite only being 0.8 inches wider than before. The new a three sedan certainly looks like it's rocking a wide body kit. Other design tweaks include a larger single frame grille, sharper headlamps with matrix LED light forming tech, if that ever becomes street legal in the States, and a more coupie like float to the roofline. It's not quite Thiele a class coupie but the rear glass is noticeably less upright than before. Just imagining how much meaner an RS three variant would look at sending chills up my spine. [MUSIC] Switching gears to safety the newest generation a three will get the newest generation of Audi pre sent Collision Mitigation tech, as well as enhanced adaptive cruise control and Lane Keeping Assist technologies. CartaX connectivity with infrastructure in other vehicles enables features like traffic light assist which puts real time traffic light timing data in the dashboard. And swarm reporting for things like road hazard, parking space search and more depending on the availability and infrastructure in your neck of the woods. Inside we've got an overhaul dashboard, powered by the latest generation Audi tech, that's packing ten times more processing power than its predecessor. Bringing this entry level model almost in line with Audi's AA in Q8 flagships. Settle into the drivers seat and be greeted by a virtual cockpit, plus. Up to 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a 10.1 inch infotainment touchscreen that looks a whole lot better than the old pop up toaster display in the current a three, of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity return standard features which you'll be able to connect to using what appear to be a pair of USB type C ports in the center console. In Europe, the new A3 will also be able to use an NFC-compatible Android phone as the key, allowing owners to leave the fob at home. Now, this feature debuted on the A8 a couple of years ago but didn't show up in US models for some reason. So maybe we'll get it, maybe we won't. European A3 buyers will also have their pick of four powertrain options, ranging form a one liter gasoline three-cylinder, to a couple of diesels. But the new 35 TSFI mild hybrid option is the most interesting of this quartet. Mating a 148-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox Also adds a 48 volt electric assist motor, that in addition to providing regenerative braking also brings 37 pound feet of its own on demand electric torque to the party. Only expects between 47 and 50 miles per gallon on the new European driving cycle in this configuration. Now I'm very interested in how that performance and efficiency shakes out in the real world. But I also expect that we'll get a very different power train here in the States out he hasn't announced exactly what we'll get, but I expect that there'll be some tune of the automakers two liter turbo for matching at least the current 184 to 228 horsepower range that we've got now. Whether or not that means we'll get the new 48 volt electric assist system has, as you guessed it, not yet been announced.