The Audi A3 lineup is set to expand with the addition of a svelte new four-door coupe.
Set to look like a smaller A5 Sportback, the A3 Coupe will compete with the Mercedes CLA. The new coupe is expected to arrive along with the rest of the updated A3 family, including the sedan and hatchback versions, reports . The hatchback will likely be the first new A3 and is likely to arrive in 2019.
As mentioned, the A3 Coupe will share a sloping roof line with the bigger A5 Sportback and A7. The car is also said to borrow heavily from the Audi TT Sportback concept (below) shown at the Paris Motor Show in 2014. Along with the new roofline, the new A3 will feature a new wider grille, new headlights, slimmer tail lights, and reshaped bumpers.
The coupe should bring the A3 up into the executive class, without bumping the price up too much. The strategy of using compact cars to fill luxury niches has already been employed to great success by Mercedes, the No. 1 premium car brand last year. The new coupe will also help Audi reach its goal of selling 60 different models by 2020.
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The new A3 will stay on the MQB platform but will grow a bit in length and width, giving it more interior and cargo volume. Inside, the Virtual Cockpit will be updated and autonomous driving modes should be available.
With the VW Group still trying to put dieselgate behind it, electricity is set to play a bigger role in the lineup. The next generation Golf GTI will reportedly get a mild hybrid system, so similar technology could potentially find its way into the new A3. Meanwhile, the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid is primed for a return to the lineup, and rumors are swirling about an all-electric version of the hatchback.
