An Audi A3 e-tron hatchback was just spotted undergoing testing and it was only obscured with mild camouflage. Here’s what we can glean from these spy photos.
Right up front you can see newly shaped LED daytime-running lights. These lamps have a sort of gill-like appearance as they’re comprised of several stacked elements. This is a styling trademark we expect to see on upcoming Audi e-tron models.
But beyond this minor change it appears as though everything else is pretty much the same with this facelifted model. Remember, we’ve seen it in other forms in the past. Its grille, bumper and headlights all seem to borrow design cues from its big brother, the newly redesigned A4.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Audi A3 e-tron Priced From $38,795
Aside from these minor styling changes, Audi will also likely update this car’s interior and improve its electrified powertrain. Today’s A3 e-tron is motivated by a hybrid drivetrain centered around a 1.4-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine. This turbocharged propulsion unit puts out 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque all on its own.
Further boosting the A3 e-tron’s output is an electric motor that adds an additional 102 ponies, making for a system total of 204; overall torque measures an impressive 258 lb-ft. This dynamo is juiced by an 8.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Add it all up and this car delivers a fuel-consumption score of 83 MPGe.
A six-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission is also part of the mix. It helps this portly hatchback, which weighs more than 3,600 pounds in American trim, accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles an hour in just 7.6 seconds.
