Audi didn’t say whether the A3 PHEV, which will be built on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf, will be sold in the U.S. Audi’s A3, which is sold as a four-door hatchback in the U.S., will be replaced here by a sedan in 2014. This week, Audi unveiled the updated A3 two-door, which is 176 pounds lighter than the current model and features three engine options – two gas-powered motors and one diesel.
Audi said late last month that it will launch an e-tron electric-vehicle pilot program featuring battery-electric A3s in U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Those vehicles will have about 130 horsepower and a single-charge range of about 90 miles, and will be able to be recharged in about four hours using a 400-volt fast charger. The company didn’t say how many A3 e-trons would be tested in the U.S.
Audi sells the A3 four-door hatchback in the U.S. in both gas-powered and diesel-powered versions. The diesel won the 2010 Green Car of the Year award at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2009.
