2013 Audi A3 sedan to descend Audi 80

Rupert Stadler, Audio CEO, has given the green light to an A3 new saloon. The car is described by Ingolstadt sources as a sacred descendant to the Audi 80.

In addition to the current shapes available (3dr hatchback, 5dr Sportback and 2dr cabriolet), the 4dr saloon will go on sale in 2013 when it arrives in the UK.

The A3 sedan will be marketed as on entry-level models in the U.S and China, two of Audi’s biggest markets. Predictably, the A3 sedan will sit beneath the upper-compact A4 model. Sitting on a shortened underpinning’s of the latest Volkswagen Jetta platform, the car will measure at 4.51 metres long.

Mechanically, the VAG’s brand new MQB modular platform, which is easier and cheaper to produce than the current PQ35 platform, will have the suspension layout—struts upfront and multi-link at the rear — and will have the ability to sport both FWD and AWD.

In the UK, a variety of petrol engines will be offered, ranging from a turbocharged 1.4 TSI to a 5-cylinder 2.5 litre turbocharged for the range-topping RS3. On the diesel side, a 4-cylinder 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI will be available. A hybrid based upon the 1.4 TSI and lithium ion battery pack is in the pipeline.

German rivals BMW and Mercedes are also planning direct competitors for the A3 sedan; BMW is planning a top-secret sedan of the second-generation 1 Series and the Mercedes model is based on the new platform of the third-generation A-Class.