2017 Audi A3 Facelift And Release Date
Facelifted 2017 Audi A3 is being prepared to replace the currently available car. The version that is on the market has been released back in 2012 as 2013 model while the sedan version was introduced one year later. It is nearly four years old and is actually based on VW’s latest transverse engine platform, the highly modular MQB.
However, because the market is moving and developing at high pace, a new model is expected to bring various improvements allowing it to retain a good position on the market. Latest reports suggest facelift is going to be released with the 2017 Audi A3, and it is going to represent the mid-life update. Taking into account the camouflaged model we saw a while ago, it is safe to assume that the new model will get a few styling changes, an upgraded interior and likely more powerful and more efficient engines.
Release Date
The car should be released by the end of the year with the price for a base model of around the equivalent of $29,000 while a fully equipped version will go well beyond $60,000. In the United States, the A3 will be available as a sedan as well as a wagon, but the latter will only be available with the hybrid powertrain. All the other markets, on the other hand, will get the entire lineup of powerplants.
Sedan
While its chassis is expected to remain same, the car’s running gear should get a few upgrades in order to become slightly more comfortable as well as better to drive. The current model is one of the better cars to drive in its class but the suspension gets a bit mushy in certain scenarios. These are things that many buyers noticed, and it seems that German car maker listened to customers delivering upgrades in this segment.
2017 Audi A3 Facelift
In terms of exterior design, the 2017 Audi A3 will get both a new front end as well as some updates in the back. The car’s general design scheme will remain mostly the same while the wheels will likely be updated to meet their newest design scheme. The back will likely only receive a new set of LED tail lights but in the front, we expect the new A3 not only to get new headlights but also a new grille and bumper which will get it closer to Audi’s new more angular design. We could hear many times that one of the things that most drivers do not like are the similarities of all models in lineup meaning that it can be quite hard to recognize which model is rolling.
Inside the cabin, there are going to be a few upgrades as well, and while the base models will be nearly identical to the previous generation of the car, the higher end models will get Audi’s all-new, fully digital, instrument cluster. This will be identical to the one found on the R8 or the new A4 featuring a large 12.3-inch LCD-IPS screen which will provide the driver not only information about the engine, but it will also display navigation instructions.
Changes
Engine wise, the base model of the 2017 Audi A3 will likely stick to its current 1.8-liter turbocharged 170 horsepower inline 4 in the US while the option will come in the form of a 2.0-liter I4 turbo unit with up to 220 horsepower. Europe, on the other hand, will get a lot more engines than the US version. The base model will likely ditch its current 1.2-liter engine in the favor of a smaller and equally powerful 1.0-liter unit. Also, the 1.4-liter engines will probably be replaced with the same 1.8-liter unit as that found in the US version but this time around it will be offered in a few different configurations.
In Europe, there will be no 2.0 liter model besides the high-performance S3, which will feature a 300 horsepower and over 280 lb-ft of torque 2 liter TFSI unit. Also, the highly anticipated RS3 will now be available around the World offered with an improved 2.5 liter inline five turbocharged mill which is expected to pump out well over 360 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. Only the base models of the car will come with front wheel drive while the rest will get, as standard, their Quattro all-wheel drive system. Also, while some models will get a six-speed manual, most of them will get either a 6 or 7 speed automatic. Among the most impressive engines that Europe will get and the US most likely won’t are the 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter both four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. These units will offer from 105 to 180 hp making them ideal for most families regarding power and fuel economy.
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