2012 Audi A3 Rendered - Car News

We like the current Audi A3; it's sporty, compact, and stylish. But its fiercest competitor is a close relative, the VW Golf, a car that makes it hard to justify the big price of the little Audi. Since the debut of the current, sixth-generation Golf—essentially a highly successful face lift of the Golf MkV, a.k.a. Rabbit—the A3 looks somewhat dated. The current A3, after all, was launched seven years ago, just like the Golf V. A few minor freshenings have kept the Audi ahead of the now-gone Golf V in terms of style, but the Golf VI is so well executed that Audi needs a new car to keep up.
The next A3, to be launched in 2012, will make a leap forward. It is based on VW’s new “Modularer Querbaukasten” (MQB) architecture, meaning “modular transverse matrix.” As the name suggests, it's the Volkswagen Group's new modular transverse-engine platform, which is slightly longer and wider than the current A3 platform and designed to take further cost out of the many variations offered by Volkswagen and its Audi, SEAT, and Škoda subsidiaries.
Audi will continue to offer the A3 with front-wheel drive and Quattro all-wheel drive. Power will come from a number of direct-injection, turbocharged engines out of the VW Group's vast parts bin. Europe will even get a tiny, entry-level, turbocharged 1.2-liter gasoline engine; there will also be more-powerful 1.4-liter and 2.0-liter TSI engines, as well as several TDI oil-burners. The overly complex turbo- and supercharged 1.4-liter twincharger engine of Euro Golf fame is unlikely to be offered in the A3; on the other hand, we believe that the A3 lineup will be topped by an RS3, powered by the phenomenal 2.5-liter, turbocharged inline-five which makes 340 hp in the TT RS. Even the current A3 could still get an RS3 version, giving it a final and honorable send-off.
Before the new, MQB-based RS3 arrives in 2014 or 2015, there will be an S3 model, powered by a version of the 2.0-liter EA888 engine making close to 300 hp. (Engine-code geeks will note that this engine replaces the current S3's EA113 unit.) The most powerful A3 versions are likely to get dual-clutch (S tronic) transmissions as standard; a six-speed manual will be the standard box for the regular A3, with S tronic as an available option. Europe may still get entry-level versions with a five-speed manual. The smooth but thirsty 3.2-liter VR6, by the way, is history.
The MQB platform allows for a number of alternative-technology powertrains. A compressed-natural-gas version is in the works, and Audi might also offer a plug-in hybrid. Even a fully electric A3 is possible, if demand warrants it.
Audi's premium positioning means that a number of high-tech, luxury-segment gadgets will find their way into this compact car. Please join us in welcoming your favorite radar- and camera-based nannies, such as blind-spot detection, lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition (this one is likely for Europe only), and distance-keeping cruise control—just in case you've forgotten everything you learned in driver’s ed., and abandoned all common sense.
The A3 will get the latest iteration of the MMI control system, which directs a state-of-the-art navigation system with high-resolution map graphics, and a powerful stereo. Voice activation will allow you to keep your eyes on the road. We expect the A3 to be as luxurious as compact cars can possibly get, once again giving it a significant advantage over the Golf.
Body styles will again include the five-door "Sportback" that we’re used to over here as well as the slightly shorter three-door hatch and soft-top cabriolet that are offered in Europe. We love the current A3 cabriolet, which is more compact and more elegant than any of its competing folding-metal-top competitors, and we applaud Audi for choosing to stick with the cloth roof. The cabrio will be launched in late 2013, and while there are currently no plans to bring it or the three-door to the U.S., perhaps Audi will reconsider as premium customers go for smaller and more-efficient cars.
The styling of the next A3 will be an evolution of the current model’s, with LED light strips up front and a new grille that looks similar to the smaller A1's. Competitors will include the BMW 1-series and the next-generation Mercedes-Benz A- and B-classes, the latter two of which will be finished with input from Renault and are unlikely to be offered in the U.S. Prospective buyers might also be cross-shopping the Lexus HS sedan and an upcoming compact Cadillac that is closer to the A4 in size but will be priced similar to the A3. Most important, the A3 gets a head start over the next Golf: the seventh generation of Wolfsburg's best-seller will come at least one year later than the A3.