Audi Q3 PHEV available to order in January
In the second week of January, Audi will start advance sales for its next plug-in hybrid models: the Q3 45 TFSI e and the Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI e. The PHEV drive of the two SUV derivatives is known.
It is the 180 kW version of the plug-in hybrid drive for the MQB platform, which was first introduced with the VW Golf 8. In principle, there is also a somewhat weaker version with 150 kW system power, but Audi has only opted for the more powerful version for the Q3 compact SUV.
Both the Q3 and the SUV coupe Q3 Sportback use a 1.4 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 110 kW. This is combined with an 85 kW electric motor; the permanently excited synchronous engine is located in the housing of the six-speed dual-clutch transmission. However, the Q3 has only front-wheel drive, not four-wheel drive.
The 13.0 kWh battery is designed to provide a purely electric range of 51 kilometers in the WLTP cycle – or 50 kilometers in the Q3 Sportback. The WLTP consumption for both body styles is between 1.4 and 1.7 liters, depending on the equipment. Audi states the CO2 emissions at 32-39 g/km (Q3) and 33-38 g/km (Q3 Sportback).
However, the maximum charging power of 3.6 kW AC is significantly below the values offered by other compact SUV models today. Vehicles such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 e or the Range Rover Evoque PHEV can even be charged by DC with up to 24 kW, reducing the charging time for these models to well under one hour. Both Q3 models, however, are connected to the power supply for up to 3:45 hours until the battery is recharged.
In Germany, the Q3 45 TFSI e costs 46,000 euros (with 19 per cent VAT), the Q3 Sportback 45 TFSI e 1,400 euros more. For the UK, the price will be confirmed closer to launch.
At the end of September, Audi also presented the A3 Sportback compact model as a plug-in hybrid: The exact model designation Audi A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e (i.e. with a 40 instead of the 45 in the Q3 models) reveals in the somewhat cryptic Audi nomenclature that the A3 is based on the 150 kW version of the PHEV drive.
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