Traditionally when you glanced at the monikers installed to the rear of an Audi, you would easily be able to distinguish the engine configuration. Now though Audi indicates the vehicle's power class through numbers such as 30, 35 and 40 for the A3 range. We not only find out what creates the power under the bonnet but also which is the most efficient engine.
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Photo GridThe current generation Audi A3 arrived locally in late 2016. The German model is not only available in the traditional three-door hatchback and five-door Sportback body styles but also in a sedan as well as a cabriolet. Although the bodies might differ significantly, the chassis and engine line-up remains greatly the same.
While the exterior is modern and follows the current design language from the German automaker, customers can opt for the S line exterior package which sees the fitment of a different front bumper and rear diffuser. A similar package system has been formulated for drivers where you can optionally specify comfort items such as adaptive cruise control or safety options such as cross-traffic alert as part of greater packages.
While customers can choose the S3 or RS3 derivatives for more performance, we will be focussing on the consumer A3 models for this comparison.
| Audi A3 30 | Audi A3 35 | Audi A3 40 | |
| Engine | 1.0-litre, turbocharged, 3-cylinder petrol | 1.4-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder petrol | 2.0-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder petrol |
| Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Power | 85 kW | 110 kW | 140 kW |
| Torque | 200 Nm | 250 Nm | 320 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h | 9.9s | 8.2s | 6.8s |
| Top speed | 206 km/h | 220 km/h | 244 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 4.7 L / 100 km | 4.9 L / 100 km | 5.7 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 107 g/km | 114 g/km | 126 g/km |
*This table was populated with information gathered from www.duoporta.co.za
As you would expect, all three engines return good performance figures for the capacity. And like the performance categories point out in the 30, 35 and 40 nomenclature, the engines each see a significant increase in power and torque. This does not come without a change in the fuel consumption figures though.
Under closer inspection, the jump in performance between the 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre, turbocharged motors is 25 kW and 50 Nm of torque which comes at a price of 0.2 L / 100 km more fuel consumption. The difference in the jump between the 1.4-litre and the 2.0-litre engines is slightly larger at 30 kW and 70 Nm of torque but also is the fuel consumption which increases by 0.8 L / 100 km.
While all three engines do well in terms of efficiency, this comparison just highlights how well the 1.4-litre, turbocharged unit utilizes each drop of fuel. While the 1.0-litre is the most frugal, it appears the 1.4-litre unit will give you the most bang for your buck and as such is our winner.
Ryno FourieRyno started his career capturing press images of the latest and greatest vehicles which have subsequently adorned the covers and pages of prominent motoring titles locally and internationally. After a short stint as a photography lecturer, he once again joined the automotive industry as a sub-editor and photographer for a local publication, however, currently, you will find him spending most of his time in the studio creating written, video, and photography content as part of the AutoTrader content team.View News & Reviews
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