Audi A3 For 2013 Gets Lighter And A Sedan Variant

Audi’s latest A3 is bigger but lighter than the outgoing model and also adds a sedan variant. The A3 is the first Volkswagen Group car underpinned by a new architecture, called MQB, that will be used on 40 different models and 6 million vehicles by the Audi, VW, Skoda and Seat brands by 2018. The 5-door A3 weighs 1175kg, 80kg less than the outgoing car and the same as the first, 3-door A3 launched in 1986 even though at 4237mm it is 87mm longer than the first-generation model.
Audi saved 25kg with a multi-material bodyshell, another 10kg using aluminum for the front fenders and engine hood, 4kg each with lighter seat structures and a lighter air conditioning system. The A3 will be more fuel efficient with CO2 emissions cut by 17 percent compared with the outgoing car.