2013 Audi A3 Three-Door Hatch Leaked in All its Production Glory

A full set of official photos of the upcoming generation of Audi's A3 hatchback were spilled onto the web today affording us our best look at the new compact car before it heads over to the Geneva Motor Show for its world premiere.

These pictures reveal the three-door hatchback variant, though Audi is planning to expand the range with the five-door Sportback, a two-door convertible and for the first time ever, a four-door saloon based on last year's A3 sedan concept.

On the outside, despite having a slightly more aggressive front boasting Audi's new family face with the six-point grille and "angrier" headlamps, the new A3 could easily be mistaken for a facelifted version of the current model.

However, this is not the case as the Audi A3 is the first production model in the VW Group to use the company's brand-new Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) vehicle architecture, which will underpin most new VW Group cars including the Golf Mk7.

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First Official Photo of All-New 2013 Audi A3 Leaked?

The last time we had a good look at the 2013 Audi A3 hatchback, it was from the January Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas where the German automaker displayed the compact model's interior.

In some of those aforementioned shots, the new A3's exterior was displayed on the LCD screen located above the center air vents.

Now, an Eastern European website has posted this picture claiming that it's the first official photo of the new three-door A3, which is scheduled to make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

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Justice Has Been Served: Frustrated Drivers Knock Over Audi A3 that was Blocking the Road!

Usually, when an insensitive driver double-parks on the road blocking the way to other vehicles, all it takes is a call to the police to get things sorted out. But there comes a time when frustrated drivers take matters into their own hands…

Which is what happened in Exarcheia, a neighborhood in downtown Athens, Greece, when the owner of what looks like a fairly new Audi A3 Sportback parked in front of a couple of large metal trash bins partially blocking the road.

While most passenger cars were able to make it through, a city bus that was making its routine trek around town couldn't fit. The bus driver along with the other drivers that were piling up behind kept honking again and again but to no avail; the owner of the Audi was nowhere to be seen.

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This is the New Volkswagen Golf MK7's MQB Platform

At an event held today at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, Volkswagen revealed its new "Modularer Querbaukasten" or MQB platform that will form the base for the upcoming seventh generation Golf as well as a large number of other mainstream models.

The MQB is by far the most important platform architecture in the group, as it will be used in the next generations of the Volkswagen Polo, Beetle, Golf, Scirocco, Jetta, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan, Passat, and CC, as well as the soon-to-be revealed Audi A3, and all the other derivatives from Seat and Skoda.

A key feature of the platform is its flexibility in terms of wheelbase length, track width, wheel size and seating positions. Other dimensions such as the distance between the pedals to the wheel center are always the same and provide a unified front-end system.

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...And this is the First Image of the 2013 Audi A3 Three-door Hatchback

Allow us to give a big hat tip to Carscoop reader "Fcorbs" who quickly noticed the digital rendering of the 2013 Audi A3 3-door hatchback in one of the photos of the upcoming compact model's interior released only moments ago by the German firm on the occasion of the CES in Las Vegas.

As viewed in this image, the exterior design of the third iteration of A3 hatchback keeps the basic body style of the current model adding a more distinct fascia with its key stylistic elements such as the six-point grille and headlamps borrowed directly from the RS3 sedan concept shown in Geneva last year.

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This is the All-New 2013 Audi A3's Interior

In a similar way that General Motors used the presentation of its new CUE infotainment system to reveal the dashboard of its Cadillac XTS back in October, Audi brought a cutaway of its upcoming 2013 A3's interior to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to display its current technologies and future projects.

We'll get to the technological features later on, but for now, let's concentrate on the design of the dashboard that will find its way on all body styles of the next A3 including the three door hatchback, five door Sportback, four-door sedan and two-door convertible models.

The styling is typical Audi and closely resembles that of the smaller A2 series albeit polished up with decorative trims plus a more upscale instrument panel and center dash. The latter is also angled more towards the driver.

In addition, the lower console is positioned much higher than were used to in mainstream models like the A3.

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Audi Announces New Investment Plan and Confirms New A3 and R8 e-tron for 2012

You can say business is going good for Audi as the German premium automaker announced today a new plan to invest €13 billion, mainly in new products and technologies and in expanding its sites by 2016, while the company will also recruit some 1,200 specialists in 2012 in addition to 3,500 new employees it hired throughout 2011.

“We are aiming to achieve strong growth on an international scale and boost our lightweight construction and electric mobility areas of expertise in particular," said Thomas Sigi, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. "That is why we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1,200 experts next year.”

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SPY SHOTS: 2013 Audi A3 Heads to Sweden for Winter Tests

Last time we caught up with the next generation of the Audi A3, Ingolstadt's engineers were testing the three-door hatchback in Argentina. Now, we've spied Audi's premium compact model half way across the world while testing in northern Sweden.

The third iteration of the A3 series will mark a switch to the Volkswagen Group’s brand-new flexible MQB architecture that will be shared with a myriad of models including the next generations of the VW Golf and even the Passat.

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Audi to Build Second Plant in China for Production of the Next A3

The country with the most car brands and factories in the world just agreed to let Audi to open another plant. Audi made the announcement today stating that FAW-VW, the VW Group's current Chinese operation, will set up a new plant in Foshan for the production of the next generation of the A3.

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Pure-Electric Audi A3 e-tron Hatchback Debuts at the 2011 LA Auto Show

Up until now, we’ve seen all kinds of Audi EV concepts with “e-tron” label ranging from the A1 supermini to a sub-R8 supercar. At the 2011 LA Auto Show, the Ingolstadt-based company presented yet another e-tron model, this time based on the current A3 Sportback five-door hatchback. Read more »

Report: New Audi A3 Range will Include Four Body Styles, Debut Planned for Next Year's Geneva Show

At this year's Geneva Salon, Audi gave us a first glimpse at the next generation of its A3 series with a sport sedan concept packing a mighty 408-horses under its hood. Now, we learn that the Ingolstadt automaker will return to the Swiss show next year with the actual production version of its premium C-segment model.

The third generation of the A3 will be lighter and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor while Audi will expand the range to include more variants.

In an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Audi’s chief designer Stefan Sielaff said that the company's answer to the BMW 1-Series and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz A-Class will “clearly be recognizable as an A3".

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Volkswagen issues a recall to fix fuel-injection system defect

Volkswagen AG issues a recall for around 168,280 VW and 7,130 Audi models with diesel engines to fix the defect in the fuel injection.

Models being affected in this recall are:

• 2009-12 Jetta mid-sized sedans and wagons
  


• 2010-12 Golf compacts, federal regulators
  


• 2010-2012 Audi A3 models
  

Volkswagen Jetta 2012

NHTSA says that "Models subject to the recall have 2.0-liter diesel engines".

VW will restore the fuel injector line in some models and fit dampers in order to reduce vibration in all affected vehicles. VW assures that the services will be provided for free.

Bearing damage caused in the unusual way may cause fuel leaks and fire hazards.

Volkswagen also announces that as of now there is no report of injuries or deaths related to this condition.

VW has scheduled the beginning of its recall in November.

Ay Ay Ay! How to Rattle the Nerves of Even the Calmest of Drivers

If there's one thing that's sure to grind the gears of any driver in the world, that would be a fellow driver that does not know what he or she is doing causing a traffic jam in the process.

The following video seems to have been filmed from an apartment balcony somewhere in Spain. It shows a female driver in a three-door Audi A3 first talking to a lady on the road (perhaps she was asking directions to the parking on the side of the road) , then constantly going back and forth in an attempt to enter the garage.

Funny to watch, but towards the end of the clip it gets a bit more serious as another driver –apparently frustrated from the wait- approaches the Audi and starts yelling to the woman while also bashing her car.

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168,000 VW Jetta, VW Golf and Audi A3 Diesel Models Recalled in the U.S. Amidst Fire Concerns

The Volkswagen Group of America issued a voluntary safety recall on 159,884 diesel-powered VW Jetta and Jetta SportWagens manufactured from May 2008 through September 2011, and Golf models built from May 2009 through September 2011, and nearly 9,000 Audi A3 diesel models made from September 2009 through September 2011.

All the aforementioned vehicles are equipped with the German group's 2.0-liter TDi diesel engine. The company said that certain vibrations could potentially result in a fuel line cracking. The defect could cause a fuel leak, which in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a fire.

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MTM's Colorful Audi RS3 Sportback Packs a Mighty Punch

German tuning firm Motoren Technik Mayer, aptly known as MTM, has a knack for improving the performance of any Volkswagen Group model.

The firm's most recent project concerns the Audi RS3 Sportback that is normally powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five generating 340-horses and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, which are good for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

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ABT's New Audi RS3 Sportback Packs up to 470 Horses

German tuning firm ABT Sportsline has decided that the latest Audi RS3 Sportback requires a bit more punch and has prepared a new power package for the hot hatch from Ingolstadt.

In factory outfit, the four-wheel-drive model is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine generating 340-ponies and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, good enough for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds.

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SCOOP: New Audi A3 Three-Door Hatchback

Audi's sales have been pretty solid the past few years, however, the German firm is not resting on its success and is looking to add brand new models to its lineup such as the Q6 crossover as well as to replace its current portfolio with fresher products.

Following the recent introductions of the A1, A5, A6, A7, and A8, Audi is now turning its focus on its bread-and-butter A3 series which will include a three-door hatchback, the five-door Sportback, and for the first time, a four-door sedan model that was previewed though a concept study at this year's Geneva Salon.

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Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

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Audi Turns A3 Sedan Concept into e-tron Study with a Plug-in Hybrid Powertrain

Audi has been trying to show off its green credentials for quite some time now with a variety of plug-in hybrid and pure electric concepts, all sporting the e-tron nameplate, such as the 2009 e-tron Concept Coupe, the 2010 A1 e-tron, and more recently, the e-tron Spyder. Now, the brand with the four rings has prepared a new e-tron study, this time based on the A3 sedan concept shown at the Geneva Salon this past March.

The new A3 Sedan e-tron is a compact sized four-door saloon study featuring a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain, and it will receive its world premiere at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China.

Audi’s engineers replaced the Geneva concept model’s 408HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five with a hybrid powertrain comprising of a 211HP 1.4-liter TFSI gasoline unit with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection, and an electric motor with an output of 20 kW (27HP), for a combined system output of 238HP. A seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission is linked to the gasoline engine.

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Future Audi A3 Hatch and Sedan Previewed in Official Sketches

Audi released a set of sketches portraying the next-generation A3, which is expected to go on sale in late 2012. The officials drawings show the three-door hatchback and sedan versions, plus a view of the interior.

The A3 Sedan sketch does not come as a surprise, since it shows a car very similar in design with the A3 Concept premiered by Audi at the Geneva Motor Show. The three-door hatchback, however, is more interesting, as this is the first time Audi offers a sneak peak at the design of its future compact model.

The three-door version looks sharp and dynamic, sporting a narrow glasshouse, massive wheel arches and an interesting crease in the lower part of the door.

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