The STEALTH Plug-in Hybrid: Audi A3 e-tron Sportback

You wouldn't know it was an EV ... except it might use NO petrol

Your Audi on an app

The official NEDC consumption figure for the A3 is 176.6mpg but as with all plug-in hybrids that figure depends entirely on how much driving you do using just the electrical charge harvested from the mains. Charge the thing every day and never drive more than 30 miles between charges and you’ll never use a drop of unleaded. The EV range and EV performance of the A3 e-tron makes that a perfectly viable option. Quoted maximum touring range with a full (40-litre) tank of petrol and a fully charged battery is 584 miles.

In case you were wondering, customers cars won't be plastered in e-tron decals

EV-mode to one side, on the open road the A3 e-tron drives much like any other A3 Sportback but with two slight differences.

Firstly that extra weight makes the ride rather more relaxing. The suspension feels just a wee bit more compliant than it does on other A3s but with no noticeable impact on handling. Secondly the instant torque available from the electric motor means acceleration is both energetic and fuss-free. This then is a car you can drive quickly, easily and economically all at the same time.

Smooth progress is further helped by the rather fine 6-speed S-tronic transmission. With no boy racer flappy paddle nonsense to lure you from the path of righteousness, you just slip the gearbox into Drive and push the right pedal down.

Family five door hatch

So good is the gearbox that don’t actually notice it’s there - and no higher praise can there be. You can swap cogs manually using the gear selector but since the gearbox’s control system probably has a higher IQ than most drivers, it’s probably best to leave it to its own devices.

As you would expect from a modern EV the e-tron is as connected as a bent Westminster lobbyist. The Audi Connect cellular telematics system has its hand firmly up Google’s dress and there is a smartphone app (Android and iOS) that lets you monitor the charge level and general status of your motor remotely. I didn't have the opportunity to test the app but being German, it probably works as advertised.

e-tron app for iOS and Android

Audi also deserves a small pat on the head for the quality, and restraint, of the e-tron’s dash graphics. These present easy to read and easy to understand information about what the drivetrain and battery system is doing without making the instrument binnacle look like some garish techno-nightmare from TRON: Legacy.

Everything else about the A3 e-tron is, well, very A3-ish. It’s a well built motor car and though much of the interior switchgear and trim can be found in sundry (and cheaper) VWs, Skodas and Seats, there is an undeniable air of quality about the cabin so you don’t feel short-changed.

A3 e-tron at home on the nation's twisty B-roads

Personally, the most pertinent criticism I can make here is that rear legroom is no more than average. Yes I could get pretty comfy, but I’d still rather not spend a lot of time behind a six-foot driver. But that’s a feature of the entire A3 range and not specific to the e-tron version.

The Reg Verdict

The new A3 e-tron may hide its light under a very plain bushel but it’s still quite some light. It is economical, fast, comfortable, easy to drive and very well made. Yes, it’s a wee bit expensive, but not idiotically so when compared to the obvious hybrid competition or, for that matter, the rest of the A3 range. Audi may not have been the first to arrive at the plug-in hybrid party, but it’s arrived in some style and with a car that makes a lot of sense both as an econo-wagon and as a driver’s car. ®