Audi RS3 and A3 e-tron models expected in 2014 | New Release - Car News Oct 2012

17:27 Thursday 25 Oct 2012

Audi is planning to introduce a hot RS3 version of its new A3 hatchback in early 2014, much earlier than expected.

Traditionally, Audi's RS models go on sale towards the end of the model's lifecycle; for example, the current RS3, launched last year, went on sale eight years after the A3 on which it's based was launched.

However, Audi has announced that the new RS3 will go on sale barely a year after the less powerful S3 model debuted at the Paris Motor Show.

The new RS3 will get all-wheel drive and is expected to be powered by a turbocharged five-cylinder engine. It's likely that the new model will be lighter than its predecessor, and more powerful -- the old RS3 produced 335bhp, so expect a power output of around 400bhp.

Audi A3 e-tron

Audi is also expected to launch a plug-in hybrid version of the new A3 at around the same time as the RS3. Very few details exist on the Audi A3 e-tron, but it's likely that the new model will be powered by a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine coupled to an electric motor, giving an all-electric range of around 30 miles.