Audi have put their new A3 on a crash diet, the result being that it weighs only slightly more than the original A3 from 1996.
Audi have achieved this by trimming the excess fat from every component on the car. They've also used a blend of lightweight materials to build the new A3 - the aluminium bonnet and bumper supports alone shed 18kg of weight. The A3's new 1.4-litre TFSI engine is also a full 21kg lighter than the engine it replaces.
Audi's Dr Olaf Kohler said, "With this model we have broken through the weight spiral while adding to safety and equipment." Indeed, the new A3 is almost exactly the same size as the car it replaces and offers more standard equipment than the previous generation model.
Modern cars are packed with much more safety kit and on-board equipment than cars of old, and the downside of this is that they weigh a lot more. Weight not only harms performance and fuel economy, it also raises CO2 emissions, making heavier cars less environmentally friendly.
The petrol models of the new A3 should emit just 120g/km of CO2, whilst the 2.0 TDI will sneak in just below the 100g/km barrier, managing 99g/km.
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