Audi A3 Sportback review - how does premium hatchback compete against rivals? - Engine and Gearbox
Pragmatic Sportback is no more fun to drive than an A3
Engine and gearbox
A wide but predictable variety here, with three petrol engines in four power outputs and two diesels with three outputs. All specifications can have either a 113bhp 1-litre TFSI, a 123bhp 1.4 TFSI or the same engine but with 148bhp and Cylinder-on-Demand technology – which shuts down two of the cylinders according to throttle demands. Diesels are a 108bhp 1.6 TDI and a 148bhp 2.0 TDI.
At Sport and S Line levels, a 1.8 TFSI with 178bhp and a more powerful variant of the 2.0 TDI, with 181bhp, are introduced. All A3 Sportbacks are front-wheel drive, with the exception of the 1.8 TFSI and 181bhp 2.0 TDI, which can be optionally fitted with quattro four-wheel drive.
All variants bar the 2.0 TDI cars and anything equipped with quattro can be had with either a standard six-speed manual gearbox or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic transmission. The larger diesels and the four-wheel drive versions make do with a six-speed S-Tronic, which is an option for the TDI and standard on a quattro.
