Whats New for the 2006 Audi A3?
Leave it to Audi – the stalwart of luxury performance vehicles – to bring affordable luxury to a new entry-level price point. Starting at under $25,000, Audi is poised to capture a cross section of the burgeoning youth market with its all-new A3. Initially available as a five-door hatch, the A3 is powered by a turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. Besides being miserly in fuel consumption and emissions output, the powerplant sends an impressive 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft of torque to the front wheels, the latter available at 1,800 through 5,000 rpm. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with an optional Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) optional. A quattro all-wheel-drive version should arrive in early 2006, replete with 3.2-liter V6 power and the DSG transmission. Road handling is accomplished via a MacPherson front and four-link rear suspension, an electromechanical steering rack with speed-dependent power assistance, and 17- or optional 18-inch wheels. T
