Audi A3

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Engine:

2.0L I4

200 HP

The quattro®:

The quattro® technology stands for permanent power to all four wheels distributed between the front and rear axles. Power to each axle leads to a low power requirement with very well balanced handling. The advantage: better traction during acceleration and greater safety thanks to exceptional road holding – even in conditions where two-wheel-drive vehicles lose grip.

The special Audi expertise that goes into the quattro® permanent four-wheel drive guarantees more driving pleasure – especially on slippery road surfaces. If the wheels of one axle lose grip and threaten to spin, the drive torque is redirected in the central differential to the other axle, automatically and continuously. The quattro® technology takes into account the influence of the engine speed and torque, the wheel speeds and the forward and lateral acceleration. The result: better acceleration, greater lateral stability, improved traction, higher safety and even more driving pleasure.

Hill start assist:

Easy starting with no roll-back. The hill-start assist function helps you drive off on a hill. If you hold down the foot brake for a time when the vehicle is stationary, the brake pressure is retained for brief a moment after you release the brake pedal – relaxed starting on any hill or incline with no roll-back.

Stress-free hill-starting: the hill-start assist function provides assistance and safety for driving off on an incline. The advantage: as you change from the brake to the accelerator, the car remains stationary for long enough and – thanks to the system’s automatic braking intervention – you can easily pull away without rolling back. Hill-start assist is a particularly valuable feature in combination with a towing bracket.

Park assist:

Always finding a space: the park assistance system (including hill-start assist) uses 10 ultrasonic sensors to search for suitable parking spaces beside the road – and does so while driving by at up to 30 km/h.

Once a space has been found, the system calculates the ideal parking path and completes the parking manoeuvre almost automatically: the driver just has to accelerate and brake while the vehicle steers itself.

S tronic:

The S tronic combines the sporty characteristics of a manual gearbox with the advantages of an automatic. Gear-changes with the dual-clutch gearbox are performed easily and with no appreciable delay. Depending on the driver’s preference, the gears may be shifted in fully automatic mode or in manual mode.

Double act: the dual clutch forms the technical basis of the S tronic. One of the two clutches engages the odd-numbered gears and reverse, the other engages the even-numbered gears. The benefit: a gearbox that shifts from one gear to the next in less than 0.2 seconds and with no interruption in power flow.

Audi magnetic ride:

Using magnetic fields, Audi magnetic ride adjusts the firmness of the dampers to the current driving situation within a fraction of a second. It also gives the driver a choice of basic setting for either a more comfortable or a sportier drive.

Drivers can choose between a comfortable and a sporty driving mode to suit the driving situation and their personal tastes. In both modes the suspension’s damping forces are continuously adjusted to the current driving situation to produce uncompromising road behaviour. The benefits are clearly appreciable both in terms of comfort and handling characteristics.

The sport mode delivers a direct feedback from the road. The car corners with agility and responds spontaneously to steering inputs. The normal mode is geared more towards comfort to help eliminate driving fatigue on long journeys.

With Audi magnetic ride, the liquid contained in the dampers has so-called magneto-rheological properties. Tiny magnetic particles are bound inside the basic oil which is used to fill the dampers. When a magnetic field is applied, the magnetic particles are aligned against the direction of movement of the damper. As a result, the damping force of the damper is increased depending on the strength of the magnetic field. This allows the firmness of the dampers to be increased or decreased within a fraction of a second.

A control unit computes the optimum damping force for the individual driving situation. It does so using information from the wheel travel sensors and communication with other systems such as the steering and ESP.

A switch labelled with a shock absorber symbol on the centre console is used to control Audi magnetic ride. It activates and deactivates the sport mode. The instrument panel indicates activation/deactivation of sport mode and an LED in the function switch lights up when sport mode is active.

Safety:

1-Adaptive light:

Illuminating around the bend: adaptive light helps you to see further and see earlier in poor light conditions and especially in bends. The dynamic cornering light swivels the headlights in the direction of travel, following the degree of turn of the steering wheel. It thus effectively illuminates the path of the road ahead.

Innovative even after dark: adaptive light is well ahead of conventional headlights. During cornering, the road ahead and any obstacles just around the bend used to be hidden in darkness for some time with headlights only capable of illuminating a straight section of road. Audi adaptive light, however, dynamically adjusts to the movements of the steering wheel and the changes in the vehicle’s heading: it calculates the necessary alteration of the headlight position from various parameters, such as the road speed, steering angle and yaw rate. At speeds between approx. 10 km/h and 110 km/h, the headlight module swivels by up to 15°, following the degree of turn of the steering wheel. The advantage: considerably better illumination of the road ahead when turning and cornering, plus improved safety because the driver can see obstacles and other road-users early, and has time to react with due caution. The dynamic cornering light system Audi adaptive light is only available in conjunction with Xenon plus.

2-Anti-theft alarm:

The anti-theft alarm system offers extensive protection against break-in, vehicle theft and wheel theft. Innovative systems, including ultrasonic sensors and tilt sensors, monitor the vehicle on the inside and outside.

The anti-theft alarm system offers protection for the vehicle and its valuable features. It uses several systems to thoroughly monitor the doors, luggage compartment, engine compartment, engine and interior.

The core monitoring element is the ultrasonic sensor system, which detects persons inside the interior. The system responds to movements and is also triggered by unauthorised attempts to gain access to the vehicle interior – through a smashed window, for instance. The interior monitoring can be switched off to allow persons and animals to remain for a short time in the parked car.

In the event of a break-in or if a door is opened by unauthorised means, a piercing alarm horns sounds for 30 seconds. It reacts independently of the on-board electrical system – i.e. even if the battery is disconnected or short-circuited. The alarm sound is accompanied by continuous flashing of the hazard warning lights.

The horn and hazard lights are also activated when the integrated tilt sensor detects a slight change in the vehicle’s position. This prevents attempts to transport the car away on another vehicle or remove the wheels. When repairs are needed, faults can be found quickly via self-diagnosis.

The anti-theft alarm is generally activated whenever the vehicle is locked and deactivated when it is unlocked. The alarm system can also be switched on and off when required using the vehicle key or via remote control. The system also remains active when the luggage compartment lock is operated.

The anti-theft alarm concept has even convinced insurance companies, some of whom offer lower comprehensive insurance rates for vehicles equipped with the system.

3-Light and rain sensor:

the light and rain sensor automatically controls the windscreen wipers and the headlights. It independently activates the appropriate lights in poor weather, deteriorating light, tunnels or darkness. Clear visibility automatically – no matter whether it is raining or getting dark.

A timely switch: the rain sensor adjusts the wipe interval to match the strength of the rain. LEDs inside the sensor emit invisible infrared light which is reflected at the outer surface of the windscreen only where it is free of raindrops. The reflected light is continuously measured by photodiodes. As the quantity of water hitting the windscreen increases, less infrared light is reflected back, thus allowing an exact regulation of the wipe interval – from wiping with long pauses to continuous wiping at high speed. In addition, the automatic headlight activation controls the headlights depending on the ambient light conditions. The light sensor measures the light conditions and controls the coming home/leaving home function. When the driver leaves the vehicle or unlocks it via remote control, the lights illuminate the way to or from the vehicle. A handy feature, as the driver does not need to switch on the lights when getting into the car or switch them off when leaving it.