With the Government pushing everyone toward plug-in cars either through direct methods such as tax incentives for company car buyers or through more indirect methods such as fines for car manufacturers that don’t hit new, lower, CO2 targets it’s no surprise that brands are racing to offer more cars capable of running in a fully electric mode.
The latest model to join the plug-in crowd is Audi’s A3.
Odds are, that if you’re considering a plug-in hybrid, you’re a company car driver looking to take advantage of the significant tax savings on offer.
The numbers show why this is the case. The new A3 TFSIe has a CO2 figure of 29g/km in S-line trim with an EV range of 37 miles. This is good for a company car tax band of 10%. However, if drivers opt for the Sport trim on 17-inch alloys (the S-line has 18s) or tick the no-cost option of 17s for the S-line then these improve to 25g/km and a 40-mile electric-only range. In turn this drops the tax rate to just 6%.
What does that mean? It equates to a monthly tax take of around £70 for a 40% earner. A diesel equivalent with a CO2 figure of, say, 115g/km would cost around £300 a month. Who wouldn’t want a £230 increase in salary, just by switching to a plug-in hybrid?
There is one main penalty and that’s boot space. At 280 litres, the PHEV’s boot is 100 litres or 26% smaller than that of the diesel or petrol A3. The decrease is due to battery pack taking up under-floor space. However, the rear seats still fold down to produce a flat load area and you’ll still have enough room for a week’s shopping.
In terms of real-world economy, the battery-range from full never indicated more than 28 miles, despite the 37-mile claim; although temperatures were in single figures. It’s worth noting that unlike other PHEVs, the Audi’s predicted range was accurate. The 28-mile prediction didn’t turn out to be somewhat lower when you used the car, like it can in rival cars.
Go on a longer journey and start doing motorway miles and the petrol engine kicks in. From fully charged we saw an average of 65mpg over a near-60-mile motorway run.
To drive, the Audi A3 PHEV is exceedingly easy to live with. You don’t need worry about regenerative braking because, like other Audis, the car works everything out for the driver. You can switch between modes, but it’s best left in ‘auto’ which means you don’t suffer the sluggish throttle of ‘eco’ mode but you still get the better economy than ‘sport’ which switches on the engine more than you’d like in regular driving. Also, the button to toggle between the modes is not easily reached being the furthest dashboard button so using it, particularly if you quickly, or briefly, want to use ‘sport’ you will take your eyes off the road for too long and have to lean over to reach it (unless you have the arms of an orangutan).
Comfort levels are good given the Audi A3 S-line is billed as a sporty car and the seats help this by giving excellent support and grip. The suspension too is better than you’d expect with an excellent combination of good ride comfort and great cornering stability.
Steering is well-weighted and falls just on the heavier side of the sector average. This aids confidence if you’re on open, twisting roads.
The extra ‘boost’ of the electric motor means the A3’s plenty quick enough for daily use with a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds.
The brakes are good too. Many PHEVs suffer from strange brake feel as the car switches between electricity regeneration and actual braking. In the A3 this is barely perceptible.
It’s this attention to detail plus the overall feeling of quality that make the A3 appealing beyond the numbers.
Yes, you may be picking a plug-in car for the cost savings, but with the A3 TFSIe that doesn’t mean you can’t also have a car that’s great to live with too.
Facts at a glance
Model tested: Audi A3 Sportback 40 TFSIe S-line auto
Price: £34,245
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol plus 107bhp electric motor
Power: 201bhp
0-62mph: 7.6 seconds
Max speed: 141mph
MPG: 235mpg (combined)
CO2: 29g/km
Keyword: First Drive: Audi A3 plug-in hybrid