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Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept previews 2019 production model

Audi has revealed the E-Tron Sportback concept it has been teasing ahead of Auto Shanghai. The all-electric model, the automaker says, previews a production model slated for 2019. Audi will launch an electric SUV with a driving range of 311 miles in 2018. "Following close on its heels, in 2019," says Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler, "comes the production version of the Audi E-Tron Sportback – an emotional coupe version that is thrillingly identifiable as an electric car at the very first glance." The E-Tron Sportback is powered by three electric motors – one on the front axle, and two on the rear ­– providing a total 320 kW (429 horsepower), with a boost mode that ups that output to 370 kW (496 hp). It's capable of a 0-62 mile per hour sprint of 4.5 seconds. A liquid-cooled 95-kWh lithium-ion battery provides 311 miles of driving range (on the European cycle). The concept features Audi's singleframe grille, with an illuminated four-ring logo. The front of the car is shaped for optimal airflow, and the dip in the hood also gives it a uniquely sporty look. Its front fascia integrates lighting that not only illuminates the road, but can project animations or provide communicative signals to other drivers or pedestrians. Its 23-inch wheels are imposing, giving the car a muscular stance. Side mirrors are replaced by slender cameras, which improve airflow and provide a better view of the car's surroundings, helping to eliminate blind spots. By revealing the E-Tron Sportback concept in China, Audi is acknowledging the significance of the country's electric vehicle market. "There are already about 150,000 charging stations in the country, with another 100,000 due to come on stream by the end of 2017," notes Audi Board Member for Marketing and Sales, Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter. "We are well equipped for this rapid growth. In the next five years we will be offering five E-Tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) such as the Audi E-Tron Sportback." Related Video: Featured Gallery Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept View 34 Photos News Source: Audi Green Auto Shanghai Audi Green Automakers Technology Electric e-tron audi e-tron Auto Shanghai 2017

Subaru WRX STI vs. Audi S3 in compact AWD dustup

It's not every day that a Subaru and an Audi can be reasonably compared head-to-head; the two brands tend not to compete directly in their respective segments. However, the latest WRX STI and the S3 Sedan offer the perfect chance to find out if the working-class Scooby can beat its upper-crust competitor.
The UK's Auto Express gets behind the wheel of these two all-wheel drive performance sedans, or saloons as the Brits call them. Across the pond, both of them are rated at an identical 296 horsepower, but the Subaru edges out the Four Rings on torque. Like in the US, British buyers have to pay a little more to get the Audi, but it comes with a nicer interior and more brand cachet, if that means anything to you.
The video starts out with a fairly standard road test comparing the two of them back-to-back - all fairly subjective. But then Auto Express takes the trip to the drag strip, and the results there are much more conclusive. There's a definite winner when they cross the line, but you have to scroll down to see which of these turbocharged models with rallying heritage wins out.

Audi builds 3-millionth A3

About a month after Volkswagen celebrated building its 30-millionth example of the Golf, Audi has announced that it has produced three million versions of its small hatchback, the closely related Audi A3. Probably more surprising than the fact that the A3 has moved in such big numbers since its global debut in 1996 is the fact that it has done so with relatively little support in the US, seeing marginal sales in the States since 2005.
The three-millionth A3 was a Sportback TDI model, but the lineup has grown this year to include a new sedan and S3 model, and the hybrid A3 E-tron is on the way. With these new models - especially the sedan in the US - we expect the A3 to continue to be a popular entrant in the premium small segment. Scroll down for Audi's official press release.