Audi A3 Model History

Debuting as Audi's compact car entrant in Europe during the 1996 calendar year, the Volkswagen Golf platform-based A3 provided German premium engineering and performance for a more entry-level market. As popularity for smaller luxury cars began to surface in North America, Audi added the A3 to the regional portfolio. Introduced to the United States in 2006, the vehicle arrived only with a hatchback-like Sportback body style. The 2006 Audi A3 arrived as a well-equipped car with a turbocharged four-cylinder or a six-cylinder engine choice. Audi's quattro all-wheel drive was originally offered only with the six-cylinder powerplant but was extended to the turbocharged engine in 2009. For 2010, a 2.0-liter TDI turbocharged diesel engine was added to the Audi A3. The 2015 Audi A3 received a radical make-over. Instead of the hatchback body style, the 2015 A3 in the United States was sold as a four-door sedan and two-door cabriolet convertible. The Audi A3 was one of the first vehicles sold with the integration of 4G LTE connectivity.