Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 2014 launch review

How the local market reacts to Audi's A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will depend on whether buyers can be convinced this new car truly blends driving satisfaction with unheard of fuel economy. Word has it the plug-in A3 will be priced around the same as the $59,900 S3 Sportback, making it cheaper than Holden's Volt and the BMW i3, but not Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV.

From a packaging standpoint, the A3 Sportback e-tron fills same mould as conventional A3 models. Adequate room for average-sized adults in the rear, even with the sunroof fitted, is complemented by unexceptional but adequate boot space (280 litres).

The two cars driven in Austria this week were trimmed in either full leather or a combination of leather and Alcantara. Seats were well shaped and provided plenty of bolstering to hold the occupants in place, but they were also firmly cushioned and I didn't find them especially comfortable over the 100km route, although adjustable lumbar support did help.

It takes a while to find the ideal driving position in the A3 Sportback e-tron, but the controls are easy to reach and the instruments are clearly legible and simple to comprehend at a glance.

The satellite navigation features speed limit sign recognition, which we may not get in Australia, and the infotainment screen displays driver assist modes and standard trip computer readouts. Unlike other hybrids, the A3 Sportback e-tron's instruments don't need to be a constant distraction. The Audi's instruments aren't as theatrical as those in Toyota's Prius.

In most ways the A3 Sportback e-tron is like any other A3; but quieter, particularly in EV mode, which is one of four operating modes for the car. The electric motor/generator unit sits between the engine and the six-speed S tronic (dual-clutch) transmission.

There's no anti-shift shock to be felt from gear changes unless the driver is tapping for more performance than usual. The motor itself is unnaturally quiet moreover.

On our 112km drive around the Austrian capital Vienna, our A3 Sportback e-tron averaged fuel consumption of 6.1L/100km, according to onboard data. That's a long way shy of the claimed 1.5L/100km, with the official number based on an all-electric range capped at 50km.

We all but matched that EV distance on the drive program. Indeed, to the Audi's credit, EV mode was good for just under 46km. And it might have exceeded that figure, if not for the warm weather (the air conditioning was in operation) and the payload: three blokes, plus laptops and luggage.

The final figure was therefore respectable enough. But a companion car on the drive program posted 4.8L/100km by not exhausting the battery and therefore able to use hybrid mode for the full extent of the loop. That car travelled only 18km on full EV before the crew elected to use Hybrid Auto mode (as soon as they left Vienna's environs).

With the electric motor/generator unit driving (and recovering energy) through the S Tronic transmission, the A3 Sportback e-tron feels more lively than hybrids with CVTs.

The S Tronic shifts smoothly and the petrol engine is relatively subdued too, but can be heard running under load and mild anti-shift shock is also apparent at times.

For cold starts, in temperatures of minus 10° and lower, the A3 Sportback e-tron's drive motor will turn over the petrol engine first. There's no Bendix gear involved, just a clutch between the engine and the powerful motor. If the car happens to be on the move and either the driver demands more torque or the battery needs recharging, the clutch will match the engine revs to the motor speed. It all works together in a seamless arrangement.

The other operating modes in addition to EV mode and Hybrid Auto already mentioned, are Hybrid Hold and Hybrid Charge. EV mode supplies battery power to spin the electric motor and drive the car, but also recharges the battery from regenerative braking. On demand, and in accordance with the prevailing environmental conditions, Hybrid Auto mode switches between electric mode and battery charging or supplemental motive power from the petrol engine.

Hybrid Hold retains battery charge, leaving the petrol engine alone for motive power – at freeway speeds, for instance – and maintaining optimal charge for a day's driving around the city at the end of the freeway trip. Hybrid Charge cranks up the petrol engine for the purpose of recharging a battery that has been depleted.

Based on our experience, owners would be best advised to leave the car set to Hybrid Auto mode, unless they choose never to drive more than 50km between battery recharges overnight – in which case EV mode will always suffice.

In EV mode the A3 Sportback e-tron will entertain speeds of up to 130km/h before the petrol engine kicks in for additional motive power.

The Audi system is much simpler on paper than Toyota's planetary gear set in its Hybrid Drive System, but the setup in the A3 Sportback e-tron still covers all bases for drivetrain operation. In EV mode for example, the shift paddles will drop back a gear to provide a higher level of regenerative battery charging on the 'overrun'.

One of Audi's technical gurus advised the A3 Sportback e-tron doesn't crank over the engine once a month to burn off stale fuel, as GM's Volt does. But the Audi's on-board diagnostics system monitors fuel and oil states, alerting the owner of an issue unfolding, if necessary.

The A3 Sportback e-tron is endearingly fun to drive. While the Audi had a hybrid-esque [artificial] brake pedal feel, I found that less unsettling than the Skoda Octavia RS 162TSI's sharp pedal response from a week earlier. Furthermore, it's streets ahead of brake pedal feel in other hybrids.

The A3 Sportback e-tron's steering feels light initially, but assistance is reduced as the loads increase with speed. It offers enough feedback to position the car precisely, and turn-in is on a par with its prestige compact hatchback rivals.

Cars we drove rode on 18-inch alloys, but Aussie-spec cars are expected to wear 17-inch wheels.

The A3 Sportback e-tron felt balanced in the corners, presumably in part due to the revised weight distribution of the e-tron drivetrain package (batteries are mounted low, ahead of the rear axle). Even with power applied on the way out of corners the Audi maintained its line neatly.

Kick the engine into life however, and the combined torque from engine and motor will provoke demonstrable torque steer – something you won't often experience in other hybrids.

Whatever you may think of hybrids – or Audis – the A3 Sportback e-tron is worth a closer look. It's what we really wanted from hybrid cars all along – provided, of course, Audi can land the car here at an affordable price.