Audi will start fitting three-cylinder petrol engines on its smaller cars, beginning with the A1 supermini. The German luxury automaker will launch a three-cylinder version of the A1, with the A3 to be the next model to get a three-cylinder unit, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said.
“In the A1 and the A3, the three-cylinder will be a standard engine in the future, for sure. It gives a good feeling and plenty of torque,” Stadler told Auto Express. Asked if the three-cylinder engine will arrive first on the A1, Stadler replied: “Yes, for sure.”
However, Stadler added that three-cylinder engines will not be used on larger Audi models anytime soon. “I think for a while, we will stay with the entry-level products – I’m not quite sure if the market in the mid to long run responds to three-cylinder tech. But just look at it 10-15 years ago when six-cylinder was a must and now four-cylinder has taken over,” the executive said.
The Volkswagen Group already uses three-cylinder engines vehicles of the VW, Skoda and Seat brands. The facelifted VW Polo, for instance, is offered with both a 1.0-liter TSI petrol and a 1.4-liter TDI diesel in the UK. Each produces 89 hp (90PS), but in the A1 three-cylinder units could be tweaked to deliver more power and torque.
Besides adding three-cylinder engines in its smaller vehicles, Stadler said Audi remains committed to plug-in hybrid technology, with the A6 plug-in hybrid to launch in China later this year, followed by other markets. The upcoming Audi Q7 SUV will also have a plug-in hybrid version, as will the A7 and A8.
By Dan Mihalascu
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