Audi RS3 and A3 e-tron

The Audi A3 range is set to grow in 2014, with the addition of an extreme RS3 model and a plug-in hybrid e-tron version, automobile express has learned.
The RS3 will be four-wheel drive and is expected to be powered by a five-cylinder turbocharged engine, just like the outgoing RS3. expect to see a lower kerbweight, though, and power that surpasses the 335bhp figure on offer in the current model.
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Even the all-new S3 (pictured above) produces 296bhp from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, so it’s affordable to expect nearer to 400bhp from the new RS3.
Around the same time the RS3 is released, Audi will also release a plug-in hybrid e-tron variant. Although exact details of the powertrain have yet to be revealed, it’s likely to be similar to that featured in the Audi A3 e-tron concept unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai motor Show.
That automobile used a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and an electric motor for a total of 234bhp. The production A3 e-tron is likely to offer a little less performance but, like the concept, the road automobile must be able to run on electric power alone for around 30 miles, thanks to its lithium ion batteries.