Audi A3 plug-in hybrid under consideration for Australia, 40 TFSI to return
01/01/2025 05:00 PM
Audi Australia is currently evaluating the A3 PHEV – along with "other available engine variants" likely to be the return of the all-wheel-drive 40 TFSI.
Audi's next plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in Australia could be the A3 hatch and sedan.
The updated 2025 Audi A3 has launched in Australia in petrol-only 35 TFSI and S3 forms, but a representative has confirmed the brand is assessing an expanded local line-up with the addition of a PHEV and “other available engine variants”.
"We are currently evaluating the [A3] PHEV and any other available engine variants for Australia," an Audi Australia spokesperson told Drive.
"For launch, we will just introduce the 35 TFSI with a significant increase in standard equipment compared to its predecessor."
If introduced in Australia, the A3 40 TSFI e PHEV will be the only plug-in hybrid premium small passenger car on sale, following the discontinuation of the short-lived Mercedes-Benz A250e hatch in 2023.
Twins-under-the-skin to the A3 from Cupra, the Leon hatch and wagon and the Formentor SUV, will be available in Australia with the same 1.5-litre powertrain as the A3 PHEV – but with a more-powerful electric motor – when facelifted versions of each car launch in 2025.
MORE: 2025 Audi A3 and S3 price and specs – Hatch and sedan updated, prices rise
The introduction of the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) has left the door open for the related Volkswagen Golf GTE to be sold in local showrooms with the same powertrain as the Cupra.
The front-wheel-drive A3 40 TFSI e PHEV pairs the 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol found in the entry-level 35 TFSI with an electric motor, for a 150kW and 350Nm combined system output.
It has a 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack – around 30 per cent larger than the pre-facelift A3 40 TFSI e – for a 141-kilometre electric-only driving range under the European WLTP lab-test standard.
MORE: More Volkswagen plug-in hybrids coming to Australia
Audi currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of the Q8 large SUV and the soon-to-be-updated Q5 mid-size SUV in Australia.
New-generation versions of the A5 medium car, Q3 small SUV and Q5 could be next in line to introduce a PHEV variant when launched locally, along with the A3.
The addition of more Audi plug-in hybrid vehicles aligns with a wider industry trend set to see the number of models offered in Australia expand in 2025 – despite the planned removal of the Federal Government's fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemptionfor this fuel type from 1 April.
New PHEVs confirmed to arrive in Australia in 2025 include the Ford Ranger, BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha, GWM Haval H6 GT, Jaecoo J7 and MG HS.
Meanwhile, Drive understands the A3 40 TFSI – with a non-hybrid 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo engine and quattro all-wheel-drive – is planned to return to Australia sometime in 2025, following the 35 TFSI and S3 on sale now.
The updated A3 is now available in the United States and Canada with the all-wheel-drive 40 TFSI as standard – built at the same factory in Germany – however the brand has not formally announced a return in other markets.
An update for the five-cylinder Audi RS3, revealed in August, is due to launch in Australia in early 2025.
The post Audi A3 plug-in hybrid under consideration for Australia, 40 TFSI to return appeared first on Drive.
