Audi A3 Sportback hatchback - MPG, running costs & CO2

The facelifted Audi A3 has launched with just one four-cylinder petrol engine and one diesel engine. Many manufacturers may be turning away from diesel, but its continued inclusion in the A3 lineup will be a welcome option for those that cover a lot of motorway miles. 

The petrol version is mild-hybrid assisted, and the range is set to see the return of the plug-in hybrid TFSI e model later in 2024, which will no doubt be the best option for company-car buyers thanks to low emissions. It will be able to drive for around 40 miles on electric power alone, unlike the mild hybrid.

Audi A3 MPG & CO2

The 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine, badged 35 TFSI, makes a comeback for the facelifted A3, and is a very economical engine thanks to its mild-hybrid technology that allows you to coast along with the engine off at times. Regenerative braking is also present, helping to put energy usually lost through braking back into the electric motor that assists the combustion engine. As a result, it can achieve up to 53.3mpg in Sport trim. Our test car was an S Line model with a quoted 50.4mpg figure, and this proved not to be too far off in the real world – we achieved an impressive 48mpg on fast German A-roads and the motorway.

CO2 levels for this model are around 127g/km, so while it inevitably won’t be as cheap to run as a company car as the upcoming PHEV, it sits in a reasonable Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band, so it will still be affordable on tax.

The diesel engine offered from the facelift launch is badged 35 TDI. This will be better suited to those covering lots of motorway miles, and can get up to 57.6mpg. CO2 emissions are higher than the petrol model on the diesel, with the A3 TDI emitting 128g/km.

22

As before, the range will be joined by a few other engines later in 2024. Official mpg figures are yet to be released for the updated versions, but they’re not expected to differ significantly from those of the pre-facelift car.

The smaller 1.0-litre petrol engine is badged as ‘30 TFSI’ and is capable of up to 55.4mpg in the outgoing model when the car has an automatic gearbox fitted. Its emissions figure from 125g/km places it in a relatively high BiK band compared with hybrid models like the Toyota Corolla.

The old 40 TFSI e PHEV will be replaced by a version badged 45 TFSI e. The outgoing system was capable of around 41 miles of pure electric driving and fuel economy of up to 256.8mpg – it’s yet to be seen whether the electric range will have increased with the update. The pre-facelift’s Emissions of 26-30g/km gave the A3 PHEV a low BiK banding, and we’d expect the new one to be the model that will appeal most to company-car drivers. 

VED (road tax) costs the standard rate, unless you go for the plug-in hybrid, in which case it's discounted by around £10 per year.

Insurance groups

Insurance groups for the facelifted Audi A3 are yet to be confirmed, but we’d expect them to stay similar to those of the outgoing model. For the standard A3 these range from groups 17 for the 1.0-litre model to 27 for the PHEV. Go for the hot S3 and it falls into group 34.

Warranty

Audi provides a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is fairly average for the class and can be extended for an extra cost. Increasing it to four years and 75,000 miles costs £300, while a five-year/90,000-mile warranty is just over £600 extra, despite a five-year/100,000-mile warranty coming as standard with a Hyundai i30 or Toyota Corolla.

Servicing

Audi typically offers customers two servicing plans: one for low-mileage drivers who are likely to take more short trips, and another for motorists who have a higher mileage and tend to take longer motorway trips. The first sees maintenance take place annually, while the latter uses sensors to measure wear and suggest a service - although these will never be more than two years apart.