Audi A3 Allroad Spotted Testing In Appropriately Snowy Conditions

[Steve Q]

Audi was back out testing the high-riding version of the A3 Sportback on public streets. The A3 “Allroad” will give customers a bit more off-road capability without making the switch to a crossover.

We previously saw this car, also in plug-in hybrid guise, testing in November in a much brighter shade of green. Now, the car features a more subdued black but it still gets slightly widened fenders and a bit more ride height. 

Expect this to get the full Allroad treatment, with special bumpers that suggest capability and plastic fender flares that help mark it out from the rest of the lineup. 

Although we called it the “Allroad” above, we mainly did so because of its familiarity in the North American market. Despite that, the name has reportedly not been confirmed yet, and whether or not Audi chooses the name that its bigger cars use, or will call this a “City Carver” like the smaller A1 remains to be seen.  

 

Since it’s based on the VW-developed MQB platform, like the A1, it’s unclear how Audi will decide. Nor is it quite clear if it will be offered with AWD. So far, we’ve only seen the PHEV version of the car testing (as can be seen by the charge port flap near the front of the car).

As it stands, the A3 lineup’s plug-in hybrid models all power the front wheels. The A3 Sportback 45 TFSI e combines a 1.4-liter engine with an electric motor, which puts 242 hp (256 PS/180 kW) to the wheels. 

Just because we’ve only seen the hybrid, though, doesn’t mean it’s the only model that will be available. If it is only offered in FWD, though, that could dissuade Audi from using the Allroad name, which is so far only used on vehicles with AWD.

Since only the A3 sedan is sold in North America, we don’t expect to see this model showing up stateside anytime soon. 

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