Overall, the car is very impressive. Being a former A3 owner I felt right at home, with familiar controls, layout and general feel of the car. From the outside the E-Tron is exactly the same as the gasoline version with the exception of the hidden charging port upfront
It was important for me to drive the vehicle in the electric mode and unofficially (No EPA yet) the car can do 19 miles on pure electric with an 8.8 kWh battery. (Federal Tax Credit of about $4200). The acceleration was very impressive compared to Porsche. I driven both Panamera and Cayenne and this vehicle is a huge improvement. Paddle shifters actually allow you to choose gears in EV mode, since the electric motor is housed in the gearbox. The A3 shifts very seamlessly to gasoline mode without any hesitation. If you need extra power pressing the accelerator past the kick down portion will activate the PHEV system and you will feel the full power of the car. If you were to put the feeling of EV only torque: It is higher compared to a Nissan LEAF but lower compared to BMW i3. Overall acceleration is at 7.6 sec
For someone looking to purchase their next vehicle and would like to at add a solid EV experience, this could be a good choice. Of course, it does not stack up to 2016 Volt’s range, but at least there is another alternative for the buyers to choose from.
Full review here: http://insideevs.com/audi-a3-e-tron-test-drive-review/
