TFSI-e drivetrains for A3, Q3, Q5, Q7 and Q8 signed off for NZ

PLUG-IN electric editions of the A3 small hatchback and four Q-family sports utilities are set for introduction as alternates to fully electric product in Audi New Zealand’s portfolio.

Planning for the TFSI e models, all of which have been available in Europe since 2020, was announced with an information share about a national dealership road show, in which some of the cars will feature alongside the main star, an example of the fully electric Q4 e-tron, also coming on sale on 2023.

Audi locally has indicated the plug-in hybrid A3 TFSI e, Q3 TFSI e and Q5 TFSI e models will be available before year end, but are more circumspect about the a Q7 TFSI e and Q8 TFSI e, saying only that those cars are expected at some time in 2023.

It’s a return to PHEV for the local distributor, which last offered the powertrain type with the original e-tron, based on the A3 in a previous generation. Some plug-ins are front-drive, others quattro and it is unclear which if any will support DC fast charging.

The new PHEV models are typical of the type, in provisioning between 40-80 kilometres’ pure electric operability, depending on type. It’s a modest involvement but enough, Audi NZ contends, to give drivers opportunity to go about their daily commute in fully electric mode. The cars regress to petrol hybrid power for long distance work.

The A3 version (above) signed for appears to be the 45 TFSI e, which shares its mechanicals with the Q3. This mates a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with an 80kW/330Nm electric motor for combined outputs of 180kW of power and 400Nm of torque.

Those figures represent 30kW/50Nm increases over an entry-level Audi A3 PHEV, the 40 TFSI e, also offered in Europe.

It’s the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the Volkswagen Golf GTE and other Volkswagen Group models. Drive is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Audi claims a 7.3-second dash from zero to 100kmh in respect to the Q3, towards a top speed of 210kmh.

Mounted under the rear seats of the A3 and Q3 is a 13.0kWh lithium-ion battery pack, enabling 50-51km on electric power, at speeds up to 140kmh, when measured on the European WLTP cycle.

Combined fuel economy figures of 1.4 to 1.7 litres per 100 kilometres, and CO2 emissions pegged into the low 30 grams per kilometre are claimed, but this data is subject to change, being based on the outdated NEDC scale.

The Audi Q5 55 TFSI e (above) is a quattro model. It is powered by a 185kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired to a 105kW/350Nm electric motor built into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Total system outputs are rated at 270kW and 500Nm – the latter available from just 1250rpm.

Audi says the Q5 plug-in hybrid is capable completing the 0-100km/h standard in 5.3 seconds, and hitting a top speed of 239km/h, or 135km/h in EV mode.

The electric-only driving range under the WLTP cycle is claimed to be over 40 kilometres. Overall fuel economy is said to be between 2.1 and 2.4L/100km.

Hooked up to a standard 220V household outlet, the Q5 plug-in hybrid's 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged in around six hours. Using a 400V/16A fast charger this time drops to two-and-a-half hours.

The car comes with a Predictive Efficiency Assistant, which uses route data and the car's proximity sensors to decide when to switch off the petrol engine and go into energy recuperation mode.

If adaptive cruise control is engaged, the system uses its predictive smarts to modulate braking and acceleration to improve efficiency.

The Q7 and Q8 TFSI e (above) share a common drivetrain. This pairs a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6 with a 100kW electric motor.

The set-up delivers 280kW/600Nm in a 55 TFSI e specification, with 0-100kmh in a claimed 5.8 seconds for the Q8. There’s also a 60 TFSI e specification, which with Q8 delivers a total output of 340kW/700Nm and drops the 0-100kmh time to a claimed 5.4 seconds. It is not clear which of these will come to NZ but, given the local market’s predilection for performance, the latter seems to have the best chance.

Being a plug-in hybrid, the Q7 and Q8 can be driven in all-electric mode for up to 47 kilometres (WLTP test cycle) in the 55 TFSIe, and 45km in the 60 TFSIe version. This is achieved thanks to a new liquid-cooled 17.8kWh lithium-ion battery installed under the luggage area.

Dean Sheed, Audi New Zealand’s general manager, expects the models to sell out before they arrive next year.

“It has been seven years since we last launched a plug-in hybrid in New Zealand, and the market has changed considerably since then. The vast range of vehicles will allow customers of all lifestyles to make a change towards a more sustainable way of living,” Sheed said in supplied comment.

Audi’s dealer roadshow has begun in Queenstown and heads to Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland between now and early October.