Lean and mean Audi averages almost 70mpg

Nov 2 2009 Chris Russon

Lean and mean Audi averages almost 70mpg

STOP/START technology is being rolled out by Audi as the German car maker goes about slashing carbon dioxide emissions.

The system, fitted to the A3 hatchback, has created the cleanest Audi ever with a CO2 rating of just 109g/km.

It makes the premium model more eco-friendly than some superminis such as the Fiat 500.

However, there is a price to pay and the cheapest A3 stop/start diesel is priced from £17,485 although the savings in running costs are significant.

Not only does the clean version of the A3 cost only £35 a year to tax it is claimed to average almost 70mpg - and it is no slouch.

Top speed is a reported 121mph and the 0 to 60 acceleration time 11.7 seconds with plenty of mid-range power from the 1.6-litre diesel which develops 105bhp.

A cheaper stop/start A3 using a 1.4-litre petrol engine is available at £16,880 but it is not quite so fuel efficient, averaging some 50 miles per gallon and with emissions above 130g/km is in the £120 a year tax bracket.

The lean diesel is a breakthrough for Audi and is bound to prove popular with business users.

It is fitted to the A3 hatch, sportback and cabriolet models although in the latter the extra drag bumps emissions up to 114g/km.

Mated to a five speed manual gearbox the stop/start system kicks in as soon as the car comes to rest in traffic, switching off the engine once neutral is selected.

As soon as the clutch is depressed as you prepare to move away the engine restarts. It's a rapid and fairly smooth procedure although the automatic over-ride to make sure there is no excessive drain on the battery means that stop/start will not happen every time.

On a recent drive in an A3 stop/start sportback the system activated only on seven of the 12 times the car stopped while driving through a town centre.

On the open road the engine is well suited to the A3 but not as nippy as those fitted with two-litre diesels which can manage 0 to 60 in less than eight seconds.

Overall I averaged close on 65 miles per gallon over almost 100 miles of mixed driving - not as good as the official figure but nevertheless acceptable. Compared to rivals such as the BMW 1 Series or Volvo C30 and the economy of the A3 is class leading.

Such are the improvements in engine technology over the past few years all but the high performance S3 version of the A3 can average almost 40 or more mpg - and even the S3 manages a claimed 33.2.

With the A3 range now priced from £15,805 to £28,020 the stop/start models are towards the lower end of the scale - but as with all Audis there are plenty of extras to be had.

The sportback I drove cost a basic £19,180 but tipped the scales at £24,000 thanks to additional features such as sat nav, auto lamps and wipers and a mobile phone kit.

Elsewhere in the Audi range stop/start systems are now available on the A4 and A5 models and although leaner and meaner than conventional versions the tax advantages are not as great as on the A3.