Nissan’s luxury brand, Infiniti, will launch a new small electric car to rival the Audi A3 and Bmw 1-Series. Infiniti has a newly opened UK dealership in Reading and as an entry point to this range, it is planning a new compact hatchback model.

The carmaker is targeting buyers who are seeking to downsize and be eco-friendly and so its first car will be equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor drivetrain used by the Nissan Leaf. At the Tokyo Motor Show, an insider told Auto Express that a small electric Infiniti and larger electric models are ”on the horizon.” Rival brand Lexus is slated to launch the production version of its LF-Ch compact hatchback concept towards the end of 2010. Hence, it’s a sound decision for Nissan to put up a similar model against it. It’s likely that the small electric car, as well as conventional petrol engined versions, will arrive in 2012.

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If you’ve been waiting for the Audi A3 to arrive in the UK, you’ll be glad to know that it will start hitting the showrooms beginning December and will cost from £18,300. The Audi A3s are fitted with S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and stop-start technology.

Previously, Audi’s stop-start technology was only available on four-cylinder manual gearbox models, but Audi has now expanded the range to 1.4 TFSI and 1.6 TDI variants with the company’s S-tronic twin-clutch automatic transmission. Audi’s start-stop system for automatic gearboxes operates in the same way as its manual system. The system cuts the engine when the car is stationary and the brake is pressed, and will refire it in 0.2 sec. Continued after the jump!

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Audi announced today that the start-stop system is now offered in conjunction with an automatic transmission. This new system will be available on the A3 1.6 TDI with 77 kW (105 hp) and the 1.4 TFSI with 92 kW (125 hp) with the innovative S tronic dual-clutch transmission.

As you may know already, the start-stop system turns the engine off as soon as the vehicle comes to a stop and with the automatic transmission, the engine stays off as long as the driver depresses the brake pedal. According to the manufacturer the new vehicles fitted with the start-stop system show an impressive fuel consumption: 4.2 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (56.00 US mpg) (1.6 TDI) or just 5.3 liters (44.38 US mpg) of premium unleaded (1.4 TFSI) and 109 grams of CO2 per kilometer (175.42 g/mile) (1.6 TDI) or 124 g/km (199.56 g/mile) (1.4 TFSI). Continued after the jump!

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Audi showed us once again that knows how to build fuel-efficient engines and raised today the efficiency bar with the brand new A3 1.6 TDI emits just 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer (159.33 g/mile). This means that the new engine is capable of an impressive fuel consumption of just 3.8 liters of diesel per 100 km (61.90 US mpg).

The new four-cylinder TDI engine delivers 77 kW (105 hp) at 4,400 rpm from a displacement of 1,598 cc and — between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm — steadily transmits 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft. Of, course the performances are not spectacular: to 100 km/h (0 to 62.14 mph) in 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 190 km/h (118.06 mph); the A3 Sportback reaches 100 km/h in 11.7 seconds. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 a3 1.6 tdi, 2010 audi a3 1.6 tdi, 2010a31.6tdi, 2010audia31.6tdi, Audi, audi a3, car news
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Going on sale later this year is the new diesel 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which is priced from $29,950 before an $825 delivery fee. Despite the seemingly high price, the A3 TDI offers a good deal for that value. The standard A3 quattro has an excellent interior, fun and sporty handling and is more practical than the average compact sedan.

With the A3 2.0 TDI’s 30-mpg city and 42-mpg highway efficiency rating, it’s safe to say that the car is comparable to the Lexus HS 250h hybrid in terms of efficiency and driving ease. The A3 TDI, however, is definitely more attractive and cheaper than a Lexus. The A3 TDI follows on the heels of the Q7 TDI. With the Audi diesel’s smooth power delivery and effortless acceleration, it gives us no reason to reject a modern oil-burner in favor of a less efficient gasoline engine unless you just want high-revving power. The A3 TDI produces 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, and a top speed of 130 mph.

Tags:2010 a3 tdi, 2010 a3 tdi price, 2010 a3 tdi pricing, 2010 a3 tdi us pricing, 2010 audi a3 tdi, 2010 audi a3 tdi price, 2010 audi a3 tdi pricing, 2010 audi a3 tdi us price, audi news, car news
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Two out of three models that Audi will be unveiling next month at the Frankfurt Motor Show are likely to come to North America. The A4 TDI clean diesel will make its debut with the latest edition of the firm’s 3.0-liter diesel V6.

While the TDI V6 has been available in the current generation A4 since it launched early last year, the new one adds the same 2,000 BAR common rail fuel system and urea injection found on the Q7 and VW Touareg now available in the U.S. market. US fans would probably like the V6 TDI A4 for its torque. It appears that it’s likely to arrive in US shores since the gas V6 was discontinued for 2010. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 a3 tfsi us debut, 2010 a4 tdi clean diesel us debut, 2010 audi a3 tfsi us debut, 2010 audi a4 tdi clean diesel us debut, Audi, car news
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After revealing the fact that Audi is currently working on the A1 Cabrio, our source from the German manufacturer told us today that a big surprise is going to be uncovered at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show: the brand new Audi RS3! The new car will carry the same 2.5-liter engine found on the brand new Audi TT RS which was unveiled back in March at the Geneva Motor Show, but upgraded to deliver an impressive 370 hp (doing a little calculus we found out that the current TT-RS is capable to sprint to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds, just as the R8 4.2 FSI – this means that the brand new Audi RS3 will be capable to overtake the R8… now that’s sick!). Unfortunately the source did not want to spoil our surprise and said that we will see an impressive vehicle at Frankfurt! This means that September will be a lucky month!

Tags:2009 frankfurt motor show, 2010 audi rs3, 2010 audi rs3 frankfurt, 2010 rs3, 2010 rs3 frankfurt, Audi, audi news, audi rs3, audirs3, car news, frankfurt motor show
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Apparently, Hofele tuning specialists found the Audi A3 Cabriolet to be in need of a makeover. They modified the look but left the performance alone. They installed a single frame front bumper that contributes to the overall sporty stance on the road. Large air intakes are now integrated into the bumper but take note that these are exclusively aimed at improving the appearance. The bumper also features a fog light kit that is available as an option and can be ordered separately. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 a3 cabrio hofele, 2009 audi a3 cabrio hofele, a3 cabrio hofele, audi a3 cabrio hofele, audi a3 cabrio tuning, audi news, car news, hofele
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The 2010 Audi A3 2.0 TDI gets a substantial 30 mpg in city driving and 42 mpg in highway driving, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s latest figures. These rates are actually similar to that of a Volkswagen Jetta TDI with the DSG gearbox — not at all surprising since the A3 shares its underpinnings and powertrain with the VW.

The diesel-powered Jetta comes with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, while the A3 TDI will only be offered with the dual-clutch (or “S-tronic” in Audi-speak) unit. The A3 could give the Lexus HS 250h some competition in the “eco-friendly luxury” segment. The A3, which carries a base price of under $30,000 will reach dealers in North America this December. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2010 a3 2.0 tdi 30mpg, 2010 audi a3, 2010 audi a3 2.0 tdi 30mpg, audi a3, audi news, car news
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Besides a unique watch dubbed the Tachoscope, Audi has come up with a special equipment packs for Audi vehicles in Europe as a way of celebrating its 100th years in the industry. The package, which will be available for the A3, and A3 Cabriolet, A4, A6, TT, A5 Coupe, Q5 and Q7, comes in two separate packs; style and innovation.

The package for style consists of a three-spoke leather steering wheel and special alloy wheels, and for the innovation, it includes xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights with high-beam assist. Individual options consist of sport seats, moonroof that comes with tint and a special door dill design with a silhouette of the famous 16-cylinder Type C racecar. Discounts of 40 percent for options and features are included in both packages. The style pack comes with a starting price of 2,400 Euros up to 6,750 Euros and for the innovation it begins at 1,700 Euros to 2,700 Euros.

Tags:100 years of audi pack, audi centennial pack, audi news, car news
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