The 2020 Audi A3 is expected to debut at the
Frankfurt Motor Show this fall, and a new report is suggesting it will
eventually be joined by a “Cityhopper” variant. The
model will be a “jacked-up, off-road-inspired version” of the upcoming
hatchback. Details are limited, but the publication says the vehicle will
likely eschew the familiar Allroad name as it won’t come equipped with quattro
all-wheel drive.
The car will reportedly feature
traditional Allroad modifications including beefier bumpers, an increased ride
height and plastic fender flares. In effect, it would be like a premium version
of the Ford Focus Active.
Engine options remain unconfirmed, but the
publication says choices will include turbocharged 1.5- and 2.0-liter
four-cylinders with outputs ranging from 130 hp to 250 hp. There could also be 1.6- and 2.0-liter TDI engines with outputs
between 120 hp and 230 hp. While the A3 is expected to debut
in Frankfurt, the Cityhopper variant is reportedly several years away. Nothing
is official, but it could appear sometime around 2022.
There’s word on why the model isn’t coming sooner,
but it will reportedly help to fill the gap between the Q2 and Q3. While the
lack of all-wheel drive would seemingly make that mission difficult, the A3
Cityhopper will reportedly be 110 mm longer than a Q2 and 200 mm shorter than the Q3.
