The first A3 launched three-door only, on purpose, so buyers would not mistake it for its Golf Mk4 platform-mate.
Lead trim: 1.6 8v (101 PS) · up to 222 hp
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Audi A3 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe first A3 launched three-door only, on purpose, so buyers would not mistake it for its Golf Mk4 platform-mate.
Audi announced the first generation A3 (Typ 8L) in June 1995 and launched it for the European market in September 1996, marking Audi's return to small cars after 19 years, following the demise of the Audi 50 in 1978. It was the first Volkswagen Group model to use the PQ34 platform, bearing close resemblance to the Volkswagen Golf Mk4, which arrived a year later. Initially the A3 was only available as a three-door hatchback, done to give the model a sportier image and differentiate it from the Golf. Offered with transversely mounted inline four-cylinder engines in both front-wheel drive and quattro four-wheel drive, it was Audi's eighth model to have five valves per cylinder. The United Kingdom received it in November 1996. It was built in Ingolstadt (1997 to 2003), Győr (April 2001 to April 2003) and Curitiba (1999 to 2006).
Real Audi A3 cards spotted on the street by Burbles collectors. Tap any card to flip it over, inspect the collector’s binder, or follow them.
VerifiedFIRST · WORLDWIDEFIRST PRINTONLY ONE IN VANCOUVERThis A3 was the first production car to launch on Volkswagen Group’s MQB architecture — the modular platform that went on to underpin dozens of VW Group models worldwide.
11 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 8v (101 PS) | 1996–2000 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 100 hp | 107 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.6 8v (102 PS) | 2000–2003 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 101 hp | 109 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.8 20v (125 PS) | 1996–2003 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 123 hp | 125 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.8 20vT turbo (150 PS) | 1996–2003 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 148 hp | 155 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.8 20vT turbo (180 PS) | 1999–2003 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 178 hp | 173 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.9 8v TDI (100 PS) | 2001–2003 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 99 hp | 177 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.9 8v TDI (110 PS) | 1997–2000 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 108 hp | 173 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.9 8v TDI (130 PS) | 2000–2003 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 128 hp | 229 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.9 8v TDI (90 PS) | 1996–2001 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 155 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| S3 1.8 20vT (210 PS) | 1999–2001 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 207 hp | 199 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| S3 1.8 20vT (225 PS) | 2001–2003 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 222 hp | 207 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Audi wouldn't call this A3's plug-in hybrid an "e-tron" -- that name was reserved for full electric Audis, so the PHEV Sportback was badged TFSIe instead.
This A3 was the first production car to launch on Volkswagen Group’s MQB architecture — the modular platform that went on to underpin dozens of VW Group models worldwide.
This 8P was the first A3 generation Audi ever sold in North America — and only as the five-door Sportback, not the three-door hatch Europe got.
The first A3 launched three-door only, on purpose, so buyers would not mistake it for its Golf Mk4 platform-mate.
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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