Audi has unveiled the A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e, a plug-in hybrid variant of the A3 Sportback that can travel effortlessly, economically and environmentally sound under pure electric power for nearly 66km (based on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) thanks to a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

A 1.4-litre TFSI engine serves as the combustion engine for the compact plug-in hybrid model. The four-cylinder petrol engine offers peak power of 148bhp and makes more than 250Nm of torque from between 1,550rpm and 3,500rpm.

It works with a permanently excited synchronous electric motor, which is lighter and more compact than its predecessor and has a greater power density. It produces 107bhp and 330Nm of torque, and as before is integrated into the housing of the six-speed S-tronic transmission.

Together, the 1.4 TFSI and the electric motor deliver a total system output of 201bhp. When they join forces to deliver maximum boost, system torque reaches a peak of 350Nm. The compact plug-in hybrid model sprints from rest to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 227km/h.

When the time comes to charge, the A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e can be plugged into a domestic AC wallbox using a Type 2 cable. A full recharge of its completely empty 13kWh battery takes a little more than four hours.

Drivers will be able to use the myAudi app to remotely activate and modulate the climate control via a smartphone or tablet so that they can return to a car that is not only fully charged, but also at the perfect temperate inside. When outside temperatures are low, electric heating elements warm up the interior, while the electrically powered air conditioning cools the interior down when outside temperatures are high.