New Audi A3 e-tron spied with retro-look A2 body

Audi’s not been shy about its forthcoming C-segment EV, but finally we can say for certain that this won’t just be an A3-like hatchback with an electric powertrain. The new car is looking like a full-on EV reboot of the iconic Audi A2. 

These first images of a production A3 e-tron prototype reveal a shape that’s not dissimilar to the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born. But look closer and it already reveals the new Audi EV will have a less upright, more futuristic shape. There are more than a few nods to the ultra-lightweight A2 first introduced in the early 2000s. 

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What the prototype tells us about the Audi A3 e-tron’s design

The most obvious reference to the A2 is the car’s cab-forward silhouette, with a steeply angled windscreen and short bonnet helping with aerodynamics. However, unlike the ID.3, the Audi’s roofline is lower and sleeker, and arcs more aggressively at the rear to create a tail that looks directly related to the A2. 

The new A3 even looks likely to share the A2’s two-piece glass design for the tailgate, hinged up on the roof to create a much larger opening. There’s other evidence to suggest its A2 connection, too, including round flared wheel arches and a small wing attached to the bootlid. In fact, this new model takes so much inspiration from the A2, we can’t help but wonder if it’ll adopt the name ‘A2 e-tron’, despite being a full class size bigger than the original supermini. 

Where this car will feature more in common with current Audis is the front-end styling. This includes the use of thin upper daytime-running lights with smaller main beams mounted below. The prototype also features a Q4-like grille and rear lights – expect these to be substantially different when the real thing is revealed next year. 

Unfortunately, this car is too far through its development process to adopt the new design language being evolved by new design chief Massimo Frascella, who was installed only 12 months ago. There might have been time for some small changes, however, as has been rumoured about the forthcoming Audi Q7. 

What will be underneath the new A3 e-tron?

This model will sit on an updated version of the MEB platform that underpins the current Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born called MEB+. Audi already uses this relatively compact platform for its Q4 e-tron, but the A3 e-tron is due to be a step lower in terms of size, giving buyers an electric car alternative to the existing ICE-powered A3. 

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Speaking with Auto Express, Audi CEO Gernot Döllnerr earlier this year, he said: “We will build an electric [C-segment] car here in Ingolstadt from next year.” Given that time frame, it will be based on technologies already available within the VW group, rather than the new SSP architecture coming in 2027. 

As a result, we’re expecting the new Audi model will likely share any technical upgrades with the reskinned ID.3 that’s due around the same time, and feature a combination of a rear-mounted e-motor and battery pack mounted underneath the floor. We don’t know if there are any wholesale changes to the current battery technology on the cards, but we expect the new Audi will probably be available with some or all of the 58kWh, 77kWh and 79kWh battery options available in the current ID.3. 

We can also be fairly certain about what the new electric A3 equivalent will look like, because it’ll have to share certain elements with other MEB-platform cars currently on sale. We expect a standard single motor to be available on the rear axle, plus possibly a dual-motor application for a potential high-performance derivative. 

How it fits into Audi’s wider plans

Detailed by Auto Express last year, Audi’s plan has been to extend its range only slightly downwards, forgoing successors to the A1 supermini and Q2 small crossover, but creating an indirect successor to the recently updated A3 family hatchback. That, in turn, could give the brand a cheaper entry point than the likes of Mercedes and BMW.

Audi CEO Döllner, who has also taken on the role of technical development chief, admits that his team has gone through a review of its future product plans in recent years, sharpening its focus on key markets such as China (where it will soon launch a bespoke, locally made version of its new Q6 e-tron) and the United States. Döllner said that some vehicles had been pushed aside by the review, but insisted that the planned entry point – likely to appear in late 2026 or 2027 – has escaped the axe.

When asked directly if Audi had cut vehicles from its plans or simply delayed them, Döllner said, “We did both, really. We stretched the timeframe to give us a little bit more time for these 20 models. I’ve never seen something like this in my career so far. And we discussed some models that we deprioritised, and put emphasis on other ideas.”

Describing the new entry model directly, Döllner said, “It’s A-segment, so typically Volkswagen Golf and A3 size, or a little bit below, perhaps. But this is where we will focus. We won’t have a successor for the A1 and Q2 – certainly not a direct successor. But in confirming the model below the Q4, in the C-segment, that will be our entry car.”

Audi A3 e-tron exclusive images

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Our exclusive images showing how the new Audi A3 could look use the company’s 2019 AI:ME concept as their base. That car was a little shorter than the A3 overall, but our illustrations show how easily its dimensions could be stretched to deliver a unique, bespoke EV shape, while not stealing too much of the Q4 e-tron’s SUV image, being between five and 10 centimetres shorter than that vehicle.

Short front and rear overhangs would allow Audi to slot the new model in at the base of its range – although it’s conceivable that the brand may opt for an even more conventional shape, including a three-box saloon that would also be distinct from the Q4 and potentially popular in large markets like the United States and China. 

This new all-electric entry point is likely to mean no combustion-engined successor to the existing A3. The current model was introduced in 2020 and has just received a major facelift, so a typical seven-year lifespan would tip it over into the era when Audi will only launch new electric cars.

Bespoke US-only models

Audi is likely, meanwhile, to develop some bespoke models for the United States, including larger SUVs. Döllner said, “That’s one thinkable option. We have a lot of ideas and what we’ll definitely do – and we have it already in our product strategy right now – is take a deeper look at North America. We’ll have bigger SUVs in consideration and they will be mainly influenced by American market requirements. 

That’s one reason why we’re so optimistic about our prospects in the US; we know there’s more potential there.” However, he stopped short of saying that Audi could tap into the VW Group’s Scout project, an off-road-focused brand of SUVs and pick-up trucks that will be developed and produced in the United States. “The VW Group has made a decision to revitalise the Scout brand and I was honoured to be part of that decision a couple of years ago,” Döllner said. “I was chairman of Scout motors, in fact. This is the decision that has been taken so far – to bring the brand back and have trucks and rugged SUVs, but as Scout.”

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