A new Audi A3, officially the most economical ever, is available to order from this week. It's a special version of the 1.6 TDI, a car which was already impressive in that it had combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg and a CO2 rating of 109g/km.
The new model goes several steps beyond that. A combination of higher gearing, reduced ride height, better underbody aerodynamics and 15" wheels (one inch smaller than normal) with low-rolling resistance tyres means that this one has an official combined economy figure of 74.3mpg, while CO2 emissions have dropped to 99g/km. And that means the car is exempt from annual road tax.
Performance isn't affected: top speed is still 121mph, and the 0-62mph remains at 11.4 seconds as with the other 1.6 TDIs.
As well as being the most economical A3 ever, this is also the cheapest in the current range, with an on-the-road price of £18,005. It comes in only one version, with three doors, the standard trim level (there are no SE or S line equivalents) and a five-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels.