New arrival: Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

A test drive of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is held in Beijing. [Provided to China Daily]

Audi's first mass-produced new-energy car, the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid model, hit the Chinese market, as an imported vehicle.

Ge Shuwen, executive deputy general manager of FAW-Volkswagen Audi sales division said, "The new model, as an e-tron family member, leads trends of environment friendly, sporty and intelligent vehicles."

Audi's e-tron represents the premium carmakers' new-energy technologies and includes plug-in hybrids.

The compact premium hybrid car combines the lower operating cost of an EV with the range of a gas vehicle, according to the automaker. The car has a 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged TFSI engine and an 80 kW electric motor and consumes 1.6 liters of fuel every 100 km.

Working with a high-voltage battery and a six-speed e-S tronic gearbox, the powertrain enables an extended driving range of 940 km.

The car has a maximum output of 150kW and 350 Nm peak torque.

The 8.8 kWh battery recharges fully in less than three hours. An intelligent power management system ensures smooth switches between the engine and electric motor, making the driver and passengers detect little difference from a gasoline car.

The new model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds and its speed tops out at 222 km/h. The company was confident that the hybrid car performs like the petrol A3 Sportback, and meets customers' demands for sporty performance.

The Multi-Media Interface and Audi Connect are equipped in the five-door car, so people can communicate on the go.