Audi Pakistan is aggressive these days, after few years of what seemed like a sabbatical. Some felt that they might have packed their bags and left, but they were in fact revving their engines in to attacking mode to take a bigger chunk of the Pakistani auto market. I spoke with the Country Manager of Audi Pakistan, Ali Khan, who told me about Audi’s plans for Pakistan and they are working on models with smaller engines for this country to make Audis more affordable.

Audi has now introduced the 1.2-liter TFSI A3 sedan over here, while some view the A3 as too small, we think it is quite suited to the ergonomics of Pakistan. Although Audi Pakistan currently don’t have a press vehicle so we can’t show how the car drives with a relatively smaller engine, but PakWheelers in the US who will be bringing us the first drive of the A3 have said that the same 1.2-liter engine is available in Audi A1, a small hatchback, in North American market, and that 1.2-liter motor in A3, a sedan, might be underpowered considering A3 is a bigger car than the A1. But we think that it has rather more power than the comparative 1.3-liter engines in the Pakistani market.

Toyota Corolla Altis Grande costs 2,299,000 Rupees which is 24 lacs actually for a 1.8-liter with a CVT-i transmission, it produces 138 HP and the 1.3-liter Corolla GLi produces only 84 HP, Liana with a 1.3-liter produces 86 HP meanwhile the A3 1.2-liter, which comes with a 1.2-liter TFSI engine produces 105 HP at a fuel average of 4.8 liters per 100 kms (combined cycle), which translates to 20.83 kms per liter. Keep in mind we are only talking about the engine power ratings of these 1.3-liter cars and not the build or the segment they belong to. It is just a power comparison. A3 is a considered as an entry level luxury sedan whereas two mentioned above are compact family sedans. A3’s actual competition is with its German compatriots like BMW 1 or 2 series or a Mercedes CLA.

Also, the new Audi A3 sedan is very light weight. It weighs around 2600 lbs compared to Corolla’s 2800 lbs. So we can comfortably state that a lightweight car such as this A3 along with 105 bhp and enough torque can be a fun car to drive, even in start-stop traffic like ours.

The impressive mileage doesn’t mean all that bad acceleration either, the press release by Audi Pakistan claim just 10 secs to reach from naught to 100 KM/H and will go all the way up to 201 KM/H, the 105 HP and 175 nm. of torque is transferred through a 7-speed S Tronic transmission to the wheels. The engine has been reworked by the Audi engineers and there have been a whole lot of updates like reworked piston rings and crank shaft bearing, improved common rail injection and electronic waste gate.

Priced at an impressive 3,800,000 rupees with the following safety features: 7 airbags, immobilizer, a first aid kit, ISOFIX child seat mounting for front and rear passenger seat, and lots of acronyms in the electronic stability program (ESP) to make sure the computer has it under control if you lost it. So at a difference of 14 lac rupees, you not only get advanced safety but the following equipment as well.

The A3 than is not your time attack vehicle rather a utility cruiser/daily driver.

The pricing of the A3 1.2 is as follows: