Audi has introduced a new 1.4-litre TFSI petrol engine to the Audi Q3 line-up offering competitively low-tax bills which may sway company car drivers away from diesel.
Available in front-wheel drive only, the new petrol engine sits at the entry point to the range and offers a combined fuel economy figure of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions from 137g/km.
This places the Audi Q3 with this engine in a 19 percent BIK tax band for the current 2013/14 tax year.
Offered as an alternative to the 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI engine, the 147bhp 1.4-litre TFSI petrol matches its diesel counterpart for CO2 emissions and is only slightly short of the official 54mpg combined figure the diesel offers.
The 2.0 TDI SE is priced £1,725 more than the £23,870 starting price for the new petrol engine. This means for company car drivers, the monthly tax bill for a 20 percent tax payer will be £75.59 for the 1.4 TFSI and £93.85 per month for the 2.0 TDI diesel.
A lot of miles will need to be travelled during the three or four years for the diesel to make more finanical sense than this petrol. Traditionally the tipping point when diesel saves you money is 10,000 miles per annum, but for this engine we would estimate the figure to be closer to 15,000 miles.
The new 1.4 TFSI engine is now available to order in conjunction with SE and S Line specification and offered with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed S Tronic transmissions.
The Q3 1.4 TFSI achieves 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds (8.9 seconds for cars equipped with S Tronic), and can carry on to a top speed of 126mph.
New extended ‘Plus’ specification for quattro models
Company car drivers looking further up the Q3 range at quattro-equipped variants can now choose a new S Line Plus specification that slots into the line-up above the S Line option.
Available for all quattro-equipped 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TDI models, S Line Plus specification carries a £2,350 premium over S Line trim.
Equipment highlights for this new trim’s standard specification list includes 19-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, perforated leather and Alcantara faux suede trim, cruise control, parking system and sat-nav.
To read our full review of the Audi Q3 click here.
To find out more about company car tax click here
