A3 Hybrid Fleet Cars (Germany mid-2010, USA and China sometime in 2011)
Both Audi and Volkswagen are readying a pilot fleet of current-generation Audi A3s as well as Volkswagen Golfs and Jettas. These cars will use early examples of the group’s transverse hybrid drivetrain in order to test consumer use beginning as early as this year in Germany. Dick tells us that A3s with this drivetrain will be in the US and China by 2011, though strictly as fleet vehicles. The cars will not be sold to the public.

Q5 Hybrid (late 2010)
During our discussion, Mr. Dick confirmed the Q5 hybrid will be shown at some point later this year. Given that this hybrid more than any other Audi hybrid is aimed at North America, we’re guessing the car will bow at the Los Angeles Auto Show given the timeframe.

Though the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg will beat the Q5 to market, the Audi will vary considerably from its corporate cousins. The full-size SUV platform from Porsche and Volkswagen will make use of the Volkswagen Group’s flexible hybrid components paired with the same 3.0T supercharged engine found in the S4. However, the lighter MLB-architecture-based Q5 will go for the more frugal EA 888 Valvelift 2.0T used in the A4.

A3 hybrid and A3 e-tron (2012-2013)
At an evening reveal ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen Group chairman Martin Winterkorn revealed that hybrid versions of the Volkswagen Jetta will go on sale by 2012 and electric versions of the Jetta and Golf will debut by 2013. We mentioned this to Michael Dick, inquiring what this meant for the next generation Audi A3.

“We will definitely hybridize the A3 successor,” he said and continued, “There will be an electrified version. Audi will use the same technology as Volkswagen through use of lateral modules developed for use across the Volkswagen Group.”