Hi, I currently have an A3 8V but am considering the 8Y for my next car. I'd like to know what people think about the 48V 'mild hybrid' system on the car. Is the system available with the manual gearbox or is it only the DSG, as on the Golf.
Thanks for the very comprehensive reply. Certainly looks to be a good setup and glad you are enjoying it. I was looking to avoid the DSG due to the issues with reliability, but hopefully by now these are sorted and the car would be under warranty anyway.Only on DSGs and on the 30 and 35 TFSIs in UK. Although I believe in other countries (like Australia) you can get MHEV in 40 DSG TFSI quattro even.
It's good for economy. I mean I used to have the same 1.0TSI engine in a Seat Ibiza (smaller car), and the A3 could better than one mpg wise by 2-3 mpg like for like. For instance, I normally do a Sunday 0830 AM trip from East to West London of 13 miles. So there is no traffic at all, so my trips are always exactly around 35 mins, and a certain mpg. Ibiza it would do 49-51 mpg (had a Leon 2.0TDI DSG doing the same mpg), but the A3 would always do at least 53-56mpg. Once even 59! Don't get me started on the inefficient Volvo V40 1.5 I had, that would do (if I'm lucky) 40 mpg on that trip!
Engine restarts on MHEV doesn't even have the starter motor sound (which is great!), and if you are slowing towards a traffic light, and you lift off prior, it would shut the engine off and coast. Once it must have done this with engine off for what felt like a minute. Apparently it also can give you 50nm and 10 or 12 bhp boost when accelerating. Although I haven't felt this 'boost' I did notice a quirk at low revs, that my speed was increasing, without the rpms correspondingly increasing, maybe this is the small electric boost happening.
Pretty sure av seen... 40 etfsi on UK roads