Diesel-powered Audi A3 Sportback TDI coming to America in 2015

The Audi A3 family has another America-bound variant: the automaker announced at the New York auto show that a diesel-powered Audi A3 Sportback TDI will go on sale here in 2015.

Previously, we were told that the plug-in hybrid version of the vehicle -- the so-called Audi A3 Sportback e-tron -- would be the only one to make it to American markets. According Audi, it was enthusiast demand that spurred the change. That's enough to warm our cynical hearts, if true.

Under the hood, you'll find a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four diesel mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Audi says the motor is good for 150 hp; torque ratings and fuel efficiency numbers haven't been released yet. We're also waiting to hear whether or not this particular A3 will get the nifty quattro all-wheel drive system.

Audi
It's not a wagon, it's not a crossover -- it's a sportback, and it's got a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel.

Maybe this powertrain sounds appealing to you -- we certainly enjoyed the similar setup in the 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI, which returned just north of 31 mpg in our testing -- but it's the “sportback” terminology that's throwing you off.

So what is it, exactly? Built on the MQB platform like the rest of the A3 family, it's not really a hatchback, not exactly a wagon, not quite big enough to qualify as a crossover (that'd be the Q3)…it's a “sportback,” whatever that means, and we're suspecting adding a diesel option to the mix won't broaden this quirky (if functional) body style's appeal to the average American consumer by all that much.

We'd be happy to be proved wrong, of course. We're eager to try the A3 Sportback in both diesel and hybrid flavors. You can give them a spin, too, when they arrive in dealerships in summer 2015.

The 2014 New York auto show runs April 16-27 and is expected to attract a range of production and concept cars including the 2015 Mustang convertible, BMW M4 convertible and next Hyundai Sonata. Check out Autoweek's complete coverage at autoweek.com/new-york-auto-show.

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