Audi has begun testing a mysterious new version of the A3 with five doors and only partial camo. Motor1 believes it could be an Allroad variant of the A3, which was never on the lineup before.
The test car has its lower body masked from prying eyes, including both bumpers, the sills and the arches. The latter appear wider than usual, and there are roof rails on top that the standard hatchback lacks. While not entirely obvious, it seems that the ground clearance has grown up a bit, too.
Motor1 believes that the A3 Sportback will most likely morph into a crossover in the same way the A1 Citycarver did a few years ago: the formula involves a plastic body kit and a 25 mm (1-inch) increase in ride height.
As a somewhat less likely alternative, the purported A3 Allroad could get a part-electric AWD system. Note that there is a hatch on the left front fender: could it conceal a charging port?
The RS 3 sedan and hatchback unveiled in July with 400 PS (394 hp / 294 kW) and all-wheel drive are Audi’s most recent premieres. As such, we wouldn’t expect the A3 Allroad to debut any earlier than mid-2022.