Audi A3-sized e-tron model scheduled to arrive in 2026

Audi is developing an A3-sized EV based on the Volkswagen ID.3’s MEB platform, which will launch in 2026, according to new reports.

Given the MEB platform’s layout, it is expected that the C-segment Audi e-tron will come with a rear-mounted electric motor, and a battery pack mounted under the floor.

Ingolstadt’s latest and smallest e-tron will likely come with some or all of the 58kWh, 77kWh, and 79kWh battery options available on the recently-facelifted ID.3. A high performance, twin-motor version not too dissimilar to the 322bhp, ID.3 GTX is also anticipated in the future. Whether it will come with AWD and be branded with the iconic Audi “quattro” nameplate is yet to be seen.

Visuals are unconfirmed, but Audi’s upcoming answer to the ID.3 and the Born will likely share the same high floor, high roofline, short bonnet, and upright tail aesthetic as its VW Group siblings.

While no official images have been revealed, it has been suggested by Auto Express that Ingolstadt’s latest e-tron will look similar to the Audi AI:ME concept revealed in 2019. However, contrasting reports have suggested that Audi may do away with the short and front and rear overhangs and follow a small, three-box saloon shape instead.

It has been confirmed that the so-called A3 e-tron will not heavily feature the new design language being refined by Audi’s recently-appointed design chief, Massimo Frascella. Yet given the timescale between now and the A3-sized e-tron’s arrival date, there is said to be some wiggle room for minor changes.

Given Audi will kill off the A1 and Q2 next year, this upcoming EV model will be the brand’s entry-level car. It will also likely serve as an all-electric successor to the current internal combustion engine-powered A3, which is rumoured to be discontinued in 2027.