A fresh report out of Europe suggests the next-generation Audi A3 range will be entirely electric and topped by a battery-powered RS3 performance variant…

The next-generation Audi A3 is due in around 2027 but it will completely ditch combustion engines in favour of electric motors, according to a new report out of Europe.

Autocar claims though the A3 nameplate will live on, it will be attached to fully electric models only. The report suggests the upcoming fifth-generation A3 will ride on the Volkswagen Group’s latest Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) all-electric architecture rather than the MEB platform currently underpinning models such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, benefiting from a single-charge range of around 650 km.

Interestingly, the switch from the current MQB platform to the SSP underpinnings would see the A3 move from a front-wheel-drive set-up (with the option of all-wheel drive) to a rear-wheel-drive arrangement (with AWD again optional).

The SSP platform is furthermore able to support a new 800V electric architecture, which the report says will facilitate “significantly faster charging times” than the 400V version of current MEB-based vehicles. The 5-door hatchback and 4-door saloon models – which are set to retain their Sportback and Sedan titles – are also expected to grow slightly while adopting “altered proportions”.

According to the British publication, the current Audi Sport performance badges will also live on (though perhaps with an “e-tron” suffix), with electric versions of the S3 and RS3 set to adopt twin-motor systems and thus all-wheel drive. Autocar claims the proposed electric RS3 will outrun the current 5-cylinder model from standstill to 100 kph, completing the obligatory sprint in under 3.8 seconds.

While the A3 thus appears set to survive (something that can’t be said for the A1 Sportback and Q2), rumours suggest rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series are facing the axe.

The latest 5-cylinder RS3 (which is set to arrive in SA soon) will likely be the final version offered with petrol power…