Audi AG is ‘frugalizing’ its A3 hatchback by making the emissions and fuel consumption low. This will exempt the A3 from London congestion charge.

The automaker said that the measures taken to minimize emissions in the A3 would also be employed in the creation of more efficient versions of other models in the “near future.�

German Volkswagen AG started the trend for a 'green' version of their most popular ranges, and recent news suggests other manufacturers are beginning to follow suit. Swedish Volvo Cars announced a similar new frugal version of their C30 hatchback earlier this week.

In a similar vein to the recently announced Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion, it benefits from a combination of engine and gearbox modifications and wind-cheating bodywork, reported Channel 4 News. The 105 horsepower A3 1.9 TDI returns 62.7mpg and 119g/km of carbon dioxide, which puts it into band B for road tax, and will exempt it from the London congestion charge when it has been revised next year to allow all sub-120g/km cars into the city centre for free, the report added.

The German automaker has entertained a bunch of vital modifications like adding more fuel-efficient ancillary units and lower-friction engine components, economy-biased gearing and tires with lower rolling resistance, and a display on the dashboard indicating the most appropriate gearchange point for a most favorable fuel economy.

The car accelerates to 62mph in a respectable 11.4 seconds, and is capable of going up to 120mph. Prices start from £16,660 for the three-door and £17,160 for the Sportback five-door. The car is set for delivery beginning early October. Audi, like Volkswagen, will be launching more product lines with similarly fuel-efficient tuning to improve their green lineup.

And the automaker will not be using the reliable Audi brake pads to put a hiatus to its escalating progress. The determination coupled with hard work is seen by the experts in the industry. In the executive rankings of German business magazine Impulse, the German automaker is once again the most successful brand. According to the magazine, the Audi A8 in the luxury class and the Audi A6 in the upper midsize class received most votes from Germany’s senior executives in their respective categories.

Prices start from £16,660 OTR in three-door form with first deliveries to be made in early October, New Car Net reported.

Separately, the Audi A8 topped the survey for the third time in a row. With its outstanding comfort, superior quality and handling characteristics it convincingly beat the competition. But just being good is not good enough for Audi, reported Duemotori. The redesigned luxury saloon now offers improved comfort, ergonomics and styling.

According to the report, Impulse readers also voted the Audi A6 their favorite in the “upper midsize� class. Both the saloon and the Avant are very popular among senior executives. In the other two categories, Audi product lines were among the leaders as well. In the sports car segment the Audi R8 took second place at its first attempt, despite being on the market for only a few months. Also in second place was the Audi Q7 in the sport utility vehicle segment.

This is the fifth time the magazine has held the survey to determine the most preferred executive cars and this year around 14,300 votes were received. These impressive results mirror the increasing popularity of the German automaker with the proverbial “Vorsprung durch Technik� philosophy.