Audi A3 Sportback TFSI e 150 kW vs BMW 120d F20LCI: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 120d hits 100 km/h in 7.15 s versus 7.22 s for the A3 Sportback TFSI e 150 kW. Despite lacking instant torque, 190 hp of power compensates. The 0.07 s gap is negligible: both vehicles are neck and neck.

At 200 metres, the 120d is doing 124 km/h against 124 km/h for the A3 Sportback TFSI e 150 kW. The gap is 0.09 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the 120d crosses the line in 15.30 s versus 15.38 s. The 0.08 s gap represents roughly 3 m of track - barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, nothing changes. Same ceiling, same acceleration, same trajectory - both rivals run in formation to the line. The 0.10 s gap at 1,000 metres confirms what the specs already suggested: on track, they’re interchangeable. The real contest happens elsewhere - range, comfort, charging network reliability.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the A3 Sportback TFSI e 150 kW is capped at 225 km/h, the 120d at 228 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 11.16 seconds. The 0.07 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.