Audi A3 news - Little und large - 2007

Who says German isn't a beautiful language? Take, for example, the German word for 'shrunk'. Geschrumpft. What a wonderful word: rich, redolent and bursting with romantic possibilities.

We discovered geschrumpft while constructing a deeply tortuous introduction for the new Audi 1.4-litre TFSI engine, trying to do a German version of 'Honey, I shrunk the engine', which we abandoned on two counts: one, we don't speak a word of German (apart from geschrumpft, now) and, two, it wasn't funny.

But the little 1.4-litre four-pot is geschrumpft indeed. Replacing the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol-burner at the base of Audi's A3 range, it makes up for its smaller capacity with a turbocharger.

That actually gives the TFSI 10bhp more than the 1.6, allowing the A3 to hit 62mph in 9.6 seconds before topping out at 126mph. There's a fraction more fuel economy into the bargain, too, with the TFSI returning a respectable 43.5mpg to those with a feathery right foot.

The new engine is available in the usual trims and starts at £16,365.

The engine may have geschrumpft, but the prices haven't. What's the German for c'est la vie?