Audi unveiled the S3 Sportback and Saloon models recently, debuting a pair of cars that represent the quickest things ever to wear an S3 badge. They ultimately won’t end up being the quickest A3 models on the market – next year we’ll see an RS3 – but it’s fair to say that the S3 is a seriously high-performance piece of kit.
Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine – the same one you’ll find in the VW Golf GTI and Cupra Leon, codenamed EA888 – with 306bhp and 400Nm, good for a 0-62mph time of just 4.8 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155mph.
For reference, the first Audi S3 came in 1999 and had a 1.8-litre turbo engine with 207bhp and 270Nm, which got the car to the 62mph benchmark in 6.8 seconds. Skip forward to the outgoing S3 (launched in 2016) and although this new model has the same 306bhp power output as that one did, torque is slightly up (380Nm in that version) and this S3 car takes four tenths of a second less to get to the benchmark.
Those numbers are important for a lot of people (hence their ever-improving nature) but we’re assured that this will be the most dynamically engaging S3 ever; the early S3 models had a reputation for slightly soggy handling, which Audi has struggled to shake off ever since. As standard this S3 comes with quattro four-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and the drivetrain includes a hydraulic clutch to send torque across the front and rear axles depending on where most grip is needed.
Adaptive damping is optional, but if you tick that box you’ll get a system that automatically adapts within less than a hundredth of a second to whatever dynamic situation it’s in, to ensure best possible grip. It’ll take factors such as steering angle, grip at each wheel, and torque going to each wheel into account. As standard the car is on sports suspension that sits the car 15mm lower than the last S3.
The A3 is a new model itself, launched only a few months ago and featuring one of the most tech-laden interiors of any family hatchback ever made, so the changes for the S3 are actually fairly subtle. It’s the usual stuff, making the car look more ‘sporty’ with a redesigned grille and some bumper trim treatment, while leaving plenty of room for a mad RS3, which will no doubt come with flared body work and wider exit pipes than Elvis.
The S3 here gets quad exhausts, a slightly reshaped profile designed to draw attention to the rear arches, and if you want to you can spec matrix LED headlights. Ooh, matrix. 18-inch alloy wheels are standard, but you can spend a few hundred quid specifying 19-inch items. Those changes apply to both the saloon and the hatchback, of course.
Inside, the standard A3’s cabin architecture isn’t messed with but you do get a smaller gear selector, a pair of sports seats and upgraded trim – aluminium and carbon fibre. The S3 gets a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel as standard but you can upgrade to a 12 incher if you like, either way featuring graphics specific to the S model. The dashboard features backlit pinstriping.
On running costs, it’ll cost you £37,900 for a Sportback (hatch) and £38,465 for the Saloon. Audi claims 39.2mpg and 178g/km CO2, which ain’t half bad for a car with such blistering performance. First deliveries will be in autumn.
Keyword: New Audi S3: everything you need to know