In the midst of the pandemic, Audi relaunched one of its most successful models; the Audi A3. As is traditional with any market release these days, Audi held back on revealing the quickest versions. Now, with the market starting to emerge from lockdown, Audi has unveiled a new Audi S3.
The S3 badge will be familiar to most. It sits as the second-rung model, usually below the RS version. We expect a hot-hatch Audi RS3 to be unveiled at some point in the near future, until then, the S3 should act as an intermediary. A blend of performance and compliance.
Available in both hatchback (Audi S3 Sportback) and sedan (Audi S3 Sedan) format, Audi’s S3 gets a 2.0 TFSI. It produces 310 hp and 400 Nm of torque, enough to power both bodystyles from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
Power is transferred to the ground through a seven-speed S tronic gearbox, quattro drive, and an S-specific sport suspension with optional damper control.
Unique styling touches for the Audi S3 include gleaming aluminium-look side mirrors. The side air intakes are larger and the front grille mesh gets a different design. As an option, customers can request matrix LED headlights.
The back is characterised through larger air outlets, a new diffuser, and quad exhaust pipes.
Inside, the S3 is near-identical to the Audi S3, except with some sporting touches. It gets a 10.25-inch digital display as standard. The Audi Virtual Cockpit includes a 12.3-inch upgrade.
The sport seats are new, they use recycled material in their upholstery. Otherwise, the S3 receives all of the bells and whistles announced with the earlier Audi A3.
Sales begin in August 2020, with the first vehicles delivered to dealers in October. In Germany, prices for the S3 Sportback start at €46,302, while the S3 Sedan is listed at €47,179.
