NEW Audi S3 is in South Africa!
Until the RS3 arrives, the flagship S3 has also been launched and man does it look aggressive.
Exterior
It gets a black single-frame grille, bigger air inlets and at the back, you get quad tailpipes with a black rear diffuser. Audi seemed to have added angles in every where and this is really visible from the side profile.
There are also new 19-inch wheels and red brake calipers which is how we’re going to be able to distinguish the more special S3 from the rest of the A3 range.
But what about Vrr Pha?
Under the bonnet, you get a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 213kW(15kw Less than before) and 400NM and a 7-speed S Tronic transmission. (Which is no longer a gear lever, but a gear switch) All that power goes through Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The claimed figure for the 0-100km/h sprint is 4.8 seconds.
According to Audi the reason the S3 has less power in SA is because of market allocation, which is a real pity. But like most other Audis, I expect the S3 to outperform the claimed figures. (EP)
Interior
The interior of the S3 looks more special than the standard A3 and worlds apart from the old S3 interior. A great improvement from the previous S3, where the rounded vents have been replaced with more angular vents, The dash looks more modern and all in all, it just looks like a much neater, updated interior. S3 comes with a flatbottom steering wheel and sport bucket seats too.
As with most Audis, a lot of tech has been lifted from models higher up in the range, so expect lots of tech from the SQ8 to filter down into the cabin. (EP)
The S3 Sportback starts at R795,000 and the S3 Sedan starts at R810 000. Both are well priced and with S and RS models making 20% of Audi’s local sales, it will no doubt be a best seller.
For the right person, the S3 remains a great sporty compact car.
