ROAD TEST: Audi S3 quattro AT
If you’re into pocket rockets I’d like to think that there are three very distinctly flavoured battlegrounds out there.
The baby wars take place among the likes of the VW Polo GTI, Renault Clio RS, Opel Corsa OPC, Peugeot 208 GTI, and the Ford Fiesta ST. Take it up a notch and the warriors are the VW Golf GTI, Renault Mégane RS, Ford Focus ST, and Opel Astra OPC.
Declare all-out war and the big guns storming the field include Beemer’s 1M, Mercedes’ A45 and CLA45, and Audi’s RS3.
Sure, the RS3 and 1M are both awaiting next-generation input, but in the real world these cars are very much alive and fighting in this street-war segment.
Which brings me to the subject of this test, the Audi S3 hatch.
Priced at R474 500 for the auto (the manual is around twenty grand cheaper) and making 206kW/380Nm, it doesn’t get to play with the A45 AMG and 1M high- school boys – which all make more power and cost lots more. And strictly-speaking, there’s the upcoming RS3 for that.
But then the S3 is like that overgrown kid repeating grade seven, in that it outguns and is more expensive than everything else in that middle-of-the-road Golf GTI category. So, in essence, cars like the S3, Beemer’s M135i, and the upcoming Golf R are super-sized, double-patty hot hatches for those wanting a bit more – but not quite ready to go the whole nine yards. They almost create their own little category, if you get my drift.
‘S’ IS FOR SPRINT
In terms of current super-hatches in our price guide, the S3 is the fourth most powerful you can buy in SA right now – behind Merc’s 265kW/450Nm A45 AMG, BMW’s 235kW/450Nm M135i, and Opel’s 206kW/400Nm Astra OPC. And its recent sprint times at our test facility verified this, with the S3 clocking 5.3 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint (Audi claims 4.8) – making it our second-quickest of the batch (the OPC recorded 6.8, the M135i did a 5.6, while the A45 blitzed the 100km/h mark in 4.9).
Impressive.
What that glowing S3 sprint time comes down to is its impeccable launch-control system. Unlike in some other German cars it’s very easy to use, works as many times in a row as you ask it to, and revs up to a healthy 4 000rpm before letting rip.
Throw in quattro all-wheel drive for traction off the line, maximum 1.2-bar boost locked and loaded at those revs, and surgical power-translation in the form of the seven-speed S tronic auto – and you have a recipe for success. Overseas S3 buyers get 221kW, we get less due to ze Germans being worried about our hot climate – we reckon those missing 15kW (torque is unchanged) could get Ingolstadt’s baby quite close to breaking into the fours.
It’s hard to believe then that all this is courtesy of a little 2-litre turbo – but before you start thinking that all your GTI’s 2-litre needs is a little plug-and-play to match the S3’s outputs, you need to understand that this engine is new from the crank up, with a bigger turbo and a new water-cooled intercooler – to name but a few of the revisions. And these developments are why the S3 is 1.3 seconds faster to 100km/h than the Golf GTI DSG we tested earlier this year.
CALM CRUISER TOO
In terms of driving mannerisms the S3’s engine response, unlike other super-duper Audis I’ve driven, doesn’t have that on-or-off feel to it. It’s happy to cruise around, and will feed in boost gently if that’s what your right foot is asking for. The engine feels balanced, never worrying you with hints of turbolag and ever-willing to boost into the 6 800rpm red line.
The little electronic boost gauge in the rev-counter is the first of its kind I’ve seen in an Audi, and works really well in giving you an indication of engine mapping and how your inputs translate into pace.
The 10.9l/100km consumption I thought was a fair trade-off against the levels of power on offer here.
The Drive Select system lets you toggle between various set-ups like Comfort, Dynamic and Individual, which tweak engine, gearbox, steering, and throttle responses. For Drive Select to have an impact on the suspension you need to tick the Magnetic Ride box on the car’s options list when buying it, which our test car had. This meant the Audi’s reasonably hard ride could be softened by selecting Comfort mode and make the car more conducive to our scarred roads. The low-profile rubber didn’t appreciate the potholes, though.
The Dynamic mode is where the S3 prefers living, though – and coupled with the immense grip from the quattro system, the heavier-steering feel, the tasty upshift exhaust blaps from the quad tailpipes, and the seamless power-feed from that high-boosting four-pot, there’s very little to complain about. Even at idle there’s a nice drone from that fancy exhaust set-up. Not to mention that the A3 range runs on the same platform found in the new Golf range, which is superb.
VERDICT
It’s simple really. For what you’re spending we reckon this is the best all-round hot hatch in our price guide. If we have to fault anything, it would be that the S3 looks too much like its more-sedate siblings. Quad-tailpipes aside, the badging is subtle and bigger wheels are available across the range. But some prefer their hyper-hatches in sleeper guise, and in the S3’s case it doesn’t get much better than this. -Star Motoring
Follow me on twitter: @mineshbhagaloo
FACTS
Audi S3 quattro AT
Engine: 4-cyl, 2-litre turbopetrol
Power: 206kW @ 5500rpm
Torque: 380Nm @ 1800rpm
0-100km/h (tested): 5.3 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 250km/h
Consumption (claimed): 6.9 l/100km
Price: R474 500
Maintenance plan: 5-year/100 000km
ALTERNATIVES
BMW M135i 3-door AT (235kW/450Nm) - R498 243
Opel Astra OPC (206kW/400Nm) - R453 500
Renault Megane RS Cup (195kW/360Nm) - R399 900