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Audi will launch the third edition of its S3 in South Africa this September, but we had the opportunity to sample the new hot hatch in its country of origin last week. Were we impressed? Yes, you could say that...
Critics will think that the all-new A3, and therefore this more performance-oriented S3, look a little too much like their predecessors, but the fact is they’re almost entirely different. Different and better. Audi says the S3’s engine, despite sharing exactly the same capacity of 1984cc with the outgoing version, is completely new and, predictably, comes with even more power.
Internationally the S3 is equipped with 221kW and 380Nm, although in our market its bragging rights will again be diminished slightly thanks to our hot climate. South African S3s will get 206kW but thankfully torque output will be the same. Previous S3s came with 188kW to Europe’s 195.
SUPERBLY SMOOTH
Because of the slight power deprivation, local S3s will get specific performance claims but Audi says 0-100km/h won’t be too far off the full-powered version’s 4.8 seconds. Top speed will be limited to the same 250km/h.
It’s a superbly smooth two-litre turbo, with two balance shafts making sure it revs like a gyroscope up to its 6800rpm redline. There’s also a new water-cooled intercooler and the turbocharger itself is bigger this time around with a maximum boost of 1.2 bar. Turbolag was a complete non-issue on our test drive, at German altitude anyway, and I was very impressed with the tractable power delivery.
Boost starts happening way down low and carries on right through a long rev-range.
Gear changes in our six-speed manual test car were infrequent because of this and explosive overtakes were possible even when in too high a ratio. Quattro all-wheel drive means you can be quite aggressive with throttle input as well and, with drive shared between axles, wheelspin is eradicated and torque steer is limited to all but the most delicate of twitches. The S3 feels a much more mature performer than some of its high-powered front-wheel driven rivals.
We love the A3, even in basic 1.6 turbodiesel trim, because of its impeccable ride and build quality and I’m happy to report that the S3 is just as good even with its sport-tuned shocks and springs, and low-profile 18” tyres. Bump absorption is incomparable with most hot hatches, and the cabin is insulated so well that it helps in disguising what the wheels might be coping with underneath.
ADAPTIVE DAMPERS
Audi Drive Select, that changes steering, throttle and gearbox (in the dual-clutch S-tronic) presets is standard equipment in the new S3, but if you want adaptive dampers that work together with the system they’ll cost extra. But the S3 rides so well without them, I wouldn’t bother.
Pricing is set at R440 000 for the manual and R461 000 for the S-tronic. A four-door Sportback version of the S3 is scheduled for South African release in November 2013 with a price of R468 500, but it will be available as an S-tronic only in our market. An S3 Sedan, based on the soon-to-be-launched A3 Sedan should also become available in 2014 - Star Motoring
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