Audi S3 a fast four-door with grown-up vibes

MAYBE I’m going crazy. I’ve had the new Audi S3 Sedan for the past week and although I know what it is, I keep having to remind myself that it’s not an S4. Perhaps there’s a good reason why it keeps tricking me.

The Audi S3 Sedan (and its plainer A3 sibling) has evolved into a larger and more mature package. The second generation, launched last year, has grown 40mm in length and 20mm in width but it looks bigger than that. While the front end looks ripped with its oversized grille, the bodyshell appears more elegant than before.

Beneath the bonnet you’ll find the familiar 2.0-litre turbopetrol motor and it seems Audi has returned to its policy of detuning cars for our “hot weather” market. Whereas the European model dishes out 228kW, the local S3 offers 213kW, although our car matches the Euro model’s 400Nm maximum torque output.

It might be down on power, but Audi says the new-generation S3 makes better use of its power in more dynamic driving situations thanks to its updated S-specific suspension system and quattro all-wheel drive.

Audi says its new S3 will sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. That feels plausible under hard acceleration but unless you follow the five-or-so steps required to activate the launch control system, the S3 can be laggy off the mark at altitude, even if you have it dialled into Dynamic mode.

The sporty mode gives a more raspy exhaust note as well as a sportier overall feel, but it’s never overbearing. With its sporty settings activated, it never feels like an automotive hooligan. That’s the essence of the new Audi A3 and perhaps part of the reason I kept thinking it was an S4. This is a comfortable and refined package that you could comfortably drive every day.

As for fuel consumption, Audi claims a combined 7.8 litres per 100km, but in real-world driving you’re looking at upwards of 10 litres/100km.

Power goes to all four wheels through a slick-shifting seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox and a variable quattro all-wheel drive system. Handling is neat as a pin and the S3 can dissect fast corners with accuracy and precision. But it’s not necessarily an exciting experience, and the steering lacks a little i feel and feedback.

The Audi S3 rides comfortably for a performance vehicle, although the standard 19-inch wheels can make things choppy over ripply surfaces. It’s probably well worth spending the extra R13 000 Audi charges for adaptive dampers. The vehicle ships as standard with a sports suspension system that brings it 15mm closer to the ground.

While the exterior design of the new A3/S3 range is evolutionary, the cabin design makes a radical departure. Whereas the previous generation looked smooth, elegant and uncluttered, the new dashboard looks like it was ripped straight out of a fighter jet.

Make what you want of it, the new A3/S3 feels more futuristic, digitised and – dare I say – more Lamborghini like. Build quality is impeccable and the materials are high quality.

Although a 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster comes as standard, you will pay more for the fancier Virtual Cockpit Plus with its configurable screens. The central command centre is a new 10.1-inch infotainment screen with modern, crisp graphics and haptic feedback. It can also recognise letters entered by hand and drivers can also take advantage of the voice control system with natural language recognition.

As with the Golf 8 GTI, the automatic gear lever is a small lever positioned on the centre console, which also houses the start button for an easy and convenient start-up process.

Our car came with the fine nappa leather sports seats with embossed “S” logos. They look the part with their generous bolsters, diamond quilting and contrast red stitching. But they cost R21 500, to which you can add R19 300 if you want electric operation.

There’s a lot of nice-to-have stuff on the options list, but it can send the price of the vehicle spiralling. In base form, the Audi S3 Sedan costs R830 000, but our test car came with R177 800 worth of options, pushing it just north of the R1 million mark.

There are some rather basic features that one needs to pay extra for. The reverse camera, for instance, costs R6 500, while Park Assist is R5 800 and you don’t get a split folding rear seat backrest unless you pay an extra R3 500. On the other hand, the Audi S3 Sedan is somewhat less expensive than its only direct rival, the MercedesAMG A35 Sedan, starting at R974 798.

Not as boisterous as the five-cylinder RS3, the latest Audi S3 Sedan does everything you’d expect from Audi’s middle performance model, albeit in a more practical, mature and digitised package that keeps it bang up-to-date.

It’s not the most exciting performance car around but, overall, it finds a good balance between performance, dynamics and everyday usability.