All hail the new king of hot hatches
Audi RS3 Sportback is a rocketship both on and off the race track
MEET the new hot-hatch king. Audi’s just-launched RS3 Sportback is the most powerful hatchback yet to come out of Ingolstadt’s fast-car skunkworks, and also the quickest one we’ve ever tested.
When Audi gave us one to test just a week after the car went on sale in South Africa we headed to our usual Gerotek test venue for a Vbox shakedown, and the rangetopping A3 didn’t disappoint by blasting the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.5 seconds and the quartermile in 12.9. This outgunned the next-fastest competitor we’d previously put against the clock, namely the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG which covered the 0-100 in 4.9 seconds, trailed by the VW Golf R (5.2 secs), and BMW 1M (5.3 seconds). At sea level Audi claims the RS3 can slash 0.2 seconds off this time.
Secret to the RS3’s accelerative prowess is its great power-to-weight ratio, all-wheel-drive traction, and a launch-control system that allows the revs to build up in a standing-start. The RS3 is available only as a two-pedal car, with a seven-speed S tronic auto transmission.
The 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo engine fires 270kW and 465Nm to all four wheels via quattro drive – a power boost over the previous, first-generation RS3, which delivered 250kW and 450Nm respectively.
The usual governed top speed of 250km/h applies, although the limiter can be optionally lifted to 280km/h. For all that firepower our test car’s 12.6 litre/100km average wasn’t too extreme.
The RS3’s quattro drive is an active system that can send all the engine power to the rear wheels if necessary, helping to reduce the understeer that afflicts some allwheel-drive cars. And Audi got the job done right. On our handling track this Audi displayed none of that dreaded nose-pushing effect when attacking fast turns, and hugged up to corners like an affectionate cat.
It’s impressively flickable with a crisp turn-in and sharp steering. A new torque vectoring system limits the usual wheelspin that occurs when accelerating out of tight corners; being able to thrust the throttle earlier plays a big part in the driver-satisfaction equation.
It’s a rock star in the corners, but the RS3 needs smooth roads to ply its trade and its firm suspension and low-profile 19” tyres don’t make good friends with imperfect roads even with the optional Audi Magnetic Ride suspension in its softest setting. There was also something amiss with our test car’s rear suspension which produced a loud knock over bumps.
There was good noise coming from the sports exhaust system, however, and this is an R11 840 optional extra that’s definitely worth the money as it utters a throaty sound that makes the hairs on your arms stand to attention.
The RS3 comes with suitably sporty visual decor to denote its status, with a black honeycomb grille, big air intakes, large oval tailpipes and widened front fenders. The cabin’s spiced up with RS badges, an RS steering wheel that’s flattened at the bottom, and Nappa leather sports seats.
Our test car was equipped with the optional S sport seats with classy diamond-stitching and embossed logos, but it’s also available with carbon-shell RS bucket seats that weigh 7kg less.
Yours for R710 000, with a 1-year unlimited distance warranty and 5year/100 000km maintenance plan.