Refreshed S3 is, once again, positioned between the normal A3 and red-hot RS3, but with more standard features and grunt than ever before.
Revealed in April of last year, Audi South Africa has officially confirmed pricing of the facelift S3 in Sportback and sedan guises.
Power punch
Billed as “more than a product update”, the S3’s biggest highlight resides up front, where the 2.0 TFSI engine has been upgraded to produce the same power and torque as parent company Volkswagen’s Golf 8.5 R.
Omitting electrification, the setup produces 245kW/420Nm, 17kW/20Nm more than before, which translates to a top speed of 250 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds.
ALSO READ: No electric help needed as Audi debuts power boosted facelift S3
Faster by one-tenth than the pre-facelift S3, Audi has also revised the turbocharger to spool up quicker, which contributes to a wider torque provision between 2 100 and 5 500 rpm.
In addition, the seven-speed S tronic transmission has been sharpened up, and a torque splitting system has been added to the quattro all-wheel drive system to “optimally distribute the torque” between the front and rear axles.
Dynamic changes
Furthering the dynamic changes is a 15 mm ride height drop thanks to the standard adaptive S suspension, stiffer wishbones, sharper steering, upgraded brakes and a new Dynamic Plus mode for the Audi Drive Select system, which sends most of the S3’s grunt to the rear wheels.
Carried over are the Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual settings.
Refreshed outside
Outside, the S3 rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and adds to the updated aesthetic of the standard A3 by including a frameless surround for the Singleframe grille, the S bumpers, quad exhaust outlets, a black rear apron and faux diffuser, and a lip spoiler at the base of the front bumper.
An option is the titanium performance exhaust system, while the Matrix LED headlights are standard.
Rounding the exterior off are new colour options: Daytona Grey Matte, Ascari Blue, Progressive Red and District Green.
New inside
Inside, the same revisions as the A3 apply, meaning the standard fitting of the 10.1-inch MMI Plus infotainment system, the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster and the restyled centre console complete with the toggle selector for the S tronic ‘box.
Standard items are a black roofliner, the S alloy pedals, a wireless smartphone charging pad, four Type-C USB ports, illuminated S door sills, alloy or carbon decorative inserts, the S steering wheel, S sport seats trimmed in imitation leather, a panoramic sunroof and a Sonos sound system.
Notable options are integrated satellite navigation, Head-Up Display and three packages that bundle a number of features together:
- Comfort Pro: electric front seats with memory function and folding, as well as heated and memory mirrors;
- Infotainment Pro: Head-Up Display, navigation and Audi Phone Box connect;
- Climate Control: heated front seats and tri-zone climate control
Price
Now available, pricing on both S3 models, as with the rest of the A3 and RS3 ranges, includes a five-year/100 000km Audi Freeway maintenance plan.
- A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI S line S tronic – R808 200
- A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI Black Edition S tronic – R834 500
- A3 Sedan 1.4 TFSI S line S tronic – R823 200
- A3 Sedan 1.4 TFSI Black Edition S tronic – R849 500
- S3 Sportback – R1 091 100
- S3 Sedan – R1 106 100
- RS3 Sportback – R1 498 200
- RS3 Sportback Carbon – R1 591 900
- RS3 Sedan – R1 528 200
- RS3 Sedan Carbon – R1 610 700
NOW READ: Blacked-out Audi A3 sedan stands out from the usual suspects
