Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi RS3: Details and pictures on the hottest new hatch

Audi's new five-cylinder hot hatchback takes the fight to Mercedes' 355bhp A45 AMG

Audi is clearly serious about its new RS3 Sportback. Not only does the model retain a five-cylinder engine – a layout that following the last model, Audi didn’t plan to revive – but it also beats Mercedes’ indecently quick A45 AMG in terms of maximum output.

With 2480cc and a turbocharger at its disposal, Audi has extracted 362bhp from its five-pot unit. By comparison, the A45 AMG produces 355bhp, albeit from a smaller 2-litre unit.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The RS3 Sportback also puts 343lb ft of torque through its quattro all-wheel drive system, enabling a 4.3sec 0-62mph dash and 155mph top speed. Owners wishing for more can ask their dealer to remove the limiter, sending the five-door hatch to 174mph.

A full Audi RS exhaust system provides the soundtrack. Twin flaps downstream of the silencer control exhaust flow to enhance the RS3’s aural qualities, though again Audi offers an upgrade – a full sports system is optional for the greatest dose of five-pot warble.

Audi has tweaked its familiar seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission for faster-than-ever shifts. A launch control system is standard, while Audi says the S tronic’s ratios have been optimised for low-end acceleration and top-end economy. Combined fuel consumption is 34.9mpg, with CO2 emissions of 189g/km.

Sitting 25mm lower than a standard Sportback, the RS3 also gets a wider front track, variable-rate steering and optional magnetic dampers. Rolling stock comprises 19in cast alloy wheels and 235/35 tyres, though an optional package lets buyers specify wider 255/30 front tyres with 235/35 rears.

This, combined with a quattro system set up to deliver up to 100 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels, torque vectoring, and a dedicated sport ESC setting, promises greater adjustability than some previous Audi RS products.

Exterior styling follows the usual RS cues with silver detailing, deeper front and rear bumper sections and a honeycomb grille element, while interior trim is embellished with an Alcantara-trimmed flat-bottomed wheel and carbonfibre inserts in the dashboard.

Audi hasn’t yet revealed UK pricing for the RS3 Sportback, nor has it announced an on-sale date.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5
Reviews

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?

The Golf GTI Clubsport lifts the Mk8.5 GTI to a higher level, but it’s still not quite a match for the best in class
4 Jul 2025
VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport deal
News

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport in Mk8.5 guise makes for a tempting prospect at the right price
3 Jul 2025
Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025
Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025