Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi RS3 review – interior and tech

Largely unchanged from the previous car, the RS3’s interior straddles that line between sporty and overwrought depending on which option boxes are ticked

Evo rating
  • Stunning engine, quality cabin, improved dynamics
  • Expensive, composed but cold handling means it's faster than it is fun

At just over £5k shy of fifty grand it should be easy to write off a five-door hatchback as being slightly ridiculous, but Audi has done its best to justify its tag with a high-quality cabin and a garnish of sporting elements. The basic A3 already has a well-designed cabin, but the RS3 lifts the ambiance further. However, it's difficult to ignore the fact that the Audi's basic design is approaching five years old now and the cracks are starting to show. There's nothing wrong with the execution, but items such as the pop-up infotainment screen looks small and dated in the era of wall-to-wall TFT screens.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That said, Audi has tried to make the cabin more modern, with the biggest change on facelifted versions being the appearance of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, a 12.3-inch high-resolution screen that has now spread across a majority of the Audi range. On top of this, the RS3 adopts the same Alcantara clad flat-bottomed steering wheel as the TT-RS. It may sound like a small thing, but Audi’s work on miniaturising the steering wheel boss goes some way to keeping the interior looking sharp.

Aside from these small changes, the interior is as it was before, that is to say very well built, fairly sophisticated in feel, and easy to navigate. Standard in the RS3 is Audi’s top spec MMI sat-nav and media system, complete with Google mapping, smart phone mirroring and a BOSE sound system. The optional Bang & Olufsen system is also excellent and worth the extra £495.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024