2019 Audi S3 review – performance and 0-60 times

Acceleration has been blunted by the 2019 update, reaching 62mph in 4.7sec, 0.1sec slower than before

Evo rating
  • Grip, composure, quality
  • A safe pair of hands, and feeling old compared to fresh rivals

Measured against any reasonable benchmark, the Audi S3 is a very quick car. Now featuring a standard dual-clutch transmission, 62mph is reached in 4.7sec. The eagle-eyed among you might notice this is a 0.1sec drop over last year’s model, and for that we can thank new WLTP regulations, and the changes Audi made to meet them.

Still, this may sound like an increasingly average time, especially when the era of a sub-four second to 62mph hot hatchback is more common than you might expect. However, the Audi’s prodigious Quattro system and reliably fast transmission make that figure achievable in nearly all conditions. Saloon models share the same performance figures, but the heavier S3 Cabriolet has to concede a further half-second due to that extra bulk.

> Click here for our review of the Mercedes-AMG A35

 

 

0-62mph (claimed)

 

Top speed (claimed)

 

Weight

 

S3 Sportback S-tronic

 

4.7sec

 

155mph

 

1465kg

 

S3 Saloon S-tronic

 

4.7sec

 

155mph

 

1470kg

 

S3 Cabriolet S-tronic

 

5.2sec

 

155mph

 

1635kg

 

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