The S3 is the new range-topping version of the Audi’s brilliant A3 hatchback. The A3’s classy cabin, prestige image and sophisticated driving manners have made it a massive hit with family hatchback buyers, but can the most powerful version strike a similar chord with hot-hatch aficionados?
Well, they’ll certainly be impressed by the numbers. The S3’s turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine serves up a stonking 296bhp, along with 281lb ft of pull delivered at just 1800rpm. This is good for a 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.2 seconds, or 4.8 seconds with the optional six speed twin-clutch transmission. Both versions have a limited top speed of 155mph.
Indeed, the manual car we drove did feel mightily brisk. It pulls strongly at low revs, and kicks even harder when you stretch it to the upper reaches of the rev range. As fast and as flexible as the S3 is, though, the acceleration never feels quite as devastating as you expect given the banzai power output. The slightly imprecise manual gearshift doesn’t do much for the speed of your progress, either.
The handling, too, will be something of an acquired taste. On the plus side, the body stays very flat under hard cornering, and you have immense grip to call upon, thanks partly to the standard four-wheel drive. Ordinarily, the system delivers 95% of the power to the front wheels and just 5% to the rear, but up to 50% can be sent rearwards if needs be.
The standard Drive Select system also lets you tailor the behaviour of the throttle and steering to your mood depending on which of the four driving modes you select. In every setting, the steering is consistent and nicely weighted.
However, while the S3 deals with twists and turns in a very secure, very neutral way, it won’t thrill you like the best hot hatches can. It doesn’t respond to inputs as sharply or as dramatically, and as such, it isn’t as engaging to drive. In short, it feels too much like a fast version of the regular A3. For many hot hatch buyers, that simply won’t be enough.
That said, the S3 shares plenty of other characteristics with the regular A3 that buyers will like. For example, it’s a brilliant cruiser. Wind and road noise are extremely well suppressed, and although the engine sounds suitably throaty when you get your clog down, it settles well at motorway pace. The ride is also impressively smooth, despite the suspension being 25mm lower than a standard A3’s, and this also helps you plough through the miles in a relaxed, comfortable manner. However, it remains to be seen whether the S3 is as comfortable on battered British roads as it was on the smooth German ones on which our test drive took place.
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