After the 3 door hatchback at the 2012 Paris Autoshow, Audi presents the 5 door Sportback version of the Audi S3, aimed at competing with the BMW M135i and the imminent AMG version of the Mercedes A Class.
Audi nests under the hood of the S3 Sportback the same 2 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine as the 3 door version. This unit is 5kg lighter than its predecessor and angled further in the engine bay to lower the center of gravity. Peak power is rated at 300hp at 5500 rpm with a peak torque of 380 Nm between 1800 and 5500 rpm. It is more fuel efficient as well, with a claimed 6.9 L/100km in the mixed cycle, a 1.5 L/100km reduction over the outgoing version.
The S3 Sportback comes with a 6 gear manual gearbox as standard transmission, and a twin clutch automatic as an option. Both send torque to the four wheels through Audi’s trademark Quattro system. With the S-Tronic transmission, the 0-100 km/h dash is covered in 5.0 seconds. Standard equipment also includes the Audi Drive Select system, allowing to tune comfort and engine response settings to the mood or taste of the drive. The S3 Sportback rides 25mm lower than the A3 Sportback and comes with 225/40/18 wheels.
Photo gallery
Links
Forum topic – Audi articles – the list of tests – recent or related road tests:
