Audi RS3 Sportback review (2015-2017) - the definitive super-hatch?.Inside, you’ll find leather-upholstered heated seats, an Alcantara-trimmed multifunctional steering wheel and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, as found in the R8. To reflect this, Audi has been generous with standard kit, fitting automatic LED lights front and back as well as 19-inch wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero tyres. The RS3 is a rather expensive machine when you consider its Audi A3 origins, starting at £44,290 for the Hatchback and £45,865 for the RS3 Saloon. Design >The new RS3 has an aggressive stance and attitude, but the underlying shape is rather demure and unassuming.Interior and tech >Largely unchanged from the previous car, the RS3's interior straddles a line between sporty and overwrought depending on what option boxes are ticked.MPG and running costs >Despite having one more cylinder than most rivals, the RS3's MPG is relatively competitive.Ride and handling >The Achilles' heel of the previous RS3, the new car is a definite improvement, and wet roads help unlock more of its character.Performance and 0-60mph >Aside from the outstanding engine, it’s the quattro all-wheel drive system and dual-clutch gearbox that helps the RS3 produce some pretty astounding performance figures.Transmission options are limited to a seven-speed dual clutch. Engine, gearbox and technical highlights >The RS3 has switched to a new, lighter 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine as in the TT-RS.Times are tough in the £45-50k category, so can the RS3 still hold its own? > 2019 Mercedes-AMG A45 S review - a new high water mark?īut with the aforementioned AMG A45 S promising not only a 415bhp power figure, but also a new focus on entertaining handling, the RS3 might just be under a bit more pressure than it was before, and that’s before considering the closely matched, albeit more expensive BMW M2 Competition. It may not be the most interactive of hot hatchbacks, nor a particularly affordable one, but its strength of character has always been a big part of its appeal. We wouldn’t go that far, for although the RS3 has lost that chip on its shoulder, its true USP has always been the distinctive and wonderful five-cylinder power unit, which despite having had a thorough cleaning to meet new emissions laws, hasn’t conceded any of its vital statistics. The Audi RS3, perhaps the first example of what could be called a hyper-hatch, has recently been usurped by the new Mercedes-AMG A45 S in the power stakes, but does that mean the smallest Audi Sport product has suddenly lost its only unique selling point? Consider the RS3’s winning margin in the current hot hatch arms race to be over.
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