S3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_audis3_2021

By Jonathan Crouch

There's something very right about the Audi S3. Always has been, always will be. Jonathan Crouch looks at the improved version of the fourth generation model.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 95

Audi's S3 has always championed subtlety, but over the years, some have seen this car's driving dynamics as being perhaps a touch too subtle. Those people might like the improved version of this fourth generation model, with offers sharper looks, extra power, the clever torque splitter from the RS3 and an even more appealing cabin. All without delivering the kind of showy exuberance of some of its rivals. There's a choice of five-door Sportback or Saloon body styles and either way, you get a very complete 333PS performance package that's cool, understated and very Audi.

Backgroundword count: 321

Once upon a time, a hot hatch didn't have to be a mature, sensible thing. That wasn't the point of buying one. You got a shopping rocket because it was fun - with just enough practicality to enable you to justify the purchase to your other half. With the S3 though, it was different. Here was an aspirational premium GTi with a price tag to match. A hot hatch for people who ordinarily, would have grown out of hot hatches We first saw it way back in 1999 at a launch over-shadowed by an Audi TT sportscar that shared the S3's quattro 4WD system and got a slightly pokier version of its 2.0-litre turbocharged unit. That's a basic mechanical configuration the German brand has stuck to ever since - but of course power has spiralled since then. The early 210PS output figure was quickly upgraded to 225PS in the first generation version, then boosted again to 265PS for the MK2 model introduced in 2006. By 2013 though, it was clear that even that kind of power was going to be insufficient for admission into the premier league of hot hatches, so the 2.0-litre turbo engine was redeveloped from the ground up to make 300PS and plumbed into the lighter, stiffer MQB platform that had offered so much extra agility and efficiency to more mundane third generation A3 models. A lot's changed though, since 2013 in the super hatch segment. Cars like the Mercedes-AMG A 35 and latest versions of the BMW M135i and Honda Civic Type R now offer buyers arguably more exciting ways to own a practical 4WD sporting car with around 300PS at this price point. So Audi has done what it can to make Sportback and Saloon versions of this S3 a lot smarter and a little more engaging to drive. Here, we look at the improved 333PS version of this fourth generation model, introduced in Spring 2024.

Driving Experienceword count: 330

At first glance, you might wonder what's really changed here. The EA888 2.0-litre TFSI petrol turbo powerplant is the same as the unit's that long been used by this model. It's basically the same engine used right across the VW Group in products as diverse as the Skoda Octavia vRS, the Volkswagen T-Roc R and the CUPRA Ateca, usually allied to 4WD. With this revised S3 though, this engine's turbo has been tweaked to boost its output to 333PS (23PS more than before). There's 20Nm more torque too (420Nm in total). But all of this improves the 62mph sprint time by only 01.s - to 4.7s; top speed is still limited to 155mph. A much bigger change though, is the addition of a torque splitter borrowed from the RS3, which allows for fully variable torque distribution between the rear wheels at speed through the bends. Engage the 'drive select' drive mode system's added 'Dynamic Plus' drive setting and that torque splitter will send as much power as possible to the rear axle and then to the rear wheel on the outside of a corner. As for other improvements as part of this update, well there are bigger brakes, changes have been made to the progressive steering system (previously rather feel-less) and redesigned suspension wishbones with stiffer pivot bearings have been added; these allow for more negative wheel camber. Plus the seven-speed dual clutch paddleshift 's tronic' auto gearbox has a more heavily compressed clutch plate, enabling it to cope with higher torque loads from rest; apparently, shift times are now halved under full-throttle. All of which should continue to make this car superbly easy to drive quickly and precisely. A quattro 4WD system is of course standard and adaptive damping's fitted with top-spec. As before, the engine note changes with the mode you choose from the standard Audi drive select system - relatively hushed for everyday journeys and long distance cruising; and crisper and more bass-heavy for more challenging drives.

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