Audi S3 review: S-cuse me, are you a new model?
The revamped Audi S3 Sedan shares many of its parts with its predecessor, but that means it retains its charm
Singapore
JUST as you should never judge a book by its cover, you should never size up a car by, well, its size.
As a man, I tend to downplay the importance of size in general, but Audi's S3 Sedan embodies why this principle specifically applies to cars. It's basically Audi's smallest four-door, and buying one is a S$260,400 decision, but you do get outsized returns in terms of smiles per mile.
The S3 may not be bulging with muscle but it has the heart and legs of a champ. It marries a 310 horsepower engine with four-wheel drive and a seven-speed, twin-clutch auto, so if you can find a clear bit of tarmac the little Audi is only too willing to light it on fire. 0 to 100km/h takes just 4.8 seconds, and the S3 pulls it off with panache, with a lovely rumble from the engine (although with digital help from the sound system) to accompany the action. This kind of acceleration was once the stuff of Ferraris.
Times have moved on, of course, but the S3 Sedan is still fast by today's standards, and besides, it's quick enough to thrill but not so ballistic as to terrify. If anything, it's a sweet-natured car that's coy about its abilities.
That's always been the case, so its personality is something of a carryover. That makes sense because the S3 also carries over its basic platform and its drivetrain from its predecessor, although its 2.0-litre turbo engine has been massaged somewhat and is now more powerful than ever.
That said, it does look like an all-new car. Like the main A3 range that Audi launched here this year, the S3 has a new body with striking new styling, including that giant, gurning front grille and sharp lines that look like gym-toned striations.
What I find appealing about it might well be the thing that keeps people from discovering what a gem it is, but the S3 remains a work of masterly understatement. There's little from the outside to shout about its performance potential, apart from flashes of matt chrome in the front grille and on the bumpers, and silver mirror caps, a hallmark of Audi's "S" models.
But there's some sense of occasion inside, where the front seats are racing buckets covered in patterned upholstery, and racy contrast stitching decorates the dashboard. Meanwhile, the steering wheel is lovely to hold, especially where it's wrapped in perforated leather.
There's a certain mechanical chatter to the way the S3 sounds, right from the moment it fires up, and it seems tuned to make the right amount of noise - enough to please, but not so much that your ears feel violated. The various driving modes let you turn things up and down, along with things like the engine and gearbox responses, the steering weight and the suspension hardness, but overall the S3 delivers a performance that lies somewhere between soft and hard rock, without straying into heavy metal.
This Goldilocks stuff applies to the handling, too. It's an Audi, so there's a certain effortlessness to the way the S3 handles corners, and whenever you're in the mood for a fast run it obliges without having to dig too deep.
Yet, you get the sense that the S3 isn't completely glued to the tarmac, so you're unlikely to feel that your abilities aren't a match for its own. And because it isn't super fast, you don't feel as if driving it hard is going to land you in the clink.
All of this performance is paired with everyday comfort and useability. Relative to rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG A 35 Saloon, it's spacious in the back, and the boot is useable unless you have a part-time gig as a furniture hauler.
There's always the S3 hatchback, but in that form, the Audi invites comparisons to cars like the BMW M135i, the Mercedes-AMG A 35, the upcoming Volkswagen Golf R, or even the scrappy Toyota GR Yaris.
As a four-door car, the S3 Sedan actually sits in a sweet spot. It's fast but not frightening, well-planted without suspension that rattles your eyes in their sockets, and it comes with more than a modicum of daily comfort and practicality.
There are bigger and perhaps more powerful cars for the money (Kia's Stinger 3.3L is a lovely contender), but now that the S3 Sedan is here, I'm glad it's no longer up to me to prove that size isn't everything.
Audi S3 Sedan TFSI S tronic
Engine 1,984cc, inline 4, turbocharged Power 310hp at 5,450-6,500rpm Torque 400Nm at 2,000-5,450rpm Gearbox 7-speed automatic 0-100km/h 4.8 seconds Top Speed 250 km/h Fuel Efficiency 7.2L/100km Agent Premium Automobiles Price S$260,400 with COE Available Now
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