Skip advert
Advertisement

New 395bhp Audi RS3 Sportback: prices and specs revealed

Audi hyper hot hatch returns with more power, more torque and a 174mph top speed on request

Audi has revealed UK prices and specifications for the new RS3 Sportback, following on from the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show back in March.

Based on the newly facelifted A3 hatchback, the RS3 Sportback gains additional power over its predecessor to keep it firmly at the very sharpest end of the hot hatch market, and also boasts new styling tweaks.

Advertisement - Article continues below

• Best hot hatches on sale 2017

With first deliveries penned for September, the RS3 Sportback is on sale now, priced from £44,300. It means that Audi’s flagship hot hatch commands a premium of nearly £2,500 over its closest rival – the Mercedes-AMG A 45.

It's pricier, but it's also more powerful. Under the bonnet is a reworked 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine, now producing 395bhp and 480Nm of torque. That's 33bhp extra on tap and the new engine is 26kg lighter than the old one, thanks to weight-saving materials like a new aluminium crank case. That 395bhp power figure means that it trumps its Mercedes rival by 19bhp.

0-62mph is dispatched in 4.1 seconds, and while top speed is limited to 155mph Audi can up the limiter’s threshold to 174mph on request. In terms of fuel economy Audi claims 34mpg, with exhaust emissions rated at 189g/km CO2. 

Power is sent to the wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox driving a quattro all-wheel-drive system with variable torque distribution. 

Relative to the standard A3 hatchback, the RS3 sits 25mm lower and boasts a wider track – 20mm wider at the front axle. 19-inch alloy wheels are home to brake discs that are 310mm in diameter front and rear. 

The RS3 is marked out by a large black honeycomb grille at the front, complemented by a more aggressive looking front apron with larger vents. A small roof spoiler and diffuser are round at the rear, with two large oval shaped exhaust exits poking out of the rear bumper.

In the cabin the RS3 gets sports seats finished in black nappa leather plus a flat-bottomed RS badged leather steering wheel as standard. More supportive RS sports seats make the options list, alongside Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display with a special RS screen setting. The Virtual Cockpit system is fitted as standard.

Is the Audi RS3 your favourite super hatch, or does something else take your fancy? Let us know in the comments below!

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"
Opinion - MG3
Opinion

"BYD, Dacia, MG and Renault are among the most impressive and in-touch car brands in the world"

Mike Rutherford is confused as to why so many car manufacturers avoided the 2024 Geneva Motor Show
3 Mar 2024
BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!
Microlino Lite - Geneva front
News

BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!

The tiny Microlino and the new Microlino Lite electric cars have been given the green light for UK sales
1 Mar 2024
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 - front
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

The much-loved Renault 5 is back in action as a brand new electric car. Here's everything you need to know about it...
28 Feb 2024
Geneva Motor Show 2024: full show round-up and all the cars
Geneva Motor Show 2024 - header
News

Geneva Motor Show 2024: full show round-up and all the cars

Less extensive than it once was, the Geneva Motor Show 2024 still brought some interesting new models
27 Feb 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars can expect to be paying roughly £10 more per year, a although the biggest gas guzzlers will fare the worst
26 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024