For the 2018 model year, those looking to Audi’s RS3 Sportback megahatch will have some extras to get excited about. Where before the Sportback lagged behind the newer RS3 sedan variant, missing out on the power bump and general year-on-year improvements, the two body styles are now at specification parity.
While there aren’t any (or many at all) visual differentiators to name over the outgoing car’s exterior, the so-called ‘new’ RS3 Sportback now generates 294kW and 480Nm from its turbocharged 2.5-litre inline-5, a substantial 24kW and 15Nm increase over the previous year’s model.
Naturally, this being an Audi, drive is sent to all four corners via the brand’s signature quattro all-wheel drive system upon being funnelled through a 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. As such, the compact RS3 is truly rapid, now capable of sprinting to 100km/h from rest in just 4.1 seconds, a figure that’s 0.2 seconds quicker than its predecessor. It also means that it’s now the sprint king among its fellow German rivals the Mercedes-AMG A45 and BMW M140i.
Just like the TT RS’ engine, this 2.5-litre turbo-five has had quite a thorough going over, shedding 26kg thanks to lighter materials used in its construction. The power increase has also arrived through the motor’s reduced internal mass coupled with a higher turbocharger boost and dual injectors per cylinder.
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