First Drive Review
The Volkswagen GTI is the quintessential hot hatch. The original GTI’s success in the 1980s triggered a succession of followers that seemingly shared a common thread—to counteract the boredom of inadequately powered family cars. High on power and often low on refinement, they required drivers to put up with stiff suspensions, a lot of torque steer, and elevated levels of noise.
In stark contrast to those early hot hatches is today’s Audi S3, essentially an über-GTI. The S3 hatchback shares its platform with the Mark VII Golf but is better equipped, more stylish, and more powerful. It’s designed to be a luxurious capsule that can tackle long distances at high speeds without stressing out its occupants. What a contrast, isn’t it?
Because U.S. luxury-brand buyers prefer sedans over hatchbacks, the European-market S3 hatchback won’t be coming to these shores. Instead, the U.S. will get an S3 sedan with standard Quattro all-wheel drive, powered by a 296-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder—a member of the EA888 engine line. In the S3, it provides a torque plateau of 280 lb-ft that stretches from 1800 to 5500 rpm. Despite having a single turbocharger, this engine is very responsive to throttle inputs. (Many modern turbo engines use sequential turbochargers to mitigate lag; a small one blows at low rpm before handing off to a larger unit at higher engine speeds.) A unique fuel-injection system employs port injection at lower loads and direct injection at startup and at higher loads.
For the U.S. market, Audi will offer the S3 only with the VW Group’s DQ250 “wet” six-speed dual-clutch automatic, which is a slightly heavier gearbox than the slick and precise six-speed manual offered in Europe. On the plus side, the automatic provides quick gearchanges, and when upshifting close to the 6800-rpm redline, the engine sends a few droplets of gasoline to combust in the exhaust tract, creating impressive race-car-like crackling and popping sounds—an effect that can’t be reproduced with a manual-transmission car. Paddle shifts allow manual intervention. Six gears, by the way, are more than sufficient for any car with an engine possessing such a broad band of peak torque.
The S3 is not only one of the most powerful cars in its class but also one of the lightest and most efficient. Rated at 34 mpg in the optimistic European cycle, it is possible to achieve real-life consumption in the mid-to-high 20s if driven conservatively. Or the driver might choose to tap into the full resources of the 296-hp engine, whereupon the S3 charges from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 to 5.2 seconds; top speed is a governed 155 mph. The sonorous engine note is delightful, and at high revs, baffles in the dual-mode system open to deliver a freer-flowing soundtrack. On standard 225/40 tires, the chassis encourages pushing the S3 to the pleasingly high limits of adhesion. The steering is on the lighter side, but it is precise and becomes progressively more direct with increased steering lock. Braking performance is autobahn-worthy.
As buyers have come to expect of Audis, the fit, finish, and materials inside the S3 are of high quality, well beyond what other carmakers—even premium ones—offer in this class. Shared with the new A3, the S3 has an optional MMI infotainment system that’s controlled, as usual, by a rotary knob. But the knob has a touch-sensitive pad on top that can be used to enter letters and numbers into the system. The ultra-thin TFT screen rises from the dashboard electrically. To set the S3 apart from lesser A3 models, it is fitted with sport seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, a digital turbo-boost gauge, and black interior trim.
In a nod to the hot hatches that preceded it, the S3 will feature aluminum mirror caps, a grille with six dual blades, and four exhaust tips. The U.S. version of the S3 will have grown a trunk, making it perhaps even more of a sleeper capable of masking its superior performance than the hatchback we’ve driven. Loud only when the driver wants it to be, quicker than ever, and with impeccable manners, the S3 makes for a fun hatchback, and we look forward to pitting the U.S.-market sedan against Mercedes’ CLA-class. Game on.
