It is a little too easy to be beguiled by a car that we have driven overseas. A brain addled by jet lag, a full-on charm and PR offensive (luxury hotel and gourmet meals in tow) and there’s the ridiculously high spec of the car in question. Plus, there’s usually some glorious driving roads involved as well.
Don’t get us wrong – we don’t mean to sound ungrateful or anything. After all, if you’re going to jet a bunch of hacks halfway round the world to sample your car, you will want to put your best foot (or tyre) forward, wouldn’t you?
The only problem comes when the local drive comes around, when said car has to face up to the harsh glare of reality. That means congested roads, the omission of the original test car’s tastier (and more expensive) equipment, and having a story deadline looming.
Not that the last point has anything to do with a car’s merits or lack thereof, but when you don’t have an entire day (or two) dedicated to what is essentially an extended joyride, you might be a little less forgiving of a car’s niggling flaws.
Which brings us neatly to Audi’s new hot hatchback, the S3. When we had a go in it on some fantastic driving roads around the outskirts of Munich last year, we were impressed. Quite a bit, in fact.
Dialled in – The new jog dial for the MMI infotainment system has a touch-sensitive centre zone
That made us more than a little cautious when we were handed the keys to the S3 over here. Compounding that were fears it would ride like it had rocks in the dampers, like its predecessor.
True enough, the new S3 rode with a decent amount of give in Germany, but then most cars when driven over there do, thanks largely to the billiard table-smooth road surfaces. Over here, where monster cracks or ridges from a shoddy repair job are becoming an increasingly common sight, overly firm suspension could seriously ruin your day (not to mention your spine).
On that note, we’re happy to report our fears were unfounded and the S3 is even better than we remember it. Yes, the previous-generation S3 has a ride more than capable of displacing fillings and vertebra, but the new S3 is quite the opposite, its feathers refusing to be ruffled even in the face of some particularly lousy local tarmac.
It glides across most surfaces, leading you to almost believe the S3 has no more performance potential than a bog-standard A3. That is, of course, until you take it to your favourite section of twisty tarmac and give it a bit of a working over.
And there, the more supple ride really comes into its own. Where you once had to tiptoe around more badly surfaced roads in the old S3, the new S3 now sweeps through them with aplomb, as the suspension is now better able to deal with mid-corner bumps.
That makes the sort of cross-country pace the S3 can carry something its immediate ancestor could only dream about. And more importantly, the safety net afforded by its all-wheel-drive system makes it forgiving enough so you can thrash it with impunity (mostly).
Its ride quality, though, isn’t the only great leap forward Audi has made with the S3, with other significant chassis improvements including a revised steering setup that cures the old car’s wooden helm. It’s an electrically assisted number, which purists will no doubt be up in arms going on about that “steering feel” malarkey, but it’s got enough meatiness and precision to make that a moot point.
And who could forget about the chassis itself. The S3 rests on the VW Group’s new MQB platform. Despite being 51mm longer in the wheelbase department, it’s a significant contributor to the 100kg weight loss, and is appreciably stiffer, to boot.
Against those massive gains, the 24bhp increase in power from its 2-litre turbocharged engine for a new total of 280bhp can seem quite trivial. However, a seemingly small bump in power or not, the S3’s zero to 100km/h time falls by 0.6 of a second to 5 seconds flat.
But here’s the million dollar, or more accurately, $262,950 including COE question. Is the S3 worth $50,000 or so more than the Volkswagen Golf R? The Audi’s fraternal twin is set to land around the middle of this year and by our estimates, should cost a little north of $200,000.
Were it up to us, we’d have to say yes. Yes, 50 grand is a lot of money, but it’s also undeniable the S3 has quite a lot of things going for it. Things like the superb build quality, the interior drama Audi seems to muster up on a frighteningly regular basis (that LED light strip framing the speaker grilles) and some prime equipment choices. These include a Bang & Olufsen sound system, Nappa leather seats and satellite navigation.
Plus, there’s quite a bit of practicality on offer. Thanks to the longer wheelbase, passengers in the rear bench should have ample legroom (unless they’re Jeremy Lin) and with the rear seats down, the S3 can haul up to 1,180 litres of cargo. And if you’re not flogging the motor, the S3’s cruising refinement is surprisingly good.
Taking long trips across the border in the S3, then, isn’t out of the question. In fact, it’s something we recommend. Up north, if the long stretches of the North-South Highway become too much of a drag, simply turn off the straight-and-narrow onto the tight-and-twisty to break up the monotony.
Yes, the new S3 is quite the multi-talented thing. If it was a celebrity, it’d be one of those singing, dancing, multi-hyphenated (actress/model/blogger/singer/songwriter/superhero) types.
Out with a bang – if the exhaust system doesn’t make a noise that pleases you, perhaps the Bang & Olufsen sound system will
Crucially, unlike aforementioned celebrities who dabble in many things but excel at nothing, the S3 is quite the opposite – it’s an all-rounder, which is a lot more than you can say about its lacklustre predecessor.
But as the old saying goes, nothing is perfect, and that’s equally true about the S3. Truth be told, however, its flaws are comparatively minor, beginning with how it isn’t exactly a cheap car to buy. And if you’re the frothing-at-the-mouth sort, you’d probably find the S3 a little too clinical. In that case, you’d be better served by the giggle machine known as the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG.
As you can probably tell by now, we’re quite smitten with the S3. Far from it being a quick-and-dirty holiday fling, it’s the sort of thing you’ll want to bring back to meet the folks, and have a long, meaningful relationship with. What it won’t do, however, is take long walks on the beach with you…
SPECIFICATIONS
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE inline-4, 16-valves, turbocharged
CAPACITY 1984cc
BORE X STROKE 82.5mm x 92.8mm
COMPRESSION RATIO 9.3:1
MAX POWER 280bhp at 5100-6500rpm
MAX TORQUE 380Nm at 1800-5500rpm
POWER TO WEIGHT 200.7bhp per tonne
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
DRIVEN WHEELS All
PERFORMANCE
0-100KM/H 5 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 14.5km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION 159g/km
SUSPENSION
FRONT MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
REAR Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
FRONT / REAR Ventilated discs / Ventilated discs
TYRES
TYPE Continental ContiSportContact5
SIZE 225/40 R18
SAFETY
AIRBAGS 5
TRACTION CONTROL ABS with ESP
MEASUREMENTS
LENGTH 4254mm
WIDTH 1777mm
HEIGHT 1401mm
WHEELBASE 2596mm
KERB WEIGHT 1395kg
TURNING CIRCLE 10.9m
BUYING IT
PRICE INCL. COE $262,950 (after $5k CEVS rebate)
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
WE SAY
+ Blistering pace, impressive refinement, solid build quality
– Quite pricey, clinical personality, may be a little too grown-up
