In the “World Cup” of 2-litre automotive football, the S3 Sedan is the German dream team all over again. Driven, disciplined, well-trained and in-form, the German footballers deserved their 1-0 victory against Argentina in the final.
Here in Singapore, the S3 Sedan hopes to score against its arch-rival from Stuttgart, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. But before we can referee a match between the two German performance saloons, Audi has already scored an own goal – the S3 Sedan volleys the ball straight into the net of the S3 Sportback.
That’s because the S3 notchback costs just $3550 more than its hatchback equivalent. The former is not only more Audi for the money in size, style and space, it’s also positioned further from the new VW Golf R that’s a $19k cheaper alternative to the five-door S3 but with similar performance and panache.
The S3 Sedan also seems to be a smoother drive than its Sportback sibling, with less kickback over badly broken tarmac and more give from the rear end on the expressway. “Express” is what the S3 does best, not only on straight roads, where the car cruises happily and overtakes rapidly, but also in corners, where the car’s “gecko” quattro all-wheel-drive plants the power onto the ground, while the steering and suspension do the driver’s bidding.
The turbocharged 2-litre engine is a Teutonic gem, even though it’s been detuned from the original 300bhp to a less impressive 280bhp for tropical markets such as Singapore. Working energetically with its 6-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, the engine is capable of hurling the car from a standstill to 100km/h in 5 seconds flat and hurrying it along from any speed, on any stretch of road and in every situation, even in the rain.
From behind the wheel, the cockpit of the S3 Sedan (and Sportback, too) is top-drawer “Hugo Boss” material. The front seats are shapely and covered in fine Nappa leather, with a quilted design as an option for the more artistically inclined.
Twenty healthy horses have been sacrificed for “tropicalisation”, but the S3’s 280bhp stable still performs at a high level.
Every dashboard button is a high-quality item, and the navigation-equipped infotainment is excellent. Identifying this fast car are the flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel, built-in turbo boost gauge, red S emblems, and anodised red trim on the gearknob sleeve and ignition button.
Now to set up that Torque Twin Test with the CLA45 AMG…
Audi S3 Sedan 2.0 (A)
ENGINE 1984cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 280bhp at 5500-6200rpm
MAX TORQUE 380Nm at 1800-5500rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 5 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h (governed)
CONSUMPTION 14.5km/L
PRICE INCL. COE Not available
Related story: 2015 Audi RS3 Sportback review
Related story: 2017 Audi RS3 Sedan review
Related story: Group Test: Audi RS3 Sportback 2.5 vs Mercedes-AMG A45 2.0
