Emotion Audi A3 / S3 (8v) Stage 1 Suspension Package Review

Audi S3 Review: Fast, Capable And Entirely Unsurprising

The latest S3 sticks to its long-standing strengths of direct-line speed and all-wheel bulldoze dependability

The all-new VW Golf R was revealed a few weeks back to much fanfare. It has a fancy all-bicycle drive system, seemingly the same i fitted to the Arteon R, which has 'R Operation Torque Vectoring'. This tin transport up to 100 per cent of torque to a unmarried wheel, and yes, as you lot'll have no doubt heard, the setup includes a 'drift' profile.

Why am I opening a review of the S3 by talking about its VW cousin? Because the Audi gets none of that stuff. Yes, there's a new six-plate Haldex clutch to direct torque as the machine's encephalon sees necessary, and yep, information technology can theoretically send up to 100 per cent to the rear, but IRL, the S3 seems to have no interest in doing so.

Since neither VW nor Audi has - to the all-time of my knowledge - explained why the Golf R gets the drifty fun times and the S3 doesn't, I'yard going to accept to speculate that it's all to exercise with the Quattro badge. The S3 may non exist a 'true' Quattro with a Torsen centre diff, merely it still has to stand up up to those same ideals of security and dependability. Making it deliberately worse with forced oversteer doesn't really fit with that mantra. A few years ago when he was still Audi Sport's engineering science boss, Stephan Reil said he had no interest in adding a 'drift mode' to its RS products, and that sentiment surely carried over to the S cars likewise.

Audi has boxed itself into a corner with marketing, but perchance that's not such a bad thing. As nosotros've seen from the '45 AMGs and the Ford Focus RS, these play a joke on systems tin can experience pretty odd when the back does step out.

And and then, with another all-bike drive system that generally seems to favour the front axle over the rear and the usual EA888 inline-iv turbo engine (albeit the revised 'Evo' version), the S3 feels much the same as information technology did earlier. Autonomously from the manner information technology sounds - from the within, you now get some simulated, inline-v-esque warbling pumped into the cabin, which gets louder in dynamic mode.

This doesn't seem necessary when the EA888 already makes a reasonable din for an inline-4, only I found myself liking it. And antisocial myself a little for liking it. In dynamic, information technology'due south accompanied by a smattering of subtle-ish pops and bangs from the exhaust.

The revised version of the 2.0-litre TSI has all those EA888 attributes we've grown to capeesh from the unit of the years. There's a smoothness to its delivery, and an eagerness to rev. Its 306bhp and 295lb ft outputs may sound underwhelming when the next tier up of hot hatches like the Mercedes-AMG A45 produce around 100bhp more than (equally will the next RS3), but the S3 still feels awfully quick. In terms of the raw numbers, information technology'll practice 0-62mph in 4.viii seconds, topping out at an electronically-limited 155mph.

Irresolute gear is washed using a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which swaps cogs with reasonable speed merely little drama since Audi has opted not to go for any upshift 'farts' here. Information technology'due south also a gearbox you'll be wanting to take control of yourself on a spirited drive to preclude getting frustrated over the sub-optimal ratios it picks.

I'll accept to insert my usual annoyance over the gearshift paddles, too, since they're the usual nasty piddling bits of plastic on the back of the steering wheel. Also, the 'manual' fashion is something of a myth - reach the tiptop end, and instead of hitting a difficult limiter, the 'box just does the swap for you. Boo and indeed hiss.

Increase the cornering speeds, and the S3 delivers an impressive amount of traction, whether it's os dry out or horribly greasy. In one case it reaches the limit, safe and anticipated understeer follows. Simply like the onetime ane, in other words, and it's the same story with the light, fast and feedback insufficient steering.

The passive suspension setup of our test car (adaptive dampers are a price pick) verges on being also firm. The low-speed ride is choppy, simply things do calm downwards enough when speeds rise, at least. In whatever example, the S3 gets away with this lack of give considering information technology'southward so damn refined. It'southward quiet and relaxing, and the cabin feels by and large solid. The classy understatement of the onetime A3 is gone though, now information technology'south all about aggressive angles and pointy edges, and I'k not sure this is an improvement.

Nor do I think information technology'south a skillful thought chucking all the climate controls in a sub-par touchscreen infotainment arrangement, just no doubt by now you lot're bored of united states of america moaning most this setup which is found beyond all VW Group's MQB-Evo cars. What Audi has done for the A3 in terms of the user interface is slightly dissimilar from the treatments of VW, Audi and Skoda, but it's no amend or worse, merely another form of mild annoyance.

Despite these modest misgivings, the S3 does all it needs to. It'due south more exciting than BMW's weirdly underwhelming M135i, and although information technology'd practice well to friction match the aggression of the Mercedes-AMG A35, it'southward hard to debate with its blend of straight-line performance and all-atmospheric condition capability.

The S3's cadre fanbase will dear it - of that, I take no doubt. Information technology's just unlikely to win over any new converts.

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