Audi S3 | Test Drive
Words Andrea Balti / Photos Daniél Rikkard
Every now and then I wonder for how long driving will remain something fun. Technological progress in the automotive field is now a constant compromise, with countless rules that want a more politically correct, hybrid or even better 100% electric car fleet. And if we have had the opportunity to experience first-hand that this kind of future does not necessarily have to be awaited with blind fear, I believe that many of us are not yet ready to give up those scents, those sounds and those sensations that a sports car is capable to offer.
But it’s not supercars that worry me, because as luxury things mainly aimed to pure entertainment, they will always have a place in this mad world. I’m talking about hot-hatches, those mid-sized bombs on wheels that know how to entertain us even more, especially in a traditional context such as that of everyday life, which instead of a track-day and lots of attention, have to eat a winding road, perhaps with the asphalt in poor condition, as well as traffic on Monday morning and the need to run against the clock that marks our routine-like commitments. In the midst of all the weekly chaos, the light of fun turns on at the precise moment those little details that make the difference transform the journey home into something more engaging.
For Audi, the S3 is the gateway to the world of high performance that reminds me that these models are unfortunately hanging by a thread, gripped by anti-pollution laws, taxes and operating costs that often force us to settle for a less prestigious version. A wise man once said – “Always remember to enjoy things you have, because you don’t know how much time you’ll get” – and even though he certainly addressed nobler themes than a reckless driving on a mountain road, I will honor those words by taking everything I can from the new generation S3, called 8Y and available as a four-door sedan or five-door Sportback, like the one chosen for our test drive, in this specific case polished in the beautiful Turbo Blue color.
The updates compared to the previous model are many and visible even miles away, mainly thanks to a more aggressive front equipped with a large black grille that perfectly incorporates the number plate and at the same time highlights the large air intakes placed on the side of the big mouth. The thin slot at the base of the bonnet contributes making the design even more sporty and convincing, with a more rational side profile and a rear area virilized by the two pairs of round exhausts, as every S model has. If aesthetically I find the new S3 a further step forward compared to the model it replaces, praising in particular the fact that it finally knows how to clearly distinguish itself from the other engines and specs, it is on a dynamic level that I have great expectations. All that remains is to find out more.
I do not delay any further and once I get on board this smurf that grinds its teeth under an image that despite the many ribs does not forget how to be civil to the point of being able to accompany you around for the whole week, I find a deeply revised cockpit, with round air vents that leave room for square shapes, a large touch display in the center of the dashboard and the traditional gear lever that disappears in favor of a metal selector, through which to operate the double clutch 7-speed S-Tronic g’box. This S3 smells of avant-garde – Virtual Cockpit is here as well – and despite a further step forward regarding the quality perception once I leave the external environment closed out of the windows, everything that catches my attention comes to life by pressing the ignition button. Numbers remain very similar to the previous generation, with the 2-liter 4-cylinder now delivering 310 horsepower (+10) and 400 Nm of torque, obviously distributed courtesy of the Quattro all-wheel drive system.
There are 45 kg more in weight, now reaching 1,500 kg overall, while the sound – even in Dynamic mode – is almost completely muffled by the new exhaust system. What a pity, especially because once on the go and after confirming how well the S3 can behave like a perfect A3, its 310 horsepower are the means to reach high speeds without the slightest effort. This is what amazes me the most, not just its pure performance, which respectively provides a 0-100 kph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 250 per hour. It is the simplicity with which you manage to tear the asphalt by relying on a traction that always knows how to bite the road and makes even the most difficult curves a great challenge against the laws of physics. The grip is substantially endless and we throw ourselves into corners, even the tightest ones, as if we were traveling on a rail-track.
Too bad that the soundtrack necessarily lacks those decibels that would have done even more justice to the sudden way in which it is possible to change direction without unsettling the body of this hot-hatch. Too bad because after just a few hours behind the wheel, you already start to feel in tune with the car, finding everything you have always loved about the hot-hatches with which you have fed your passion for those sports cars able to entertain even us mere mortals. Other than that there is really nothing to stop this S3 from embodying the role of everyday streets’ heroin, always ready to tear down the road back home, but perfectly at ease muffling the passenger compartment and making it similar to that of any hatchback that has the task of carrying five people and luggage on vacation or out for dinner.
It does not end there, after all it has much more to offer for the approximately 50 thousand euro needed to take one home. The fact is that in its simplicity, in its composure and solidity, it manages to create addiction. And nowadays it is not a trivial matter, especially where in most cases the more time it passes, the more you realize that the cars look all the same. In the case of the S3, you know exactly where you are and you know that there is no reason to want your neighbor’s sports car. There is everything: look, multimedia technology, reliability, design solidity and above all performance, that fundamental figure that transforms an inanimate object into an adventure companion that we can’t, we do not want and above all we must not give up.
AUDI S3 SPORTBACK quattro S-Tronic
Engine 4 cylinder Turbo, 1.984 cc Power 310 hp @ 5.450-6.500 rpm Torque 400 Nm @ 2.000-5.450 rpm
Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 7-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.500 kg
0-100 kph 4,8 sec Top Speed 250 kph Price from €50.366