Test drive Audi S3 Sportback: gym hours

High-performance compacts are a true classic in the market. However, their evolution has been remarkable in recent years.

This week, the Highmotor road test section features one of the greatest exponents of performance charm, the Audi S3 Sportback.

Exterior design

The Audi A3 is a model very well known and valued by fans of the brand with the four rings. Its history began more than 20 years ago, when at the end of the last century the German brand’s executives decided to launch a product aimed at a younger audience, using the platform and mechanicals of the contemporary Golf.

The A3 is now in its third generation, with the arrival of a fourth edition also expected next year. It is therefore a well-established model within the German manufacturer’s range. Right from the first generation of the A3, the people at Audi decided to offer a sportier variant called the S3, which in the second and third generations split into the S3 and RS3.

The current generation of the S3 features a design fully integrated within the Audi family. The front naturally features the brand’s large trapezoidal grille, sharply shaped light units and a bumper whose air intakes have been oversized, as have the decorative moldings, to fulfil a dual function: aesthetic and practical.

The Audi’s attention to detail is outstanding; already on the front we find horizontal slats with a three-dimensional chrome finish, from which both the brand logo and the model name “emerge”. The headlight illumination, which on this version is 100% LED as standard, also contributes to the brand’s design language.

The side profile is possibly the most conservative of all those offered by the S3’s design. There are no special moldings or “bulges” in the bodywork beyond the already standard, fairly prominent wheel arches and discreet sill trims that can also be found on any “regular” A3 fitted with the S Line exterior package.

The A3 has always boasted a very “classic” design, that of a traditional hatchback. The bodyline flows very smoothly towards the rear in this way, as does the glasshouse, which is very “straight” and well defined, with glass in all the doors and on the C-pillar.

The satin-aluminium roof bars and 19″ alloy wheels (both optional) enhance the sporty and robust character, to which the red-painted brake calipers also contribute, again an item found in the options list.

The S3 Sportback measures 4.32 metres long, 1.40 metres high and 1.79 metres wide

Stressing the build quality of this Audi, the feel of the door handles and the boot, the sound they make when closing or opening… everything is thought out and designed so that the customer feels from the very first moment that they are driving a Audi in every sense.

The rear is again very classic, although on this occasion it is suitably embellished with a specific bumper that integrates a grey-painted diffuser and no fewer than four oval exhaust outlets, in the purest S style.

There are also LED rear lights with sequential indicators, as well as a small, discreet spoiler on the rear window that adds a sportier touch to the ensemble. And indeed the S3’s design pursues understated sportiness, without flamboyance… that is left to the RS models.

Interior design

The S3’s interior exudes quality on all sides. Just opening the door and taking a quick look is enough to know that the S3’s cabin – indeed that of the whole A3 family – is, without doubt, a benchmark in the segment, regardless of individual tastes.

The cabin design leans towards minimalism, with very fluid lines and rounded surfaces, eliminating many buttons and switches or, at least, “camouflaging” them and integrating them into decorative moldings to create as clean and uncluttered a space as possible.

The wide centre console combines the greatest number of controls, except for a small row of buttons and the climate control dials, installed on the front of the dashboard. As we mentioned earlier, the build quality of the A3 – of this S3 – is faultless, with padded materials almost everywhere and a perfect fit between parts.

Attention to detail can be seen, for example, in the window frames covered in plastic – a Golf or a Mercedes A-Class do not have them covered -, the pillars trimmed in fabric, or the retractable mechanism for the infotainment system screen.

Yes, it is true that there are hard plastics, above all on the lower trim, but there are also many in far more expensive vehicles from segments that are supposedly more refined. The carefully designed interior lighting, something particularly noteworthy when driving at night, also adds a good touch of quality, providing discreet ambient lighting in places such as the footwell, the outline of the speaker/cup holders and the door handles.

The magnificent sports seats – again, an option – with a bucket style are trimmed, in this unit, in fine Nappa leather in grey, offering a very good look and excellent grip and comfort. The driving position is correct and widely adjustable, although some customers will feel they sit a little higher than they might like.

The digital instrumentation, very comprehensive and legible, together with the multimedia system, provides a techie touch that most potential buyers of this S3 will surely appreciate. The sporty details are also found on the steering wheel, trimmed in perforated leather with a flat-bottomed rim, and on the gear lever knob.

Interior space is good, with a rear bench suitable for two adults and an uncomfortable centre seat due to the firmness of the backrest and the presence of a bulky transmission tunnel. It is also true that the bulk of the front seats takes away some space and visibility from rear occupants, who, on the other hand, will have no problems with headroom.

The boot of this five-door S3 version has a capacity of 340 litres, a reduction of 40 litres compared with a regular A3 Sportback and 20 litres compared with an A3 Sportback quattro. This reduction is mainly due to the presence of the all-wheel-drive system and a larger exhaust. Nevertheless, the shape is regular and practical, and if necessary the rear seatbacks can be folded down to create a much larger load area.

Driving dynamics

The A3 family is available with a wide selection of diesel and petrol engines with 3, 4 and 5 cylinders. With outputs ranging from 115 to 400 CV, the S3 ranks as the second most powerful option in the range, behind only the all-powerful RS3 with its 400 CV 2.5 TFSI.

The S3 uses the well-known 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder engine, which in this version delivers 310 CV, making it the most powerful option with this engine. It is a well-balanced and linear powerplant, producing 310 CV between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 400 Nm between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm.

It is paired with an S tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox with 7 ratios, which transmits the power to the ground through the intelligent quattro all-wheel-drive system. The result is an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive 4.6 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

These performance figures are absolutely staggering, and more typical of far more expensive and powerful vehicles. To put it in perspective, a Porsche 718 Cayman PDK, with 300 CV, completes the same manoeuvre in 4.9 seconds, while a Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupé, with 367 CV, takes 4.7 seconds.

As for consumption, the S3 Sportback has a homologated combined figure of 6.5 l/100 km, rising to 8.2 l/100 km in urban driving, but dropping to 5.5 l/100 km on the open road. CO2 emissions are set at 149 g/km, meeting the Euro VI emissions standard. In Spain, this vehicle is classified with the “C” environmental label.

In real life, consumption is noticeably higher than the figures mentioned above, especially in urban driving. It is true that on motorway journeys at legal speeds the S3 consumes around 7 litres, but in mixed use, including some spirited driving, average consumption sits around 9 litres. After more than 1,200 km, the on-board computer of our S3 showed an average consumption of 9.2 l/100 km.

With different driving modes ranging from Efficiency to Dynamic, various components of the vehicle such as the steering, throttle response, suspension firmness Audi Magnetic Ride or the exhaust sound – which thanks to the S tronic can even produce the occasional crackle on downshifts – are adjusted to suit the needs of each moment.

Effectiveness is its strong point. It does not waste a single one of its 310 CV

The virtual absence of body roll when tackling corners, combined with a 5th-generation Haldex clutch quattro system and a braking set-up with ventilated discs on all four wheels, results in great confidence in the vehicle when driving quickly. The suspension setup, meanwhile, comprises MacPherson struts at the front axle and a multi-link layout at the rear.

Dynamically, the S3 performs at a very high level. With handling in which effectiveness is its best asset, the S3 has been tuned to achieve a remarkable balance between performance and ease of driving, which may not suit everyone. Those who enjoy “fighting” with the car will find the S3 Sportback somewhat dull.

If, on the other hand, you want to drive quickly at all times with very wide safety margins, the S3 is an excellent choice. Its composure is that of a vehicle from higher segments, able to be driven very fast with astonishing neutrality, which only breaks down at the limit, when a slight understeer tendency appears in favour of safer reactions.

However, if we want to drive calmly, we can enjoy other qualities of this Audi such as its excellent sound insulation, the audio system signed by Bang & Olufsen and the impressive performance of the Matrix LED headlights, which work exquisitely at all times.

Range and prices: how much does the unit you’re looking at cost?

No one would dare deny that the Audi S3 is a high-cost product. Available in Sportback, Saloon and Cabrio versions, its base price for the Sportback is €51,080, €51,810 for the Saloon and €59,000 for the convertible bodystyle.

Our unit, moreover, came with a generous number of extras, including items such as Matrix LED headlights (€990), 19″ wheels (€1,460), the electric-sliding glass roof (€1,345) or the Audi Magnetic Ride suspension (€1,195). In total, our unit had a final price of €65,745, almost 11 million of the old pesetas.