Audi RS 3 Sedan 2017 Review

There’s no shortage of Audi five-cylinder pocket-rockets these days. Which is a good thing. Just a fortnight on from its arrival in Australia, the new, all-alloy, TT RS has been joined by a new four-door sedan which shares the same very accomplished five-cylinder heart, but carries a price tag more than $50,000 cheaper.

Meet the all-new RS 3 sedan, Audi’s first RS sedan since 2010 and the performance sub-brand’s inaugural compact sedan.

Combine that same 294kW/480Nm 2.5-litre five-cylinder seven-speed twin-clutch Quattro drivetrain from the TT RS with a competitive $84,900 price-tag and Audi’s new four-door unambiguously stakes an immediate claim to the number one ranking for Australian new car bang-for-bucks.

Launched locally this week, the new RS 3 sedan shares basic building blocks with the TT RS Coupe and Roadster — engine, gearbox, big wheels — right down to comparable oversized braking packages. For an extra $7300 it can even be optioned with the ‘RS Performance Pack’ which adds Audi Magnetic Ride to effectively mechanically match its two-door stablemate.

Sports exhaust? Tick?

Multi-mode Drive Select? Tick.

Virtual Cockpit? Yes.

And don’t overlook adaptive cruise control plus a full armory of driver aids.

Not only does the new RS 3 look like great value against its direct competitor, the Mercedes-AMG’s CLA 45 AMG (from $92,215) — and perhaps even BMW’s M2 (from $90,500 in manual for manual) — any comparison with the TT RS makes it look like an out and out bargain. Indeed, save for the fact the RS 3 Sedan is based on the all-steel body-in-white of the A3/S3 four-door series, there’s essentially very little to separate it from its much, much more expensive TT counterpart.

Audi Australia has fought hard for this price positioning. Its case was strengthened because Australia is the world’s fourth-largest market for RS products. Expected local sales volumes for the new pocket-rocket also helped. Available to date only in Sportback form, RS 3 models have accounted for 28 per cent of A3 series hatch volume Down Under. The arrival of the sedan will only boost numbers, methinks.

Tassie trial
After heaping praise on the TT RS, I’m going to try to avoid repeating myself here. As you’d expect, the experience behind the wheel of the two near-twins (under the skin) is very similar.

In terms of road noise, the RS 3 Sedan is perhaps a touch quieter than the TT RS, but the same soulful five-cylinder tunes are there when you’re pushing on. So too is the same planted, capable feeling which is the net result of accurate steering and a taut, but forgiving, chassis.

The roads which comprise the Targa Tasmania stages south of Hobart are known for their bumpy, unpredictable nature, yet straight away the RS 3s on-hand for the launch feel at home. There’s a suppleness to the ride of the sport-suspended (non-adjustable) standard version which memory suggests the CLA 45 AMG would have trouble matching. Jump into a magnetic ride-equipped car and the choice of comfort and/or dynamic mode gives you a little more bandwidth.

What’s undeniable, once you push the car a little, is the RS 3’s natural grip and poise. Audi’s Quattro experts have worked overtime to cement real agility and capability into this car – a trait carried over from the TT RS.

Audi Australia’s launch program for the RS 3 included laps of Baskerville Raceway – a venue which regular readers will know is a favourite of motoring.com.au. It’s here the differences between the sedan and its top-of-the-town two-door twin, were more apparent.

The RS 3 doesn’t feel quite as playful as the TT RS (which we drove at Philip Island) and is a touch more likely to push into understeer. It’s far from a plough though.

And as our pro driver Luke Youlden proved on the day, this new alloy-engined RS 3 is plenty quick. With a best lap just breaking into the 60s, it was more than 2sec per lap faster than the last-gen RS 3 hatch we tested at Baskerville in 2016.

This is a significant improvement, notwithstanding the tracks’ new surface which probably accounts for one second per lap. It also confirms to me the new RS 3 – or the new Q4 Sportback version coming in Q4) is a ‘must include’ in our 2018 Australia’s Best Driver’s Car field.
Numbers and equipment
Officially, Audi Australia says the new RS 3 will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 4.1sec, just 0.4sec slower than the TT RS and officially 0.2sec faster than the current RS 3 hatch. Top speed (unlimited) is an academic 280km/h.

Part of the performance equation is thanks to the latest aluminium-blocked 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine. Rated at 294kW and 480Nm, it adds 24kW and 15Nm and drops 26kg.

Praise too, for twin-clutch gearbox and updated quattro sports AWD system. This faster reacting and adaptive AWD system can apportion up to 100 per cent of available torque to the rear wheels. For the avoidance of doubt, the TT RS’ front eight-piston brake calipers and 370mm ventilated rotors are carried over under the RS 3 sedan.

There’s a rather pedestrian choice of 19-inch alloy wheel designs all wrapped in 235/35 tyres. The RS Performance Pack equipped RS 3 is notable for the fact its front tyres are upsized.

So equipped, the RS 3 Sedan is fitted with 255/30 section 19-inch fronts and 235/35 rears. The only other production car we are aware of with front tyres larger than the rears is the current RS 3 Sportback.

Home Comforts
Now officially on sale in Australia, the Audi RS 3 Sedan carries he maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP. And it’s arrived in dealerships with a substantial compliment of equipment: Audi Sense autonomous emergency braking is standard, along with lane keeping assistance, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and numerous other driver aids.

New to this generation of RS 3, Audi Virtual Cockpit delivers one of the most engaging instrument interfaces in the new car marketplace and, in this price range, is a clear differentiator for the brand.

Audi Connect with in-car Wi-Fi hotspot is standard and maximizes the car’s natural language VOX interface by adding online search and other functionality.

Outside, the RS 3 is clearly differentiated from its A3 and S3 counterparts with more aggressive front and rear styling and two of the biggest oval shaped exhaust outlets in the business.

Inside, the RS features quilted sports seats and a wonderfully tactile part-alcantara covered sports steering wheel. If you’ve found a small car with a better interior than this one, please let me know – Audi does this stuff exceptionally well.

Bigger than the sum
Indeed, the RS 3 is one of those cars which is bigger (in a performance sense) and better than the sum total of its (albeit excellent) parts…

In the space of two weeks, the title for ‘My Favourite Audi’ has been won, lost and won again…

2017 Audi RS 3 Sedan pricing and specifications:
Price: $84,900 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 294kW/480Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 192g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: five stars (ANCAP)