Audi S3 Sportback Prototype 2020 Review

Audi hoped our drive of the Audi S3 Sportback would have been bathed in warm sunshine. Hence why us small band of hacks were flown to the sub-tropical Azores that live to the far west of Portugal.

Sadly, for the German car-maker, its gamble does not pay dividends as we touch down in torrential rain but there is a silver lining to the shocking weather – cars equipped with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive systems have historically relished in conditions like this, so the new all-wheel drive S3 Sportback should be in its element.

Heavily stickered up in a lens-flaring disguise, in the flesh the new S3 surprises since it's appears to leave little in reserve aesthetically for the full-fat 300+kW RS 3 that's in the works.

In other words, it has presence. From its gaping hexagonal side air intakes, huge single-frame grille and original short-wheelbase quattro-aping air inlets above the grille, to its wide-looking front arches and lower more rakish rear styling, even with the stickers it has the stylistic edge on its rivals, including the latest BMW M135i and the Mercedes-AMG A 35.

Rumour is, since the three-door version has been dropped forever, designers were given more free-reign to make the standard five-door sportier than ever.

Speaking of other versions, the A3 family will initially consist of three body derivatives – the five-door Sportback, a small sedan and an even more stylish five-door liftback – there's no word on whether the little Cabriolet body will return.

Inside, it's a similar sporting theme for the cabin – except we're not allowed to show it to you yet – especially since the cars we drove were not the finished article and didn't share the materials the production models will.

What we can say is the late-stage pre-production models blend the excellent infotainment and full digital instrument panel that's used in the latest class-leading Mark 8 Golf with even higher-grade trim, materials and finishes.

Curiously, inside the Audi S3 features a pair of air vents that are claimed to be inspired by one of Audi-owned Lamborghini's products, in an attempt to inject yet more visual excitement into the A3's cabin. We'll leave it up to you to judge whether it's been a success in a month's time at its Geneva unveiling, but a pair of Aventador vents don't look quite as out of place as they sounds.

Now featuring an infotainment that features state-of-the-art natural speak voice control and the very latest levels of connectivity, perhaps the biggest disappointment of the Audi S3 is what lurks beneath the bonnet.

Despite rumours that both it and the Golf R were set for 48-volt mild-hybrid tech that will boost power and torque while reducing fuel use, the S3 runs a development of the old car's EA888-series 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine without any electrification.

Engineers wouldn't discuss power or torque outputs, as the small Audi hot hatch is yet to be homologated but the word on the street is the turbo-four will punch out 228kW and around 400Nm – that's around 8kW and 20Nm more than the current car.

Sadly, the weight lost from updating the last car's MQB platform has been largely offset by both extra safety tech and new petrol particulate filters, meaning the S3 Sportback should tip the scales at around the same 1465kg as the outgoing model.

Despite being no featherweight, the fast hatch will post a 0-100km/h time of less than 4.5sec thanks its all-new quattro all-wheel drive that sees the small Audi adopt the latest sixth-generation Haldex hardware.

The beauty of the new Haldex system is not only is it more efficient but it's had a bump in its IQ.

Now controlled by a centralised ECU that monitors all aspects of the drivetrain, engineers claim that it is capable of more precise and accurate torque shuffling and splitting.

Helping it do its job is the same computer is also in charge of both torque vectoring and the new adaptive dampers that individually act differently while cornering, firming up the outside wheels for extra grip, while softening shocks on the inside pair of wheels, increasing the tyres purchase on the black top.

That might sound confusing but the result is a car that manages to shrug off the teeming wet conditions and help us cover ground at unspeakable speeds, even over the most challenging roads.

Behind the wheel, it also translates into a confidence-inspiring drive.

Select 'drive' using a stubby Golf-styling gear selector, initially, the S3 doesn't feel that special, feeling distinctly over-sprung on the rough roads we're driving, while tyre roar is intrusive – a surface change fixes that – when suddenly you can appreciate the extra work engineers have done to boost refinement.

Peel off the highway and onto some mountain roads and, even over mud-splattered roads, the level of both grip and traction doesn't compute.

Push on and the Progressive Steering, that's standard on the S3, varies the rack speed to around 2.5 turns lock-to-lock and, for once, it doesn't feel artificial – although in the Dynamic driving mode it adds an unpleasant weight that dulls feedback.

Push on and the front-end manages to remain nailed to the apex, even at silly speeds, push harder still and the traction out of slower corners is nothing short of astonishing, but there's none of the rear-bias the former Ford Focus RS served up.

The new quattro system can only shuffle up to 50 per cent to the rear axle and, no, there's isn't a drift mode but there is a Sport mode for the stability control that adds slip when the tyres eventually relent.

In the treacherous conditions we left well alone, but stability control intervention was rarely felt.

Instead, you relish a car that is unfazed by bumps, cambers, poorly repaired road and couldn't give a damn if it was raining.

It's close to fool-proof. If you do lift-off mid-corner, or attempt to unsettle the Audi, the S3 barely changes its angle of attack. Applying the throttle earlier than you'd ever usually dare, meanwhile, and the S3 gives the impression it has grown a pair of mechanical limited-slip differentials that work in perfect harmony to launch out of the tightest of corners.

Of course, it's not quite perfect.

The previous rear-drive BMW M140i was, admittedly, more playful but ragged too as you approached he edge – but that's academic as it’s been replaced by the M135i, that's also all-wheel drive. Only time if that car will tell if it has the laser-guided accuracy and precision of the unflappable S3.

Sit in a passenger seat and you'll also feel the brakes pulsating through the floor as the torque vectoring does its job when the Audi hot hatch is hard at work.

In all modes, bar Dynamic, the old turbo 2.0-litre also sounds distinctively average but switch to the sportiest setting and then the bi-modal sports exhaust opens up and, along with some under-dash fakery the S3 gives the convincing impression it has a five-pot under the bonnet, complete with pops a large bang when you lift off sharply. Childish, but fun.

We've already mentioned the unwanted weight of the steering in the most aggressive mode but thankfully there's is an Individual mode to tailor the car to your exact wants but even that can't fix the transmission that, on your favourite road, needs manual intervention to coax the right gear for the conditions.

We wish Audi had fitted larger paddles on the steering wheel too – or, better still, given us a proper six-speed manual for the tiny, tiny number of buyers who would want it but, at the end of the day, it's hard not to praise Audi for developing a pretty complete performance car.

On sale in Europe this May there's no word when we'll get our cars Down Under, but it should arrive before the end of the year.

Only then will we find out if it will really work on our roads but from our first drive of pre-production S3, when Audi peels off those stickers, the stylish hot hatch is set to lead the hot hatch class come rain or shine.