PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Audi gives RS 3 the boot

Audi has whipped the rug off its inaugural RS 3 sedan and the good news is twofold: It's confirmed to arrive in Australian showrooms around mid-2017 and it'll be even quicker than the mad RS 3 Sportback.

Leaked way back in February ahead of its world debut overnight at the Paris motor show, the RS 3 sedan employs the same new 294kW/480Nm 2.5-litre TFSI turbo-petrol engine as the new TT RS, which Audi says is the world's most powerful five-cylinder engine.

No, it's not as quick as the lighter TT RS (0-100km/h: 3.7 sec), but that makes it two-tenths quicker to 100km/h than the 270kW/465Nm RS 3 hatch (0-100km/h: 4.3 sec) at 4.1 seconds.

This is not only thanks to its 400hp, but a sizeable 480Nm of torque everywhere between 1500 and 5850rpm, which is enough for its standard 250km/h top speed to be lifted to 280km/h on request.

Of course, it's therefore also significantly quicker than the S3 sedan, which runs a 2.0-litre TFSI turbo-four, and also promises better dynamics thanks to wider wheel tracks (20mm up front, 14mm at rear).

Naturally, it also comes with all of the RS 3 Sportback goodies, including a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch-operated quattro permanent all-wheel drive, progressive steering and optional RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control.

The standard 370mm front brake discs – gripped by eight-piston callipers – and 310mm rears can be replaced by optional carbon-ceramic rotors, and the 19-inch wheels run 235/35 tyres as standard.

Apart from an aggressive RS body kit there are LED headlights (matrix LEDs will be optional), RS-specific paint colors of Nardo gray and Catalunya red, illuminated door sills with RS 3 logos and black fine Nappa leather sport seats with RS logos (RS sport seats will be an option in Europe).

New driver assistance technology includes traffic jam assist, which briefly takes over the steering at speeds of up to 65km/h. Options will include Virtual Cockpit digital instruments and 705-Watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

If Audi Australia's pricing structure of the S3 sedan and hatch carries over to the new sedan, the RS 3 will be about $2000 more expensive than the hatch, at about $80,000.