Auto Test

Warm-up

The new third-generation of the Audi A3 is just around the corner. At the 2012 salon in Geneva the cars will be presented to the public officially. At this stage there is no word as to whether there will be a power-boosted ‘S’ version on offer. And so in the meantime we decided to test the current Audi S3. Audi is renowned for extending its styling policy across all models manufactured to carry the four-rings badge, with this uniformity seen as expressing solidity. And so there are few visual hints that an S3 is anything different from the more tame A3. There are enlarged air intakes at the front, honeycomb mesh for the radiator grille and at the back there is a diffuser and a roof-edge spoiler. The S3 also rides 25 millimetres closer to the road. Does the ‘S’ merely stand for ‘solidity’? Or for ‘sport’… or for ‘speed’? Our test will tell.

The exhaust gas turbocharger helps the transversally-mounted motor to output 265 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque.

Power aplenty

So that the output of the two-litre straight four-cylinder engine reaches the roadway effectively the S3 has a Haldex gearbox and a six-stage dual-clutching transmission. The exhaust gas turbocharger helps the transversally-mounted motor to output 265 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque. This power produces results, the manufacturer claiming that only 5.5 seconds will elapse before the S3 reaches a hundred kilometres an hour. In fact in our test we reached this velocity in just 5.3 seconds. We also beat the car maker’s stated top speed of 250 by another 6 kilometres per hour. But the compact speedster is unable to keep the promise it exhibits at lower speeds when pushed to its limits. In lower gears the performance is indeed persuasive but above 180 kilometres an hour there is a marked reluctance to leap ahead smartly. At the same time it must be said that a zero-to-tow-hundred time of 22.5 seconds is certainly quite respectable.

The S3 is very understated with this discreet badge.

All-wheel-traction

There is no doubt that the all-wheel-drive results in excellent traction. And the car’s posture on the road is beyond reproach. The driving behaviour is very balanced and there is hardly any sway when taking the corners. Our test auto was equipped with the ‘Magnetic Ride’damping system although only on the roughest of roads did this offer any significant improvement with the difference otherwise being minimal. This is an 822 Euros extra which is not really necessary. We found the Audi dual-clutching ‘S-Tronic’ slightly disappointing with shifts sometimes subject to delays.

In lower gears the performance is indeed persuasive but above 180 kilometres an hour there is a marked reluctance to leap ahead smartly.

While suspension and driving behaviour are quite admirable there is little motoring excitement to be had. There is plenty of grip but only an insipid motor sound and there is little emotionality displayed by the S3. This is a car without surprises, either good or bad. On our test track the Audi S3 near the city of Augsburg we achieved a lap time of 45.2 seconds, three-tenths slower than the Renault Mégane Coupé Sport and just four-tenths quicker than the Citroen DS4 THP 200.

Our test car had upholstery in Alcantara and leather and there was a definite feeling of well-being, with the seats offering good lateral support but also real comfort.

In practice

For everyday practicality the S3 scores high points. Our test car had upholstery in Alcantara and leather and there was a definite feeling of well-being, with the seats offering good lateral support but also real comfort. The dashboard layout is perhaps not quite up to what one might expect from an Audi, but it remains true that others in this compact class… such as BMW… are hardly any better in this respect. In the back of the S3 the passengers are reasonably well accommodated and at 281 litres the boot is sufficiently spacious to carry the luggage of singles or couples, if not an entire family. As an alternative, of course, there is the S3 Sportback with a load volume of 370 litres. The navigation system turned out to be slightly puzzling. Although a specific destination was entered the system seemed to have a mind of its own… ‘points of interest’ may not be the most helpful data imaginable. The buyer should consider saving the 2,050 Euros the system costs and instead opt for a portable device.

Audi is renowned for extending its styling policy across all models manufactured to carry the four-rings badge, with this uniformity seen as expressing solidity. There are few visual hints that an S3 is anything different from the more tame A3.

The costs

The starting price for the Audi S3 is 40,100 Euros which will get the buyer the three-door version with S-Tronic transmission. When compared with rival models such as the VW Scirocco R (34,825 Euros), the Mazda 3 MPS (27,890 Euros) or the BMW 130i(34,800 Euros) the quick compact made in Ingolstadt is by no means a bargain. The version we tested would have involved an expenditure of 48,600 Euros… a sum which would be enough to gain access to the next higher vehicle class. The additional cost gave us Alcantara and leather upholstery (533 Euros), ‘Magnetic Ride’ (822 Euros), the ‘Navigation Plus’ system (2,050 Euros), parking assist (672 Euros) and Bode audio system (508 Euros). Then there is the matter of fuel consumption… Audi claims that 8.5 litres should be sufficient, but as always in practice such averaged estimates prove over-optimistic and our test indicated that the S3 needed all of 12 litres per hundred kilometres driven. And Audi recommend SuperPlus, 95 octane delivering reduced power. And so all in all the Audi S3 is an automobile which must be seen as financially demanding.

There are enlarged air intakes at the front, honeycomb mesh for the radiator grille and at the back there is a diffuser and a roof-edge spoiler.The S3 also rides 25 millimetres closer to the road.

Unassuming solidity

Solidity is the virtue of the Audi S3. It displays all the attributes of the marque and has that little bit of extra push. With regard to its road-holding and driving dynamics there is little to criticize. And the driver is not called upon to make any sacrifices in terms of comfort or of everyday practicability. The S3 is sporty but well-behaved and a car which does not really make the pulse race. It is not a braggard with its power and it is not an auto which will make the neighbours go green with envy. And so in spite of all of its positive points the S3 does not inspire wild enthusiasm. It is simply too slick, too suave, too unexciting, too ordinary. What is missing is any hint of a single distinctive characteristic or outstanding flourish of design. The S3 lacks the qualities which make a car an object of affection and pride.