Model Overview
Audi wowed the world with the RS3 in late 2010, a high-performance variant of their best-selling ‘Golf-sized’ A3 hatchback sporting its prized RS badge. The Audi RS3 was offered as a Sportback 5-door and with automatic transmission only, and originally featured a 2.5-litre, 340 hp engine enabling the car to reach 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds. Perhaps the highlight of the RS3 over and above its hot-hatch competitors is Audi’s legendary Quattro four-wheel drive technology, a nod to its 1980s rally pedigree.
In 2015 came the second-generation Audi RS3 Quattro with the same turbocharged five-cylinder engine this time paired to a Audi’s new S-Tronic 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This new technology not only brought its acceleration performance into supercar territory, but also transformed the RS3’s fuel economy to make it arguably the ultimate daily driver.
The new, third generation RS3 arrived in 2017 and hit the 400 hp milestone, to complement its modern and sporty styling. The Audi RS3’s price on the second-hand market makes it a very attractive proposition for petrolheads looking for a practical but high-performance setup with fantastic reliability and confidence in its Quattro capability.