By: IOL Motoring Staff
Johannesburg - The new Audi RS3 Sportback has landed in South Africa, ready to take on Merc's A45 AMG in the hyper hatch war.
Despite having a larger engine in the form of a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbopetrol versus the Merc's 2-litre four, the Audi can't quite match its rival’s heady outputs of 280kW and 475Nm but it's really not far off. Audi quotes output figures of 270kW and 465Nm for the RS3, with the latter available between 1625 and 5550rpm.
However, the Audi is a bit lighter than the Merc (1520kg versus 1555kg) and the company does quote a slightly quicker 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds versus the A45's claimed 4.6s. As per the German norm, the RS3's top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h, but you can have the peg moved to 280km/h if you pay a little extra.
The RS3 comes with launch control and power is transferred to all four wheels via a seven-speed S tronic gearbox with flappy paddles and a torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel drive system that can send between 50 and 100 percent of available torque to the back wheels.
The RS3 rides on 19-inch alloys and you'll also tell it apart by its wider wheel arches, bolder front bumper, hard-edged side skirts, mat alloy mirror housings and sporty rear diffuser.
RACY CABIN
Inside you'll sink into sports seats covered in Fine Nappa leather and with contrasting rock grey stitching. Other make-me-feel-special highlights include a flat-bottomed RS multi-function steering wheel, lap timer, stainless steel pedals and Alcantara door trim inserts. You can also dig a little deeper into your pockets and opt for S sport seats with diamond-stitching or RS bucket seats with carbon seat shells, among the expectedly delectable but long list of options.
Standard features include cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, Audi sound system with audio streaming and Bluetooth, LED interior lighting and Audi drive select.
The RS3 is yours for R710 000, including a five-year/100 000km Freeway Plan.