Audi has just officially added the S3 sedan to its list of models available for UK buyers. It’s now the fourth S3 variant you can buy, alongside the regular hatch, Sportback and Cabriolet models.
In the Isles, buyers will have to shell out at least £33,240 for the basic one, though it does get S sports suspension and magnetic ride control as standard.
The 297 hp two-liter TFSI engine that pushes it to 62mph (100km/h) in 5.3 seconds also sounds like a great cruiser with 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) on tap over a wide rev range, from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm (where peak power is too). Top speed is the usual electronically-limited 155 mph or 250 km/h.
The S3 sedan is also pretty green and frugal for what it is, with claimed economy figures of 40.4 UK mpg for the manual six-speed, or 40.9 UK mpg for the S-Tronic dual-clutch self-shifter which also gets the benchmark sprint down to just 4.9 seconds.
Now, I’m not a fan of the Audi brand by any stretch of the imagination and in most cases I’d consider a rival’s offering, but this S3 sedan, with its practicality, performance and (claimed) economy sounds like one of the German manufacturer’s better deals. At least on preliminary impression (on paper) and on the basis of the lowest price with no options selected, options that would ultimately not allow it to start with a three…
Order books are now open, with first deliveries beginning in March of 2014.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
