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• The new Audi S3 is set to make its local debut in the third quarter of 2021.
• Ingolstadt's latest hot hatch is powered by the familiar two-litre turbopetrol engine with 228kW and 400Nm.
• The team at Carwow have lined it up in a drag race against its predecessor. Why? Because they have the same amount of power.
It's been well documented that Audi South Africa will launch several new cars in 2021. The latest S3 in Sportback and Sedan are likely to arrive locally in the third quarter of 2021.
The latest S3 follows the same recipe as its predecessor, a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine sends power via seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.
In the 2021 model, power is quoted at 228kW and 400Nm. A sub five second 0-100km/h is claimed, 4.8 seconds to be exact and the top speed is limited to 250km/h.
Audi has fitted the S3 with a sport suspension that sits 15mm closer to the ground than normal A3 models. There's a new grille with a rhombus-pattern and chrome-coloured mirrors.
The S3 rides on standard 18-inch wheels, with 19-inch wheels optional.
The team at Carwow have lined the new S3 against the older model. Yep, the previous generation S3 sports the same power outputs, engine capacity, and gearbox.
Crucially, the older model is more than a 100 kilograms lighter than the latest version. The previous generation S3 tips the scale at 1445kg while the newer version weighs 1575kg.
Watch the Carwow team line up the old and new S3 for a drag race, and see which four-wheel-drive hot hatch bags the bragging rights.
The S3 is one of several sporty models headed to South Africa this year. The Ingolstadt-based brand released pricing for its updated R8, RS4 and RS5 models in the past few weeks.
Later this year, we'll get more details on the next generation RS6. The super wagon is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged with 441kW and 800Nm. Audi reckons it'll hit 100km/h from standstill in 3.6 seconds and 200km/h in 12 seconds.
There are more RS models on the way including the all-new RSQ8 and RSQ3. Audi has added more coupe-like SUVs to its line-up and the RS models are there to offer customers another level of sophistication and power from sleeker-looking versions of the Q8 and Q3.
The updated R8, in Coupe and Spyder form, is the flagship sports car and is powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine with 449kW and 560Nm.
