The original Volkswagen Golf GTI of the 1970s is widely credited as the godfather of hot hatchbacks. A tier above, cars like the 1980s Lancia Delta Integrale pushed a more extreme hot hatchback agenda, blending rally-bred all-wheel-drive systems, steroidal aesthetics and performance to embarrass more exotic machinery. But it was in the 2000s that the breed gained a dollop of premium sensibility when Audi released the first S3.
Its 2.0l motor packed a punch, the Quattro system helped it stay planted, and though its exterior wore sportier accoutrements, it still had an air of restraint befiting an upmarket Teutonic product.
At the time, it had no direct rivals from fellow Germans BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Well, BMW had the M Coupé (which had no rear seats and was rear-wheel drive). There was no hot version of the three-pointed star brand’s compact A-Class. It was still busy getting over its failure to master Sweden’s “moose test”, during which it famously tipped over.
And yet, in time the S3’s modern nemeses ended up adopting its original recipe of all-wheel drive and a high-output 2.0l engine. The 2013 Mercedes-AMG A 45 ticked those boxes. And last year, so did the BMW M135, a car that had previously stuck to the philosophy of rear-wheel drive. The engineers at the four-rings firm must feel quite smug these days, knowing their contemporary blueprint was so influential.
Last year the updated version of the fourth-generation S3 was launched in the country. At the press event, motor journalists were let loose on the track, which included a skid-pad session testing the car’s driftability.
That was all fun, of course, but earlier this month a dark green example of the junior Audi Sport model arrived in my possession for a real-world evaluation. It was the five-door Sportback body, but a sedan is still offered in the range.
Before we get into this road test, a moment of silence for the S3’s bigger sister, the RS3. Technically it isn’t dead just yet — but with Audi announcing the end of the road for the iconic 2.5l five-cylinder engine, the model as we know it is on borrowed time. Perhaps that’s why Audi incorporated some of its tricks into the S3, to get people warmed up for a world without the RS3.
In the new S3 you get features like the Torque Rear setting, which intensifies the rear bias, allowing for a more playful handling character. The thrill of controllable sideways action with a safety net is the theory.
Enjoy responsibly because the way the S3 can oscillate when driven spiritedly might catch you out if you underestimate it based on the assurance of Quattro. It is huge fun to pilot, though, making the equivalents from Munich and Stuttgart seem just a tad inert by contrast.
Another thing you might notice about the new S3 is the sound. It’s a four-cylinder, yes, but it appears to have received acoustic fettling that resulted in a timbre similar to that of the RS3’s five-cylinder. One caveat to that is you need to specify the optional Akrapovič exhaust system, but it’s well worth the money as it dials in an exciting layer to proceedings, making launch starts (and cold morning starts) particularly addictive.
Back when this generation of the regular A3 was first launched in 2021, it introduced a more daring aesthetic character. The exterior had sharper pleats, extreme angles and a grille that could have triggered trypophobia (don’t Google if you aren’t already afflicted). It was a departure from the conservative flavour of the previous model, but we grew accustomed to it.
The interior is where things got really good because Audi’s designers, by their own declaration, said inspiration was taken from Lamborghini’s styling suite. A reminder that Audi’s parent company, the Volkswagen Group, is also custodian of the famed Italian supercar brand.
Years later, the cabin architecture still elicits a sense of childlike excitement from behind the wheel. It feeds all those delusions of being a fighter jet pilot. The impression of quality is much stronger in the S3 than with plain A3 versions, with richer materials and livelier elements such as red upholstery stitching. Buyers with an active tactile sense will love that there are still buttons to press and turn. Audi has always been great at this thing of thing — switchgear that operates with precision — but it is something being wound down in newer, more digitised cars like the latest A5.
So it sprints like an athlete, sounds like its bigger-engined sibling, handles in a way that rear-driving purists will admire and feels like a proper sophisticate where build quality is concerned. And because it retains all the pragmatic virtues of the standard A3, it will still haul your groceries and cart your passengers around in safety and comfort.
Performance hot hatchbacks are a dying breed, as mass-market preferences shift towards hybrid commuters in crossover or sport utility vehicle (SUV) forms. If you are partial to the thrill of a traditional engine-powered experience in a package with sporting pedigree, street credibility and German solidity, the S3 remains a compelling choice.
The details: Audi S3 Sportback
Price: R1,091,100
Engine: 2.0l, four-cylinder, turbocharged-petrol
Gearbox: Seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic
Outputs: 245kW/420Nm
Claimed 0-100km/h: 4.2 seconds
Claimed top speed: 250km/h
