Audi Sport continues developing the new
generation RS3 Sportback, with the compact hatchback gunning for the most
powerful model in the segment: the Mercedes-AMG A45 S. The prototype brought
forward by our spy photographers continues to wear full body camouflage,
applied even on the rear side windows, but even still, some changes are more
than obvious.
At the front, the next generation RS3
sports a new lighting signature, alongside a prominent bumper with new side air
intakes and a new grille. The roofline is only slightly arched towards the
rear, so it will not chew into headroom, and at the back, we can partially see
the new LED taillights, as well as a pair of big oval tailpipes. The wheel
arches are wider and the side skirts have a sharper styling. Elsewhere, the
wheels are larger compared to the normal A3 models and the ventilated brake
discs round up the visuals on the outside.
The interior pics are from an S3 nabbed a
while back, but the RS3 Sportback will more or less mirror it, featuring more
aggressive bucket seats and different trim options. We look forward to seeing
the new dash in person, with the Lambo-style air vents on the driver’s side,
flanking the digital dials, new infotainment system, a tiny gear selector, flat-bottom
steering wheel and typical RS trim and badges.
The new RS3 Sportback is set to get an
updated variant of the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine. Expect a
small bump in power over its predecessor, which makes do with 400 PS, with the new model believed to arrive with 420 PS and 500 Nm of torque, and the Performance version, perhaps due
later on, getting 450 PS. Power will be channeled to the
Quattro all-wheel drive system through a dual-clutch automatic transmission,
while there’s talk for a potential drift function as well.
Audi might unveil the A3 and S3 at the
2020 Geneva Motor Show, on March 3, and the RS3 will follow it, perhaps close
to the end of the year or in early 2021.
