Three-box version of 300PS S3 joins more familiar S3 and S3 Sportback variants as final S3 Cabriolet model waits in the wings
Opportunities to savour 300PS in a compact, quattro all-wheel-driven Audi will soon be fourfold as the new S3 Saloon joins its three-door and five-door Sportback counterparts and the new S3 Cabriolet waits in the wings. The latest ‘three-box’ version of the sub-five-second-sprinting, 155mph addition to the Audi S quattro Series is now available to order priced from £33,240 OTR, and first examples will reach the UK in March 2014.
A brand new long-stroke 2.0-litre TFSI engine which shares only its 1,984cc displacement with its predecessor is at the heart of the new S3 Saloon. Peak power is available at 5,500rpm, and peak torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, and when linked to the S tronic twin-clutch transmission the S3 Saloon can use these to deliver a 4.9-second sprint to 62mph on the way to a governed 155mph top speed (5.3 seconds with the manual transmission). Combined fuel economy stands at 40.9mpg (manual 40.4mpg).
The powerful four-cylinder engine bristles with new technologies which help to push the S3’s boundaries in terms of both output and economy. These include the use of both direct and indirect injection, the integration of the exhaust manifold into the cylinder head and the use of innovative thermal management for faster warm-up. Two balancer shafts rotating at twice the speed of the crankshaft optimise refinement, but thanks to an electromechanical actuator in the bulkhead the cabin is filled with just the right amount of sound, with just the right sporting tone. The exhaust system also includes a sound flap that opens at certain engine speed ranges to give this even greater depth.
Article source: www.audi.co.uk