Audi's New S3 Sportback is Both Beautiful and Powerful
The Volkswagen Group has released a good amount of worthwhile hatchbacks over the last year, including the VW Golf 8, Skoda Octavia 4, SEAT Leon 4, and more. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the company said it will debut the Audi A3. And while the Volkswagen Group hasn’t necessarily released details or specs around this particular vehicle, it did invite a group of editors out to the Azores to check out its sister vehicle, the S3.
More than 300HP
Audi’s new S3 hatchback will be equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, capable of churning out an impressive 306hp and 295 pout-feet of torque. Now, while this might be just ten horsepower more than its predecessor, it does get the car over the three hundred horsepower benchmark which is in and of itself, an impressive feat, especially for a hatchback.
Equipped with quattro all-wheel drive
Keeping things similar to all of the other vehicles under the Audi Sport umbrella, the S3 will have the quattro all-wheel-drive system. This particular version of the popular AWD system will be an update to the one that was most recently installed in the TT. The difference here is that it will send up to 100% of available power to each axle (in the past, this was split evenly).
>>Join the conversation about the new S3 Sportback right here in Audiworld.com.
Other updates worth noting
The new S3 will come with progressive standing which itself will offer three different modes to choose from – balanced, comfort, and dynamic. Bridgestone has designed a set of tires specifically for the S3, which will be outfitted to 19-inch wheels that have been specially designed for the S3.
>>Join the conversation about the new S3 Sportback right here in Audiworld.com.
Only available with automatic transmission
For a sporty, performance-driven vehicle, this choice of a transmission is a bit of a surprising decision from the Volkswagen Group. Each S3 Sportback will feature a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission. To offset the loss in driving experience for those that like to drive stick, the car will feature a new damper system, which has been designed to improve handling and give the hatchback terrific feel when cutting around corners.
>>Join the conversation about the new S3 Sportback right here in Audiworld.com.
Regarding the exterior and interior
Given that this was a preview session, the true look and feel of the new S3 Sportback are still under wraps. In this case, a thin wrap with “quattro” branding on it. But for the most part, you can see in the pictures some of the dramatic curvatures that the vehicle will sport once it makes its official debut. The same goes for the interior – no specs or info has been offered on what will be included. The editors on-site did take note, though, of a reworked dashboard that features an all-new integrated infotainment system and less analog buttons.
>>Join the conversation about the new S3 Sportback right here in Audiworld.com.
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