Audi RS3 Hatchback (2024 - ) review

In this day and age a performance car with a large and powerful petrol engine looks an indulgence, even as a last-gasp opportunity for scratching the internal combustion itch. No escaping the fact this will come at a cost in terms of fuel, insurance, tax and everything else, though. For what is effectively a jazzed-up version of a regular A3 the purchase price is also hefty, even when compared with the likes of the Golf R, Cupra Leon or A45 AMG version of the Mercedes A-Class that may also be on your shopping list. The fact Audi traditionally manages supply of its RS models to preserve residual values – and it’s likely the last of its kind – is perhaps one glimmer of hope if you’re trying to rationalise it.

Audi suffers a similar problem to other premium manufacturers in that repairs, when required, are expensive. This pushes these brands down the rankings on reliability surveys, the one bright spot in the RS3’s case being that its signature engine has been well-proven over three generations. If you’re still worried the three-year warranty isn’t enough you can extend it to four or five years at extra cost.

While the RS3 comes with all the safety tech you’d expect of a modern car and can steer itself back into line or slam on the brakes if you aren’t paying attention. Its performance breeding means these systems are less intrusive than in more mainstream alternatives, though. Perhaps of more interest to the target audience is the sophisticated four-wheel drive system that, in combination with that signature engine, draw on a direct bloodline to the original Quattro. Now as then, the ability to safely enjoy all the performance whatever the weather is core to the RS3’s appeal.

Available in Sportback hatch form or as a saloon, the RS3’s appeal has always been its combination of regular A3 practicality with monster performance. Business as usual here, the updates more about tweaks to the looks than anything fundamental. Figure-hugging sports seats with expensive looking quilting and branding get you in the mood, the steering wheel now squared off top and bottom. While stylish the black interior does feel a little sombre, especially in the back. But if you want to jazz it up there is the (expensive) option of carbon fibre bucket seats, though the idea of little feet kicking away at them and scuffing up the fancy finish means they’re best avoided if you’re using it as a family car. On the road the RS3 impresses with the quality of its suspension, which has been tuned by the specialist team at Audi Sport and delivers a great balance of bump swallowing comfort and sportier roadholding. True, the car we drove had the fancier adjustable suspension you can configure via the driving modes, and we haven’t driven the standard set-up so we’ll have to reserve judgement on what that’s like. A pity you can’t add this adaptive suspension as an individual option anymore and have to go all-in with the top-of-the-line Carbon Vorsprung trim, where it is included among the standard features.

RS3 spotters will be disappointed the RS Dynamic Pack bundling upgrades like the sports exhaust and ceramic brakes into one desirable package is no longer offered, though the latter remain as a standalone and very expensive option. Or you could just seek out a pre-facelift car with all the goodies. Other than that all three trim levels are well-equipped, with a twin-screen Virtual Cockpit arrangement and typically slick operating system powering them, even if it's a little old-school compared to fresher rivals. New features include touch-sensitive controls on the reshaped steering wheel, which we’d consider a backwards step over the physical buttons of before. On the plus side the tech has been improved, with new driving modes including RS Performance and a fully configurable RS Individual selectable from the red steering wheel hot keys. There’s also new RS Torque Rear unleashing a drift-friendly balance to the four-wheel drive system. After experimenting with it we’d advise sticking by the menu screen’s advice to save it for track on the basis what makes you feel like a driving god in the regular modes can suddenly induce mortal peril when the back end snaps out on an icy back road!

Even fairly ordinary electric cars can now deliver performance equivalent to thoroughbreds like the RS3. But they can’t come close to the charismatic way the Audi delivers equivalent numbers, the warbling sound of that 400 horsepower, 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine a genuinely unique selling point if you still like your kicks petrol powered. True, it doesn’t have the instant kick of electric motors and a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N would leave it for dead. But the way you can feel the boost of the turbo building as the bassy exhaust note hardens is the kind of heart-fluttering thrill no electric car can match. As before, this generation of RS3 also delights for having handling to do that engine justice, with bandwidth going from sure-footed to wild depending on your selected driving mode. If we’re being fussy the steering is still a bit light and the automatic gearbox too slick for its own good at times. Overall, though, the combination of muscular looks, that fabulous engine and a chassis that lets you enjoy it in all weathers is Audi playing to traditional strengths in real style.