Audi RS 3 Sedan

Its athletic nature becomes more apparent once you step inside. The cabin has a nice dark theme with contrasting accents. There’s a perfect balance of hard textured plastics, Alcantara leather upholstery, and bright red stitching for a sporty but premium feel.

The dashboard has plenty of racecar references, which include the RS 3 badge, illuminated strips, and a three-spoke steering wheel. Wheel-mounted switches give full control of the optional 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit, as well as the 7-inch MMI Infotainment. The latter seamlessly connects with Apple and Android devices to play high-quality music across 14 Bang & Olufsen speakers.

The center console gives the driver quick access to physical controls. These include an RS mode selector and the optional Audi Phone Box. The latter is a smart storage compartment that can be used to wirelessly charge your phone, improve its signal reception, and operate car features via voice control.

Sports seats are standard for the driver and front passenger. At the back is a bench with supportive headrests for all three passengers. It isn’t overly spacious, but it’s comfortable enough to get you through long trips.

The compact sports sedan measures 4,479 mm long, 1,802 mm wide, and 1,399 mm tall - making it longer, shorter, and wider than the Audi A3 Sedan. The siblings’ front, rear, and side profiles are very much alike. They share the same clamshell-style hood, flared wheel arches, deep shoulder lines, rear spoiler lip, angular headlights, and sleek taillights.

However, the Audi RS 3 Sedan gets a meaner-looking bumper, large air inlets, and a blacked-out single-frame honeycomb grille with the Quattro logo. The sports variant is also treated with 19-inch Audi Sport wheels, dual exhaust pipes, and black trims instead of chrome.

The latest generation Quattro adjusts with the driver’s input and selected RS mode. It is designed to improve the vehicle’s handling and grip when turning corners or driving over wet roads.

Progressive steering allows you to park the sedan and maneuver around tight spaces with little effort. The lighter engine and brake discs help with more precise steering of its front end.

The ride is stable and comfortable due to magnetic suspensions. While it keeps road noises at bay, you can still hear a pleasurable howl from the engine and exhausts.

Audi RS 3 Sedan is equipped with a 2.5L TFSI engine that delivers 400 horsepower. The gas mill is mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission, sending power to all four wheels. It can reach top speeds of 250 kmph, though you can have it configured and get it up to 280 kmph.

The engine propels the sportscar from 0 to 100 km within 4.1 seconds. This makes it faster than the old RS 3 by a hairline. Fuel consumption is estimated at 12 kmpl, which is decent for a high-performance vehicle.

The lighter front end on the Audi RS 3 Sedan brings significant improvement to how the brakes respond. When driving at top speeds, you can still depend on them to kick in with gusto. The sports sedan can be further specced with active safety features that prevent crashes and injury.

Audi RS 3 Sedan offers a race car experience to the average driver. It’s designed to be taken off-roads or driven on empty highways at high speeds, albeit within allowable limits.

You can still take it out for a daily drive. But its high price point is best justified if you know how to have fun with it.