The Audi S3 is now not only available with five doors, but also with seven speeds courtesy of the much lauded S tronic twin-clutch transmission, which not only quickens shifts compared with the continuing manual version, but also slows down fuel consumption. Available to order from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450, the super slick transmission takes OTR prices for the first ever ‘two pedal’ S3 models to £28,920 for the three-door and £29,420 for the five-door Sportback. UK deliveries are expected to start in mid-December.
Equipped with S tronic, the three-door S3 can touch 62mph from rest in 5.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the manual version with which it shares its governed top speed of 155mph. Equally impressively, S tronic actually boosts the S3’s combined fuel economy figure from 33.2mpg to 34mpg – a feat which the majority of conventional torque converter automatic transmissions couldn’t match. As a result, CO2 output in the S3 S tronic falls from 198g/km to 193g/km.
Advanced electro-hydraulic controls and the alternate use of two clutches enable the S tronic gearbox to deliver lightning fast automatic or manual shifts with virtually no interruption of the engine’s power delivery across its seven ratios, and to offer changes via steering wheel-mounted shift paddles for the first time in the S3’s nine-year history. The first of the two clutches serves the odd-numbered gears and reverse, and the second the even-numbered gears, so when the S3 is being driven in third gear, for instance, fourth is already pre-selected in anticipation. As soon as the shift command is given, the first clutch is disengaged and the second engaged in just a few hundredths of a second, virtually seamlessly.
Upgraded quattro four-wheel-drive
Also faster reacting in this latest S3 model is the renowned quattro four-wheel-drive system. Its central hydraulic multi-plate clutch now responds even faster when the engine’s 265PS and 350Nm need to be redistributed between the front and rear wheels to maximize stability and traction.
Standard equipment for the S3 includes 18-inch parallel 5-spoke ‘S’ design alloy wheels, ‘S’ body styling and interior detailing and ‘S’ sports suspension. Heated and Silk Nappa leather-upholstered sports seats and Xenon Plus head lamps with LED strip daytime running lights are also part of the package.
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S tronic shifts into Audi S3 - The Audi S3 is now not only available with five doors, but also with seven speeds courtesy of the much lauded S tronic twin-clutch transmission, which is available to order from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450. Equipped with optional S tronic, the S3 and S3 Sportback cost £28,920 OTR and £29,420 OTR.
Five first-place finishes and a special award for Audi at the 7th Internet Auto Awards: a truly impressive achievement for the brand with the four rings. In the automotive industry’s largest online poll, the Audi A3, A4, A6, A8 and R8 models all finished at the top of their respective classes, which earned them “Carolina” awards. The Audi R8 also received the “Most Popular Car in Europe” special award. Over 300,000 online users submitted votes to the automotive website AutoScout24.
For the seventh time, AutoScout24 surveyed its users to determine the most popular vehicles in Europe. Votes were once again cast in several languages and countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. All in all, there were 154 vehicles in nine categories. More than 300,000 users submitted their votes; five Audi models took the top “Carolina” award.
The Audi A3 repeated last year’s first-place finish in the “Compact Car” class, while the Audi A4 led the pack in the “Medium-Sized” category. In the “Top-End Medium-Sized” category, the A6 took top honors; in the “Luxury Classes” the A8 was the cream of the crop.
The Audi R8 not only finished at the head of its class in the “Sports Cars and Coupés” category, but also earned the “Most Popular Car in Europe” special award. All told, Audi is quite simply the most successful brand. The awards were presented during a gala event at Kesselhaus in Munich yesterday evening.
