2016 Audi RS 3 Review – Audi’s Hotrod Hatchback
A rally-bred engine and segment-topping performance endow the 2016 Audi RS 3 with tremendous enthusiast appeal.
It is an astonishingly fast five-door - effortlessly fast, even. Keep your eye on the speedo with this one; licence-shredding speeds are a mere flex of the ankle away.
Besides setting a cracking pace – this is the hottest of the hot-hatches – the RS 3 balances it with immense grip and precision. It also provides a rally car soundtrack as well as offering plenty of interior luxury.
We would prefer a little more interior differentiation between this range-topper and the tamer (but also quick) S3, the boot-space is tiny, and there's no manual option - DSG only.
Vehicle Style: High performance luxury small hatch
Price: $78,900 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 270kW/465Nm 2.5 turbo petrol 5cyl | 7sp dual-clutch automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 8.1 l/100km | tested: 14.2 l/100km
OVERVIEW
After missing out on the first-generation RS 3, the arrival of the second iteration of Audi's hottest grocery-getter means there's a new king of fast hatches in Australia.
And it appears there's plenty of pent-up demand - Audi Australia was holding 350 orders before the new RS 3 had rolled off the boats. Those 350 early adopters have signed up for one hell of a rig.
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