New Models
New Models

2022 Audi RS3 rendered: Five-cylinder hero imagined from spy photos

Performance flagship hatch imagined in new renderings, with race-inspired visuals and 309kW five-cylinder engine.


With the four-cylinder S3 hot hatch now rolling into European showrooms, there's only one member of the 2021 Audi A3 range we've yet to see: the flagship, five-cylinder RS3 performance hero.

Rumoured to be unveiled in full this September, the next-generation 2022 Audi RS3 hatch and sedan look set to take strides over their predecessors in performance, visual aggression and technology, while retaining their primary USP over their Mercedes-AMG competitors: a characterful turbocharged five-cylinder engine.

Our exclusive renderings (pictured below and top) preview what the next-gen RS3 could look like in five-door Sportback hatch guise, combining elements from the recently-revealed RS3 LMS race car, with the pumped-up styling features tucked under camouflage on RS3 prototypes spied in the last 12 months.

Up front, larger air intakes – significantly larger than those fitted to the four-cylinder S3 – inspired by the aforementioned race car flank a black grille, itself encased by an extended black surround reminiscent of Audi's flagship model, the RS Q8 performance SUV.

While on the surface the headlights fitted to our Audi RS3 imagining look identical to those employed by the standard A3 and S3, trainspotters and Audi fans will spot their chequered-flag daytime-running light signatures, which a leak in July 2020 revealed would be fitted exclusively to the flagship performance variant of the premium small car.

Down the side, wider wheel arches – though only slightly, given the S3's 'Quattro blister' quarterpanels are already flared to such an extent – sit on each corner, with the aft edges of the front arches benefitting from a pair of Lexus-like cooling vents.

Filling the arches on our interpretation of the new RS3 are a set of two-tone alloy wheels from the RS6 Avant super-wagon, scaled down from the V8 long-roof's 22 inches in diameter to a more reasonable 19 inches – however, it's highly likely the RS3 will receive a unique wheel design, with prototypes spotted in recent months wearing a Y-spoke design that may or may not make it to production.

At the rear, upgrades are few and far between, limited largely to a more aggressive rear diffuser with Audi RS models' signature oval-shaped twin tailpipes, and 'RS 3' badging.

On the colour front, we've opted to retain the S3's launch-spec Python Yellow hue, though we'd wager Audi Sport will opt for a different, but equally bright hue to launch the RS3 flagship, possibly the solid Green or metallic Coral Orange shades available as options on the aforementioned four-cylinder model.

If the exterior upgrades weren't evolutionary enough, fans of the current RS3 will be relieved to hear the new model will opt for an "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" approach under the bonnet, where the outgoing car's much-loved and award-winning 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine is all-but-confirmed to be retained.

However, the unit is rumoured to be in line for a power boost, with Germany's AutoBild reporting outputs will increase to 309kW of power and 500Nm of torque – 15kW and 20Nm up over the outgoing RS3, but just 1kW short of the RS3's closest rival, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and its CLA45 S sibling.

Those 15kW/20Nm increases also apply when comparing the new RS3 to its new-generation RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback SUV siblings, which share the 2.5-litre turbo engine – however, it's not unusual for the RS Q3 range to develop less power than their RS3 relative, as previous iterations of each model have seen power deficits between the pair of up to 24kW.

Overseas reports have also suggested a high-spec 'Performance' variant could also be offered, producing up to 331kW – though we've yet to hear any official indication of the arrival of such a model.

The circa-300kW power output should allow for a 0-100km/h time starting with a three, down a few tenths over the outgoing RS3's 4.1-second claim, and on par with the 3.9-second claim posted by the Mercedes-AMG A45 S hyper hatch.

With the right option boxes ticked, top speed should likely be rated at an Autobahn-friendly 280km/h.

Drive should be fed to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, as per the current RS3, with the trick all-wheel-drive system employed by the latest Volkswagen Golf R likely to be offered, either as standard or as an option.

Bundled with that Haldex-type system is a torque-vectoring rear differential, capable of sending 100 per cent of available torque to either rear wheel – rather than just either axle – enabling a Drift mode function similar to that of the RS3's Mercedes-AMG rivals, which shuffles increased percentages of the engine's torque to the outside rear wheel, breaking traction and sending the vehicle sideways.

Under the skin, expect a raft of chassis and dynamics tweaks to sharpen the RS3's on-road and on-track performance, likely including stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, a quicker steering rack, larger performance brakes, stickier tyres and an array of drive modes designed to explore the hot hatch and sedan's capabilities.

Inside, the lesser S3's tech-packed, screen-laden cabin looks set to be matched with sporty trim elements, tightly-bolstered bucket seats and an array of other RS-specific touches.

The 2022 Audi RS3 is rumoured to make its full debut in September 2021, according to British magazine Auto Express, with a European market launch expected before the end of 2021.

Don't expect to see the RS3 on Australian roads for at least another six months after reaching European showrooms, however, as the standard Audi A3 and sporty S3 have been confirmed for an arrival Down Under in the second half of 2021.

Given the RS3's unveiling will occur more than a year after that of the four-cylinder S3, a launch sometime in 2022 for the five-cylinder flagship in Australia appears more likely.


Below: The current Audi RS3 Sportback


Below: The four-cylinder 2021 Audi S3, in both hatch and sedan guise

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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