Audi RS3: even more power from this hot hatch

The Audi A3 is a hugely popular car, covering all manner of bases from family wheels to hot hatch. But Audi has taken that a huge step further, by adding the five-cylinder powerhouse from its TT RS. So that’s 394bhp pouring through all four wheels. That’s certainly adding some heat to the hot hatch sector, but a rocket needs more than just power. Has the RS3 got enough to go supersonic?

The numbers look good. Alongside that 394bhp there is 354lb ft of torque, so with four-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, there is all you need to get off the line rather faster than a Cape Canaveral launch. In fact, launch is so blistering it’s almost hard to grasp. We can’t think of anything that is going to outdrag this RS3.

It’s a good thing there is a lot of torque as the top end doesn’t seem as muscular as you’d hope. Instead it’s best to use the massive midrange and keep the gears flicking. The only problem with that is that the transmission can hesitate a moment when you most need it to be decisive, but it’s not a deal breaker.

The engine doesn’t just offer up a load of horsepower, it’s lighter too, so the front end turns in faster than ever, and stays locked on line. Body control is excellent, aided further if you have the money for the adaptive dampers.

That engine sounds great too, so we might be tempted to go for the sports exhaust option, as nothing sounds quite like that five-pot when it’s angry. Otherwise, all noise is kept to a commendable minimum, underlining Audi’s sophistication in this market that can cover simple boy racers.

And Audi certainly does know how to build a cabin. The premium space in the RS3 might be a trifle austere with its overall grey, but everything has a high-quality feel, from the steering wheel to the lowliest switch. There are some RS logos on enhanced bit of kit and it’s all a great balance, even if we’d go ticking yet another options box, this time for the Virtual Cockpit.

The RS3 has all the space of the standard A3, so there’s ample and comfortable and supportive room up front, with room for two adults or three children across the back row. Behind them is a really quite large boot for the sector, and it’s easy to get stuff in and out. It’s all so relentlessly practical, and yet it’s also a total barnstormer at the same time.