2025 Audi S3: RS 3 Lite?
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The Car Guide recently flew to Germany for a first drive with the updated 2025 Audi S3, the sportier variant of the entry-level A3. The subcompact sports sedan is refreshed inside and out, while performance is elevated with an upgraded powertrain and revised chassis. The first units will land in Canada this summer.
Just like its predecessor, the 2025 S3 will be offered exclusively in four-door body style on this side of the Atlantic, leaving the five-door Sportback configuration to Europe and other global markets. That’s a real shame if you ask us.
- Also: 2025 Audi A3 Gets Mid-Cycle Refresh, No Allstreet Model for Canada
- Also: 2025 Audi S3: Bringing Some RS 3 Magic Into the Mix
Sharper and More Assertive
Following the A3’s lead, the latest S3 benefits from various styling revisions and looks sharper and more assertive than in the past. The front grille is both wider and flatter, while the bumper is newly sculpted and incorporates larger air intakes. In the rear, a new, wider diffuser caps the quad tailpipes. A sports exhaust system from Akrapovic is optional, giving the S3 a more robust sound.
The interior features horizontal air vents similar to those in the A3, while the new shifter is borrowed from the brand’s electric models. Also on the centre console is a wireless charging tray for smartphones. The virtual cockpit is back along with the centre touchscreen, but many physical controls are retained for quick access to functions like drive mode selection and DSC adjustment. A flat-bottom, multi-function sports steering wheel completes an otherwise understated cabin.
328 Horsepower and Torque Splitter
The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine nestled under the hood of the 2025 Audi S3 is more powerful, generating 328 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Just as important, the turbo is pre-loaded in order to ensure immediate throttle response.
Audi engineers have also worked on the S tronic transmission, which now shifts twice as fast as before. The result is 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.7 seconds.
A key addition for 2025 is the torque splitter from the Volkswagen Golf R and Audi RS 3. While the S3 lacks a Drift mode, two multi-plate clutches handle torque vectoring from one side to the other. In Dynamic Plus mode, the splitter sends more torque to the outside wheel, causing the little sedan to oversteer. If you love to drive as much as we do, you’re in for a treat.
New Front Suspension Tuning
Admittedly, the game-changing torque splitter is not the only reason why the 2025 Audi S3 is more playful than ever. Sitting 15 mm lower than the A3, the car comes standard with an S sports suspension. Wishbones with stiffer bearings and new pivot bearings that allow more negative wheel camber ensure an improved steering response and increased lateral control.
Meanwhile, the optimized progressive steering helps the S3 take corners even more precisely. With its angle-dependent ratio, it is more centered especially in the middle position.
A brake upgrade completes the package, including thicker, 18-inch ventilated brake discs and dual-piston callipers on the front axle. Oh, and the Audi S3 comes standard with 18-inch wheels, but two sets of 19-inch alloys are available as an option, wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza Sport performance tires.
It’s No RS 3, But…
At the end of the day, the refreshed and improved 2025 Audi S3 is almost good enough to make you forget about the RS 3 and its glorious inline five-cylinder engine producing 394 horsepower. That model continues to be sold in the U.S. but sadly won’t come to Canada.
The S3 may not have as much power and torque as the RS 3, or come with a Drift mode, but it’s still a formidable sports sedan made significantly sharper and more dynamic with a revised chassis and the addition of a torque splitter. Pricing details will be announced closer to launch this summer.
