Audi’s JIMS stand is a full one, but the company has placed the main emphasis on its A3 sedan and S3 Sportback – both due to arrive in SA soon.
These models are underpinned by the same MQB platform doing service in the new A3 Sportback and measure in at 4 460 mm in length, 1 796 mm wide and 1 416 mm high with a wheelbase of 2400 mm.
Although it appears to share a great deal of its styling elements with the A3 model upon which it is based, it’s believed that most of the saloon’s bodywork is all-new with the grille and headlamps being the items common to both cars. The S3 is differentiated from its standard cousin by deeper side skirts, aluminium-effect wing mirror caps, a quad-exhaust setup and sporty alloy wheels in an anthracite finish.
The international The A3 Saloon engine line-up is made up of a 1,4-litre TFSI (103 kW/250 N.m), a 1,8-litre TFSI (132 kW/250 N.m), a 2,0-litre TDI (110 kW/320 N.m) and a 2,0-litre TFSI.
The S3 makes use of an overhauled version of the 2,0-litre T FSI turbopetrol from the previous car an overhaul that sees the outputs climb from 188 kW/350 N.m to 221 kW at 5 500 r/min and 380 N.m of torque between 1 800-5 500 r/min. Among the technologies employed by this engine are direct fuel injection working via Audi’s valvelift system and optimised thermal management.
This unit, when coupled with Audi’s six-speed S tronic transmission and utilising its launch-start module, will see the S3 Sportback crack the 0-100 km/h sprint in 5,0 seconds (the six-speed manual-equipped model makes the same run in 5,5 seconds) on the way to an electronically limited 250 km/h top speed. Audi claims an average fuel-consumption figure of 6,9 litres/100 km for the S tronic-equipped model and 7,0 litres/100 km for the manual – improvements of roughly 1,5 litres/100 km over the previous car.
Other models on the Audi stand include the RS7 Sportback, RSQ3, R8 V10 Plus, RS5 Cabriolet, RS4 Avant, S6, A8L W8 Security.