Hot Audi RS3 Sedan goes on sale in SA
The new RS3 Sedan has arrived in South Africa, sporting a 294kW power figure and a R925 000 base price tag.
The 5 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is also good for 480 N.m. of torque (from 1700 right through to 5850 r/min), which should see you to 100km/h in just 4.1. seconds thanks to Audi’s trademark Quattro four-wheel-drive system . It’s worth noting that the RS3’s 294kW power figure trumps both the BMW M2 and Mercedes A45 AMG- although you do pay for the extra grunt (the A45 AMG retails for a base price around R770 00, while the M2 starts at R905 000).
If you make your way through the 7 speed dual-clutch transmission, you’ll find the RS3 is limited to a top speed of 250km/h. Part with an extra R20 900, however, and Audi will raise that to 280km/h. Comparatively, the S3 costs a massive R269 500 less, and will get to 100km/h to in 4.5s, while unlimited examples have been known to clock north of 270km/h…
The exterior comes with some distinctive RS kit- RS specific bumpers, a honeycomb-style grill, 19 inch alloy wheel, sports suspension and a sports exhaust name a few. Interior standard features include a music interface, Nappa leather trim with contrasting stitching, headlining in ‘’rock grey’’ hue and aluminium door sills. Notable optional extras include Matrix LED headlamps (R7 750), electrically adjustable front seats (R11 200), adaptive cruise control (R15 300), Audi magnetic ride (R13 640), ceramic brakes (R65 000), MMI Navigation Plus (R24 000), Virtual cockpit (R7 250, plus the cost of the navigation system), and a panoramic glass roof (R11 100).
Although the RS3 Sedan will no doubt have more to offer than just the performance figures, one can’t help but let the question slip into your mind: is 0.4 seconds less to 100km/h and a couple of km/h extra in top speed worth forking out another quarter-of-a-million rand?
