What's the news?
Audi is giving the RS 3 mega-hatch an update for 2017, bringing to it the minor styling changes already seen on the rest of the A3 range, and also more power for the 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder engine.
That TFSI unit is now up to 400hp, making it by far the most powerful hot hatch you can currently buy. That's abetted by 480Nm of torque, and is enough to give the RS 3 a 0-100km/h time of just 4.1 seconds. It has quattro four-wheel drive, naturally, and drives through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Top speed is 280km/h, if you ask for the limiter to be taken off. Naughty.
Fuel consumption is claimed at 8.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and Co2 emissions are a not-bad-considering-the-power 189g/km.
Sitting an inch lower (25mm) than a standard A3 hatch, the RS 3 uses four-link rear suspension, rides on 19-inch wheels and has 310mm front brakes with optional carbon-ceramic discs available.
The exterior gets a chunky bodykit with optional Matrix LED headlights, and it's covered in quattro logos.
Inside, you'll find Nappa leather seats and a special RS digital display in the instrument panel which displays the readings for torque, g-forces and tyre pressure. There's also a change-up light for when you're using the gearbox in manual mode.
There's a fully-connected MMI infotainment system with its own LTE mobile internet and a Wi-Fi hotspot. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Google Earth and Google Street View integrated into the sat-nav, plus information on fuel prices, weather, travel and traffic.
Other tech highlights include the Audi phone box, the Bang & Olufsen Sound System with 705 watts of power, and many driver assistance systems. In slow-moving traffic, up to 65km/h, for example, the traffic jam assist keeps the car at a safe distance from the vehicle in front and can briefly take over the steering.
Also, new in the Audi RS 3 Sportback are the emergency assist, which automatically stops the car if required, and cross traffic assist rear. The latter system looks out for crossing vehicles when the driver is pulling out of a parking space.
"The Audi RS 3 Sportback offers our customers an attractive introduction to the RS world," said Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Audi Sport GmbH. "Since 2011 the sporty compact model has proved itself extremely successful on the market. And with the new five-cylinder engine, the Audi RS 3 Sportback is at the head of its class and continuing that strong track record."