Audi RS3 facelift revealed

Audi has revealed a mid-life facelift for the RS3 in both hatchback and sedan forms. The new RS3 comes with refreshed exterior and interior styling, along with reworked brake torque vectoring.

1. RS3 facelift gets minor styling tweaks
2. Carries over 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder turbo-petrol engine 
3. Last Audi with a 5-cylinder engine

Audi RS3 facelift: what’s new?

On the outside, the RS3 facelift gets a new front splitter, revised front and rear LED signatures with a chequered design, and updated side air intakes. Inside, it gets new RS bucket seats in Nappa leather, and a flat-top, flat-bottom steering wheel with haptic buttons replacing physical controls. It also gets redesigned air vents and a smaller gear selector than the outgoing model.

Powering the RS3 facelift is the same 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that still makes 400hp and 500Nm of peak torque and comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with Quattro all-wheel drive. The RS3 can sprint from 0-100kph in 3.8 seconds, before topping out at 290kph. The performance figures remain unchanged from the pre-facelift model. The RS3 is the last Audi to use a 5-cylinder engine.

The manufacturer says the RS3 facelift performs better on corners than the outgoing model, thanks to some fine-tuning, including updates to the brake torque vectoring. 

Audi RS3 facelift: price, India launch details

Prices for the RS3 Sportback start at €66,000 (Rs 61.24 lakh) in Germany, while the RS3 sedan begins at €68,000 (about Rs 63.10 lakh). Like its predecessor, the RS3 facelift isn’t expected to be brought to India. Meanwhile, Audi recently started accepting bookings for the Q8 facelift, set to be launched later this week.