This summer, the 2022 Audi RS3 sedan is expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships.
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How much will RS3 cost in 2022?
The price of the updated compact sedan with the turbo five-cylinder is $2800 higher than the outgoing model. The base price of the 2022 Audi RS3 is $59,995. It boasts an all-wheel drive system and a 2.5-liter inline-five engine with 401 horsepower.
Will there be an Audi RS3 in 2022?
Near the end of last year, we took a test drive in the new 2022 Audi RS3 in Euro-spec configuration, and we were impressed. Now that we’ve experienced the 2022 Audi RS3, our most recent impressions of the compact sedan confirm our initial ones: Drivers who enjoy enjoyable dynamics should pay attention to this compact performance vehicle. And the RS3 is an even better choice if you want to drive something a little different.
What’s New to the Eye
Although Audi claims that the 2022 RS3 is “completely new,” it still rests on the MQB platform that supported the outgoing model. However, there are noticeable enhancements available, and even a cursory glance at this second-generation model makes you notice its more aggressive external style. You may select a black roof for the beginning price of $59,995, which contrasts with vibrant body hues like Kyalami Green, Python Yellow, and Turbo Blue (“traditional” colors like red, white, gray, black, and more are available). Other notable cosmetic modifications include exaggerated wheel-arch flares, a larger grille and front air intakes, a more aggressive rear bumper, and a somewhat larger wicker-style spoiler. The LED headlights and taillights also have entertaining entry/exit animations, such as a “R-S-3” design that illuminates in-step on the driver’s-side front lamp and a checkered flag pattern on the other. If that weren’t enough, the RS3 has more presence and curb appeal than its predecessor thanks to the new version’s sharper side-scalloping.
Audi consistently produces some of the best interiors in the industry, and the RS3’s cockpit is no exception. Everything about it is brand-new, from the sport seats with honeycomb stitching to the gearshift and dash, and it has a sharp, purposeful appearance. With the $1,500 Design option, you may upgrade to a steering wheel covered in Alcantara, carbon fiber trim pieces, and stitching, dash accents, and seat trim in Kyalami Green. For the time being, you won’t have a choice other than that vivid green for cabin accents.
Anthony Garbis, senior manager of product planning for Audi in the U.S., explains that if you choose the design package, you will receive green interiors and exteriors. The cause? “I adore green. I’m trying to make everyone go green “He continues, laughing. “The new Kyalami green is available. That serves as the new RS3’s “communication color” globally. The life cycles of the autos must also be planned. You don’t want to just dump everything at once. Other colors, other packages, and items we request to keep the car fresh are all things we will have later. What will you do for years three and four then?”
Unfortunately, if you’re a consumer who doesn’t like green, your only option is to wait.
New Hardware
The 2022 Audi RS3’s three main componentsits engine, suspension, and RS Torque Splittertell a three-part storyline that goes beyond just how it looks.
With software changes and a little increase in boost pressure, Audi’s renowned 2.5-liter direct-injected turbo five-cylinder engine continues from the previous RS3, producing 401 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. These numbers provide a 7-horsepower and 15-lb-ft edge over the new RS3 versions offered in other nations, and they surpass the old model by 1 hp and 15 lb-ft. Yes, the loudest RS3 you can buy fresh from a dealer is available in the United States. According to Audi, the automobile will reach 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. We’ll have to wait to test the new version to see if the firm is conservative in their estimate, but that’s the time we recorded with the old version.
The former magnetic-shock suspension system has been replaced in terms of suspension by Audi’s RS Sport Suspension Plus with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC). The new suspension offers a wider variety of performance based on conditions and/or driver-selectable modes, as opposed to the previous one, which offered only two damping rates and could be cruel in terms of ride quality on various RS versions. Every damper has a valve that may be electronically regulated to alter the flow of oil into its reservoir, altering resistance but not fluid viscosity as would occur in a magnetic system.
But the main adjustment that enthusiast drivers will value is the RS Torque Splitter. With software and tuning tailored specifically for Audi, it is the same equipment found in Volkswagen’s Golf R. A clutch-pack torque-vectoring rear end replaces the Haldex differential and less desirable brake-based torque vectoring of the preceding RS3, as we’ve previously detailed. It may distribute all of the rear-wheel torque to either side, which aids in steering the chassis through turns. There is no way to physically detach the front axle from the drivetrain, however switching to Torque Rear mode enables large, simple, sweeping drifts because the front wheels are only being turned by a negligible amount of motor torque.
How Does It Drive?
Generally speaking, magnificently. A pleasant improvement from the previous suspension is that the new suspension has enough compliance in its default Comfort mode to make long trips easy on your back. Activate Dynamic mode, then go to the RS Performance submenu if you want more action and don’t mind getting moved around a bit. More suspension options are available, one of which is also called Comfort. However, the name is deceptive because it is the softer of the two track settings and is not meant for use on Shopping Mall Lane but rather the undulating Nrburgring Nordschleife. Even so, we discovered it to be perfect for spirited driving on exciting desert roads close to Pahrump, Nevada. The considerably harsher Dynamic mode option is accessible in the same submenu and is designed for Germany’s Hockenheim Grand Prix road track, which is comparatively smooth. While the steering, which is also adjustable, doesn’t offer unearthly sensation, it is swift enough to let the RS3 favorably respond to inputs, and its weight makes it fun to navigate curves.
The 2022 Audi RS3 proved to be a blast of a wonderful time as we put it through its paces on the racetrack at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump in addition to driving it on the road. We rapidly came to rely on the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and the rear-end torque splitter while driving in RS Performance mode with the stability control disabled because both did a superb job of controlling throttle inputs. Understeer is virtually always going to be the chassis’ default setting due to the RS3’s engine being placed front of its front axle and contributing to a 59/41 percent front/rear weight distribution. We were astonished by how quickly and how hard we could accelerate coming out of corners with the car uttering hardly a hint of complaint. However, it’s easy to avoid slamming the front end unless you overcook yourself into a slow curve. This is greatly influenced by the trick differential: Just maintain full speed as you exit the bend and trust the system to manage the grip.
The RS3’s front track is 2.7 inches wider than its rear, which aids in this, and the tires Audi chose for it further contribute to its generally neutral handling on the track: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires with Bubblicious-stickiness are now available as factory options for the RS3 ($450). It was fun to throw ourselves into corners, keep the accelerator on the floor at the apex, and accelerate quickly toward the next braking zone as the variable sport exhaust ($1,000) rumbled behind us. Despite the surrounding air temperature being close to 100 degrees, the brakes never got tired of striking their targets.
The vehicles we tested on the track had optional carbon-ceramic front rotors ($5,500 when purchased with a carbon engine cover that increases top speed from 155 to 180 mph). The RS3’s performance supported Audi’s claim that rear carbon-ceramics are unneeded and a waste of money due to the vehicle’s front-heavy weight skew. If you choose to continue with the factory-installed steel brake discs, you’ll be delighted to know that they have increased in size and have bigger pads and RS5 calipers for 20% greater cooling than before. The only aspect of the brake pedal’s feel that we didn’t particularly enjoy during our on-track hammering was its lengthy, rather spongy travel. Although we didn’t have any issues with the stopping power per se, we occasionally struggled to make consistent inputs, particularly in a few places on the circuit where reasonable severe braking was required.
Take It or Leave It?
The 2022 Audi RS3 merits serious attention if you’re searching for a fast, rapid, terrific-handling, non-electric, compact luxury performance sedan with sharp looks and exceptional driving dynamics. There is a lot to enjoy about this car, including its potent engine, rapid acceleration, Quattro-provided turning traction, good handling balance, and the new RS Torque Splitter, which enables plenty of smokey sideways antics if you get tired of driving straight. Its delivery isn’t as severe as, say, a BMW M vehicle, and it’s smaller than the majority of performance four-doors on the market right now. Both of those qualities are quite attractive to a particular kind of buyer. Audi won’t discuss sales volume, but don’t anticipate to see a fleet of RS3s clogging up American roads. This should give owners a sense of belonging to a small, exclusive club once more. Those individuals are right: It’s conceivable that this car will be remembered as something remarkable from a bygone era and one you wish you had seized while you had the opportunity in a few short years.
Will the RS3 Sportback be sold in the US?
Not so long ago, Audi only offered a small sample of its remarkable Audi Sport division to Americans, keeping the majority of its high-performance RS vehicles exclusively available in Europe. Customers in the US will now have a variety of RS-branded vehicles to choose from starting in 2022, including the RS5 Coupe, RS5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7, RS e-tron GT, and RS Q8. Later this year, the 2022 Audi RS3 will return to the lineup and will have more power than the current model. In fact, the performance of the US market is no longer inferior to that of Europe thanks to the new RS3.
Because of numerous European regulations, “America has the loudest and most powerful RS3,” Garbis said.
Recall that the new RS3 uses the same 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine as the outgoing version. Although there are no mechanical improvements, Audi increased the power through software modifications. The European variant generates 394 mechanical horsepower, or 400 metric horsepower (the unit used in the US). Our RS3 generates 369 lb-ft of torque and 401 horsepower. The torque is the same as the European model’s, but there are 7 extra horses.
Our RS3 is not just a little bit sportier than Europe’s, but it also sounds a little bit better when driving. The $1,000 RS sports exhaust system for the US model comes with black tips and a harsher growl. In the above video, you can hear how the new car sounds on the course.
Is Audi going to stop making the RS3?
Choosing to stop producing the TT RS and RS3 The TT line would no longer be produced, according to Audi, who made the announcement in 2019. The manufacturer said that sales goals were no longer being fulfilled.
The RS3 has a dual turbo?
Many people have questioned us about whether the RS3 is worth the significant premium Audi charges for it over the S3, and we are certain that it is. There are several justifications for that viewpoint, but I’d contend that the engine alone is persuasive enough to exclude the less expensive of the two go-faster A3s: it is just breathtaking.
It’s an absolute thrill to use the full rage brought up by this warble-tastic 2.5-litre engine, especially in a performance car scene where turbocharged four-cylinder engines are becoming more and more prevalent. Its 395 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque may not be much more than the 3.0-liter straight-six in the BMW M2 or the 2.0-liter “45” inline-four from Mercedes-AMG, but it feels far more powerful than both.
At 2000 rpm, the twin-scroll turbocharger begins to wake up, giving you a hint of what’s to come, but it’s not until 4000 rpm and beyond that all hell completely breaks loose. It has a wonderful punch and drama, and sure, the throaty roar that comes from its twin tailpipes is incredible. Let’s hope it remains for a considerable amount of time.
Is the Audi RS3 quick?
The new Audi RS3 has a top speed of 290 kilometers per hour.
The 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine in the new Audi RS3 gives it the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.8 seconds.
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The RS3 sedan, according to Audi, had not undergone any modifications before to the lap run.
After breaking a new lap timing record at the Nrburgring Nordschleife of 7:40.748 minutes, the new Audi RS3 sedan has surpassed all other compact cars as the quickest vehicle. According to a press statement from the German luxury automaker, in June 2021, Audi Sport racing and development driver Frank Stippler improved upon the previous lap record for the compact class by 4.64 seconds.
Audi RS3 dependability
In our most recent reliability survey, which included 37 manufacturers, Audi as a brand came in a disappointing 15th place overall. The RS3 wasn’t included as a stand-alone vehicle, but the A3, its brother, placed highly in the family car category.
Will we see the RS3 in 2022?
According to a recent announcement from Audi USA, the 2022 RS3 will cost $58,900 ($59,095 plus a $1,095 destination tax). The new performance sedan is arrived to quicken the heartbeats of Audi enthusiasts. It is wider, lighter, and more powerful than the outgoing model.
The 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine that powers the 2022 Audi RS3 will still produce 401 horsepower (299 kW/406 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. Actually, that is more than the European model, which is only capable of 394 horsepower (294 kW/400 PS).
In June, Audi informed us that the increase in power was due to “a specific request from Audi USA.
But they added that because the increase is so slight, they did not expect a noticeable change in performance.
The new RS3 is it bigger?
The 2022 Audi RS3 is little but mighty, being longer, broader, and meaner than before. With 401 horsepower, it explodes out its flared fenders, and it has a new electronic rear differential with a drift mode. The RS3’s increased capabilities have been put to the test by me on the road, track, and skidpad, and they are just as remarkable as I had hoped.
The front and rear LED lights of the RS3 perform a welcoming dance when the key fob is unlocked, which ends with a playful “R-S-3-checkered flag” in the driver-side front lights. As usual, Audi paid close attention to lighting technology, including the RS3’s exclusive Matrix LED headlights and sequential LED turn signals at either end.
While the A3 and S3 sedans on which it is based have modest, geometric style, the RS3 has undergone significant changes that increase both performance and visual aggression. The wheel arches of the RS3 were dramatically flared to accommodate larger wheels and tires, and it rides almost an inch lower than the original A3. Additionally, compared to the previous RS3, the front track is 1.6 inches wider. The rear of the front flares have air vents carved into them to help cool the RS3’s brakes and further emphasize how wide they are.
The front bumper of the RS3 is more aggressively designed, starting with a gloss black grille surround that flows into headlamps with a darker hue. My vehicle also has the Black Optic Plus package, a $750 add-on that covers the Audi rings, rear emblems, and roof in black and gives the standard 19-inch wheels a matte black appearance.
Above a massaged rear bumper with gloss black, hexagon-pattern elements and a black rear diffuser that encloses the dual oval tips of the RS3’s exhaust, a little lip spoiler rests above the trunk lid.