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The Power Pill

Will the shell of an Audi family sedan marry well with the underpinnings of the VW Golf R? And does the 2015 Audi S3 pass muster to woo a generation obsessed with performance figures?

By George Kuruvilla

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Published: Fri 31 Jul 2015, 1:50 PM

Last updated: Fri 31 Jul 2015, 4:03 PM

Life has been made a little too complicated by our infinitesimally discriminatory minds. Before, the car was a means to close the distance and time that separated two or more places of significance. Then, the cadency of these rolling structures became remarkable: some hired for luxury beyond common money's reach and some, purpose built for speed, to thrill a population whose satiation for acquiring survival skills was replaced by their artistic ventures. and so on. In this era, our needs have become necessities and our wants needs, and we just about pick a bone for everything that costs us some money. The car is now such a multifarious requirement that even the Germans and the Japanese don't get it right too often.
Now, from the house of Ingolstadt comes the very compact and promising 2015 Audi S3 Sedan. We take a spin in it this week.
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Before we indulge, there are a few things we must know about the S3. It is based on the competent and very relevant Volkswagen Golf R. It's a compact sedan that competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Lexus IS, and delivers the tight dimensions expected of it: its short 4,469mm length and 1,796mm width.

Being a compact sedan, it is difficult for a manufacturer to pull-off a well-proportioned vehicle with statement styling. But Audi seems to have accomplished it in the S3 for the most part - the Mazda 3 being the only other car that equals or beats this proposition.
The S3 is a rather tame-looking car and Audi has done its bit to differentiate this performance sub-brand. The compacted looks of the A6-like front end are equipped with jagged LED streaks that act as daytime running lamps. Other distinguishing cues include a large multi-slat front grille, garnished with an S3 badge, with marginally larger air intakes on the sides.
The housing for the side-view mirrors are finished in satin-finish aluminium, like the rest of the S and RS models. The 'tornado line' puts out a shadowy effect, when sunlight hits it at the right angle, and gives the door panels some character. At the half house view, you can't really tell whether this is a well-spec'd A3 or an S3, but at least the view won't disgruntle buyer or bystander.
Being the sporty one of the bunch, it gets S3-specific 18-inch 5 parallel spoke design to add some visual speed. Although I must mention, the A3 40 TSFI model has an equally handsome set of wheels. The S3 also gets red paint calipers.
The quad tailpipes flanking the rear diffuser tell of Audi's racy heritage and provide for a great soundtrack; the one niggle we had was with the triangulated tail lamps that don't do it any favours; yes, they are LED-lit but devoid of any style.

The word on the cabin interior is that it is pretty much like any other Audi: minimalist detailing spread on a black background filled with soft touch materials and high quality fixtures. Unlike a mid-tier car, this one has a well-executed pop-out infotainment screen that tucks back into the centre console at the touch of a button - we can see it would appeal much to a James Bond fan and everybody else. You would also like the round aircraft style air-vents. Along with them comes the contrast stitching in red and white, and the flat-bottom 3-spoke steering, which, in an A3, is a round one.
The rear cabin has space for two-and-a-half adults. There are cut outs for your knees behind the front seats and the rear windows are much bigger than on the CLA 45, which will give your kids a fair view of the outside. But there is a conspicuous transmission tunnel that eats middle-child legroom.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Once you disrobe the aluminium body panels with your imagination, you can share a glimpse of the promising powertrain that it borrows from the VW Golf - a sinewy turbocharged 2.0-litre, inline 4-cylinder engine. Out from the crank rushes a bloodstock of power rated at 286 bhp between 5,300 and 6,200rpm; being force-fed means that you really can't guess the kind of torque it makes - but the spec sheet does read 380Nm, which is available from as low as 1,800 and goes all the way to 5,200rpm. It is hooked to a 6-speed S-tronic gearbox, which is basically a rebadged dual-clutch DSG transmission from the Golf R. Both engine and transmission are quick to respond.
On the road, you can imagine how a boosted engine on a lightweight body would be. It's quick off the line with plenty of power reserve for overtaking, and a usable top end. The claimed 5.0-second dash from 0 to 100 km/h can be easily achieved and is certainly one of the high points of this S3.
The access to the all-wheel drive traction via the quattro system gives the surety from the driver's seat. This steering rack provides good amounts of accuracy and feedback helping you carve corners easily and leaving you with some amount of mid-corner adjustability. Most importantly, it remains predictable! There are plenty of modes to choose from in the Audi Drive Select, but we preferred the "Individual" setting, because it let us keep the steering, engine and the gearbox in dynamic mode, while retaining the softness of the suspension. And speaking of ride quality, it is surprisingly supple for a sports car with low-profile tyres. In fact, it rode better than the BMW 528i, which we reviewed earlier, even though that had a longer wheelbase.
This S3, in many ways, commemorates the late, great VW MkV R32 with its 3.2-litre VR6 engine. The similarities in power delivery and exhaust notes are uncanny, making it a very endearing car. Sure, the Merc' CLA 45 AMG makes close to 355bhp, but you can't really tell the difference in real world driving.
The mechanical beauty of the engine continues in the form of its spectacular CO2 emission of 176g/km, especially given the performance and the fuel economy it returns: 7.3l/100km on an average. And there are no prizes for guessing that the stop/start function helps it achieve this.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
This could possibly be the cheapest car available with the most expensive Bang & Olufsen sound system. We aren't thrilled about badges, but this one does matter. It comes with a USB charger, and, as for streaming music, there is no better way than through the S3's Bluetooth tech.
At 390 litres, the space under the boot lid doesn't seem like a lot but it is enough for any average family.
The infotainment screen is controlled by Audi MMI or the Multimedia Interface, which is rather much like the BMW iDrive, that everybody now knows about. I liked that they added some toggle switches to go along with the quadrant of buttons on the lower console. It's a good intuitive system, this MMI.
Being a smaller car helps, but the air-conditioner did it right for us, even with the temperatures this summer has to offer. You have dual zone temperature control and, yes, the rear seats have air vents, which make travelling a pleasant experience, all in all.
VERDICT
The 2015 Audi S3 Sedan is a wake-up call for all sports car manufacturers. It is not about how good a car it is, but what car it represents - the affordable sports sedan - which is a rare thing these days.


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