WATCH: New Audi RS3 Sedan guns for old RS3’s benchmark time

Audi last month rolled out the updated RS3 what will be the last generation of this loud and proud petrol-powered turbocharged performance car.

The power produced from the five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine in the new Audi RS3 remains the same at 294 kW, but the torque has increased by 20 Nm to 500 Nm. The additional torque, along with other improvements like RS torque splitter has given this potent ride even more impetus.

Watch Audi RS3 Sedan on drag strip

Audi drive select new sports a new mode called RS Performance, which is meant for the racetrack.

Five years ago, the Audi RS3 Sedan became the first compact sedan to run a sub-four second 0 to 100 km/h during The Citizen Motoring Road Test Editor Mark Jones’ test. It completed the sprint in 3.83 seconds, with its Sportback sibling recording 4.08 seconds.

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As BMW still don’t have an M car in this segment, and the CLA 45 S AMG is still a previous-generation car, the only thing the new RS3 Sedan can test itself against is… the old RS3 Sedan.

Ingolstadt claims that the new Audi RS3 Sedan will complete the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds, which should make it faster that its predecessor. After driving the new Audi RS3 at its local launch last month, Mark predicted that Ingolstadt’s claim is on the cards.

Balancing act

But before even pitting the new generation against the clock at Gerotek last week, Mark did warn that it is 54kg heavier than before and that wider tyres will mean more drag off the line. That, along with the temperature during testing could have an impact on the sprint time.

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But whether or not the new Audi RS3 Sedan can topple its predecessor, Mark expected the margins between the two to be very small. Like in hundreds of seconds small.

Mark is busy processing the numbers that The Citizen Motoring will publish at the weekend. Watch this space for Mark’s numbers and his road test verdict.

For more information on the new RS3 Sedan, visit the manufacturer’s website.