Audi Malaysia has opened the order books for the 2023 RS3 Sedan with pricing expected to range from RM650k to RM750k. The RS3 Sedan will join the Audi RS line-up in Malaysia currently made up of the RS4 Avant, RS5 Sportback, RS6 Avant, RS7 Sportback and more recently, the RS Q8.
The second-generation RS3 Sedan is powered by a 2.5 litre TFSI turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine that makes 400 PS from 5,600 rpm to 7,000 rpm and 500 Nm of torque from 2,250 rpm to 5,600 rpm. Power is sent to all four corners via a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox and a quattro all-wheel drive system.
These figures allow the RS3 Sedan to go from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h. Armed with such performance, the RS3 Sedan went on to be the fastest compact car to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. It did so in seven minutes 40.748 seconds.
For comparison, the Mercedes-AMG A45S 4MATIC+ produces 421 PS at 6,750 rpm and 500 Nm from 5,000 rpm, from a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The new M139 engine is paired with an eight-speed AMG Speedshift DCT 8G dual-clutch transmission for drive all four wheels via the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ system.
The AMG A45S does 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, and is capable of hitting a 270 km/h top speed with the Driver’s Package. It may be neck and neck in terms of performance but the A45S gallops ahead with a price tag starting from just RM481,888.
The RS3 Sedan’s powertrain features an RS Torque Splitter that comes with torque vectoring between the rear wheels. The feature enables controlled drifts as all of the engine’s power can be channeled to just one of the rear wheels.
Also available is the new RS Performance drive mode which adjusts the powertrain for optimum performance on a racetrack while an RS Torque Rear mode essentially serves as a ‘drift mode’. Other RS goodies offered include the RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control, ceramic brake discs, 19-inch wheels with a 10-spoke design, RS-specific front and rear bumpers along with an RS exhaust system. The RS exhaust system comes with a fully variable flap control system.
RS-specific items inside the cabin include a shift indicator that changes from green to yellow to red, Nappa leather seats with RS-style honeycomb stitching, and a flat-bottomed RS steering wheel featuring a 12 o’clock marker and an RS button.
The driver can monitor coolant, engine, and transmission oil temperatures through the 10.1-inch infotainment display. Other driving information such as power and torque outputs, g-forces, acceleration and lap times are displayed on the 12.3-inch virtual cockpit plus. For the first time, the RS3 Sedan is fitted with a head-up display.
The model you see in the images is a registered Singaporean car so local specifications may differ. How do you like the RS3 Sedan in its new Kyalami Green colour? Does it look too jarring? Or is that how you’d expect an RS3 to look? Let us know in the comments!