Audi S3 Sedan TFSI quattro S Tronic

Now with more aggressive styling and an upmarket interior, the latest S3 Sedan picks up where the previous car left off, albeit with less power

Price: R810 000 0-100 km/h: 5,06 seconds Top speed: 250 km/h Power: 213 kW Torque: 400 N.m CAR fuel index: 9,36 L/100 km Co,: 182 g/km

The Audi S3, whether it be the Sportback or the Sedan, has maintained an appealing flexible character over the years. The turbocharged all wheel-drive recipe has remained pretty much unchanged since the first S3 arrived in 1999 and helped define the compact-premium performance car segment we see today. Now with added tech and sharper looks, the brand's latest iteration of its smallest performance car aims to remain sufficiently luxurious and fast but has more dramatic styling and an updated interior. Coated in Turbo Blue paintwork with the black styling package (R5 000) it's no longer as unassuming as the car that it replaces.

Like the Sportback, the S3 Sedan takes the latest-generation Audi A3 as its foundation and adds a little more design menace. The intakes on the front bumper have grown, while the grille gets black highlights throughout the intricate honeycomb pattern, complemented by a matching splitter. The door mirror caps and extended side sills are finished in the same shade. If the S3 is specified without the optional black package, these details will be finished in the typical Audi Performance silver. Round the back, the styling changes are a bit less obvious but it does get some crisp LED taillamps and the signature Squad tailpipes. The car sits on a sports suspension that drops the body 15 mm lower to the ground than the regular A3 Sedan and rides on standard 235/35/R19 wheels.

Underneath the sporty bodywork lies the traditional mechanical arrangement we've seen in the past. The VAG EA888 turbocharged 2,0-litre four cylinder engine is offered with 213 kW and 400 N.m. This power figure is down from the 228 kW we saw in the outgoing model.