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audi rs3 213906
20112 audi rs3 06 5k3h
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Carsales Staff22 Jun 2021
NEWS

Audi RS 3 five-cylinder engine to stay – for now

Unique five-pot turbo gets torque boost for incoming RS 3, and is far from ‘old’, says Audi

Audi has confirmed the incoming new-generation 2021 Audi RS 3 gets even more muscle this time around, with a 20Nm torque hike delivering a hefty 500Nm across a wider rev range.

But how many years does its iconic five-cylinder engine have left, and could it be retired after this generation – or perhaps downsized and electrified?

That was the question posed to a panel of Audi engineers in Germany during an international Q&A session, and the tone of the development team suggests the five-cylinder engine’s place within the brand is non-negotiable.

“What the future will bring we’ll tell you in time but the five-cylinder is an engine that always plays a role with Audi,” said the Audi RS 3 technical project manager, Marvin Schwatter.

“We are quite proud, and with the five-cylinder it really belongs in the Audi, it’s a match made in heaven.”

20112 audi rs3 06 5k3h

The German brand claims class-leading pace with a 290km/h top speed and a 3.8-second 0-100km/h sprint for the new-generation Audi RS 3.

It also has bigger brakes and a new drift-savvy rear diff to dial out understeer from the high-performance small car.

But the lack of extra power over the current Audi RS 3 is telling.

While the updated inline five-cylinder gets more torque across a wider rev range, the updated 2.5-litre mill gets the same 294kW as its predecessor.

The all-new Audi RS 3 has also had its throaty exhaust note dialled back in order to adhere to legal noise limits.

audi rs3 213906

The 294kW power output (delivered from 5600-7000rpm) means the smaller 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo in the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S – good for 310kW/500Nm – retains bragging rights as the segment’s most powerful hot hatch.

Schwatter bristled when it was suggested the five-cylinder engine was getting old.

“I can also add here at this point, I wouldn’t say it’s old because we are optimising the engine and we keep optimising the engine, and also the new emissions legislations can be met with this engine,” he said.

12 rs sportback antriebsstrang

“Of course, it’s been optimised in this RS 3, we’ve got 500Nm of torque, 20 more Newton-metres, and with that of course best-in-class ratings when it comes to acceleration and top speed, at 3.8 seconds and 290km/h top speed as an option.”

The Audi RS 3 will be offered in sedan and Sportback body styles when it launches in Australia from early 2022, and pricing is expected to rise from the current starting point of $83,436 plus on-road costs.

Stay tuned for our first drive of the next-gen Audi RS 3 soon.

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Written byCarsales Staff
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