Audi S3 Sportback steps out for Geneva - AutoWeek

Ingolstadt's elegant performance hatchback packs a punch The Audi S3 Sportback goes on sale in Europe this fall. Plans to sell it in the United States haven't been disclosed. The Audi S3 Sportback runs with all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission. The instrument panel of the Audi S3 Sportback. The Audi S3 Sportback packs a turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 296 hp. By: Greg Kable on 2/12/2013 Audi has lifted the veil on the second-generation S3 Sportback, revealing the new performance hatchback in a series of official photographs ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show in early March. Audi will sell the A3 sedan in the U.S. market in 2014. Other versions of the A3 will be considered for sale here, but a spokesman wouldn't elaborate. As expected, Ingolstadt's keenly awaited five-door hatch adopts the same engine and gearbox combination as its three-door sibling revealed last September, endowing it with higher levels of performance and greater overall efficiency. The S3 Sportback is planned to go on sale across Europe in September. But with added competition in the form of the BMW M135i hatchback and Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, it faces stiff competition in the premium performance-hatchback market. Power hails from the latest evolution of Audi's widely used EA888 engine. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder direct-injection unit kicks out 296 hp, providing it with a specific power output of 148 hp per liter. Torque peaks at 280 lb-ft on a band of revs from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. The new engine is described as Audi's most advanced four-cylinder production-car engine to date. It runs 1.2 bar of turbocharger boost pressure, twin-counter-balancing rotation shafts, a two-stage valve-lift system with 30 degrees of camshaft adjustment on the inlet side and 60 degrees on the exhaust side, a new injection system to deliver fuel to each cylinder depending on throttle load and a 6,800-rpm redline. It's also claimed to weigh 11 pounds less than the engine it replaces. As with its predecessor, the S3 Sportback receives a standard six-speed manual gearbox and Haldex style multi-plate-clutch all-wheel-drive system. A six-speed dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox with remote steering wheel-mounted shift paddles continues to be available as an option. Clothed in a body that extensively uses aluminum, the Audi is claimed to possess a curb weight that undercuts the second-generation model by an impressive 154 pounds, coming in at 3,186 pounds. Audi quotes a 0-62-mph time of just 5 seconds with the optional six-speed S-tronic gearbox, which includes a launch-control system to limit slip under hard acceleration. With the standard six-speed manual, it requires 5.5 seconds. Top speed in each case is an electronically limited 155 mph, the same as before. The added performance is achieved with a reduction in fuel consumption; the new S3 returns an official 34.1 mpg on the European test cycle in S-tronic guise. With the six-speed manual, it is rated at 33.6 mpg. The new S3 Sportback is the latest model to use the Volkswagen Group's new modular transverse platform, or MQB structure, as it is known. Among its developments is a new front-end architecture, with the front axle moved further forward compared with the previous model and the engine tilted back by 12 degrees toward the bulkhead for improved weight distribution. Up front is a new MacPherson strut suspension. The rear receives a revised version of its predecessor's four link suspension. The nominal ride height is reduced from the A3 Sportback, while the standard wheels are 18-inch in diameter and come shod with 225/40 profile tires. Standard equipment includes Audi Drive Select. It enables the driver to alter the characteristics of the throttle, shift points of the optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the steering ratio. The option list includes magnetic ride, which has an electromagnetic system to provide constantly variable damper rates. As with the previous S3 Sportback, the new model receives a rather cautious appearance that eschews some of the more flamboyant performance-car touches of rival hot hatchbacks. Many of the visual changes have already been previewed on the S-line styling package available for the recently introduced second-generation A3 Sportback. Among them is a beefed-up grille with an aluminum-look finish to the frame and horizontal elements, larger front air ducts with honeycomb-shaped inserts within a reshaped front bumper, aluminum-look exterior mirror housings, widened sills, roof rails, prominent spoiler atop the tailgate, deeper rear bumper with a prominent diffuser element and a quartet of chromed oval tail pipes. Discreet S3 badges also adorn the grille and tailgate. Get more car news, reviews and opinion every day: Sign up to have the Autoweek Daily Drive delivered right to your inbox. COMMENT POLICY - Please read before posting Autoweek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Above all: be respectful. Critique statements, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the political rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and Autoweek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? 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