Facelifted Audi S3 Spied With Smaller Grille, Maybe BMW Can Learn a Thing or Two From It

Set to replace the iteration that is about to turn two and a half, the facelifted Audi S3 was spied in Sportback and Sedan guises undergoing testing. In addition to the smaller grille, it has new headlights with a similar shape and different pattern, smaller side vents in the front bumper, and bigger central air intake.

The hood still has aggressive lines running across its length, and the front and rear fenders have the same swollen-up design. The rear bumper is part of the novelties. It has a cleaner overall styling, repositioned reflectors, and a less aggressive looking diffuser attached to it. The quad tailpipes seem to have the same size and shape. Another thing that will change is the taillights, which are a bit slimmer, and have new graphics. The wheels on the scooped prototypes appear to carry over for now.

We don’t expect any major updates when it comes to the cabin, as this is a facelift, after all, and not a new generation. It will retain the same dashboard panel, and will likely incorporate the same infotainment screen and digital dials, perhaps with software updates, and likely similarly-styled air vents. A new steering wheel is not out of the question, alongside maybe a revised center console, and perhaps not much else.

The same goes for the engine, which is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, mated to a seven-speed S tronic transmission, and front-biased all-wheel drive system. In the current S3, it develops 306 hp (310 ps/228 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, enabling the zero to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in a couple of tenths of a second under the 5-second mark, and a top speed that is electronically capped at 155 mph (250 kph). If we were to guess, we’d say that the facelifted S3 models will retain the output and thrust of their predecessors, and should be equally fast. Some chassis revisions are possible, and the stopping power will still be provided by the same braking system in all likelihood.

As before, the S3 Sportback will be a forbidden fruit in our market, but we will at least get the S3 Sedan, which will join the normal A3 models, and will be dwarfed in terms of pricing and performance by the full-blown RS 3. The current S3 Sedan has an MSRP of $46,800, undercutting the RS 3 by $14,100, and when the new one launches, probably as a 2024 model, it should be a bit pricier.