US Spec 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan Spied

 

The RS3 sedan will ride on Volkswagen’s MQB platform that already underpins the A3 and S3, the TT line, and a number of other VW Group products. Quattro all-wheel drive will be standard, and we anticipate that the RS3 sedan will have slightly more balanced handling than the RS3 hatchback we drove, as the new engine’s aluminum block should mean less weight on the front wheels.

 

 

As noted above, we fully expect the RS3 sedan to be little more than a TT RS sedan. That means the four-door will offer approximately 400 horsepower from an all-new 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder with an aluminum block. In the TT RS, the engine produces 354 lb-ft of torque from 1700 to 5850 rpm; while that range may change slightly in the four-door, there’s no reason to suspect the RS3 sedan won’t possess a similarly fat torque band. Sadly, there’s no sign that a traditional manual transmission will be offered. Instead, plan on a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Like the current RS3 Sportback, the new sedan likely will be able to send up to 100 percent of its available torque to the car’s rear axle when the all-wheel-drive system’s computers deem it necessary. The RS3 sedan should be a ball of fun, even if it lacks a third pedal.

Look for Audi to formally reveal the RS3 sedan later this year and for it to arrive in the U.S. in early 2017 as a 2018 model. With competition from Mercedes-AMG and BMW starting at just over $50,000, we expect the RS3 sedan to follow suit with a base price in the low-to-mid-$50,000 range.