Audi S3 Saloon goes on sale

The new Audi S3 Saloon is now on sale, with prices starting at £33,240 and deliveries expected from March 2014. The Saloon will be the fourth addition to the S3 range, joining the three-door, five-door Sportback and Cabriolet models.

The S3 Saloon will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, with 300PS and 380 Nm of torque, which will be hardwired into Audi’s famous quattro all-wheel-drive.  

Official figures suggest that the Saloon will cover 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds, before reaching an electronically restricted top speed of 155mph. Power will peak at 5500rpm, while maximum torque will be available from just 1800rpm.

The four-cylinder engine can be pared with a six-speed manual or automatic S Tronic twin-clutch gearbox, with claimed fuel economy ranging from 40.9mpg (automatic) to 40.4mpg (manual). CO2 will be 159g/km, which equates to £175 for 12 months road tax.

Sports suspension is fitted as standard, along with Audi’s magnetic ride , which uses an electromagnetic damper control system to reduce ride harshness. Adaptive drive dynamics will also be fitted at no extra cost, allowing the driver to customise the driving and handling characteristics of the car, with the option of comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency or individual modes,

Audi has extended the car’s wheelbase by 35mm over the Sportback, which increases boot space by 50 litres to 390 and dual-zone air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity all come as standard, along with xenon plus headlights and LED daytime running lamps.

The S3 Saloon will also get a number of design touches to tell it apart, with single-frame grille and front bumper, aluminium-look exterior mirrors and a platinum grey diffuser. The brakes also get S3-branded calipers.

No trim details about trim levels have been announced as yet, but more information will be revealed prior to the car’s official UK launch in March.