Audi S3 Sedan Facelift Review

Audi launched the facelifted A3 in Singapore at the start of 2025, available in both Sedan and Sportback body styles. The fire-breathing RS3 was introduced in July, once more also available as a sedan and a hatchback.

Both models represent either end of Audi's product spectrum - the 'A' models being the entry point, and the 'RS' models the performance top dogs.

In between them sits the brand's 'S' range. And yes, the updated S3 has also now been introduced, though to so little fanfare that it's understandable if you might have missed it (it was quietly added into the pricelist in August).

And yes, it is also offered in two body styles - we're testing the Sedan today.

Identifying details of the S3 include the L-shaped garnishes on the front grille, as well as the aluminium look wing mirrors

Light touch

It's perhaps easy to mistake this car for a standard A3. Indeed, there are some telltale signs, but not that many. Matte aluminium-look wing mirrors, quad exhaust tips, some L-shaped garnishing on the front grille (also replicated on the rear bumper), a few extra shiny silver-coloured bits, but otherwise the car looks eerily indistinguishable from an A3 Sedan.

Like with the A3, you now get the configurable DRLs at the front, with a choice among four light signatures, as well as the new taillight cluster. And truth be told, it's a sleek little four-door sedan that's pleasing to the eye.

And especially with this black paintwork, this S3 is the dictionary definition of a sleeper car. Audi has even chosen to delete the red rhombus from the front grille, to make it even harder for an onlooker to identify this higher-performance model. 

With the standard ambient lighting package pro, you get a swathe of ambient lighting (even in the cupholders!)

Quite the same

Inside, again there's not terribly much to distinguish this car from its A3 sibling. A lot of the core experience is standard Audi-fare. Virtual cockpit plus, 10.1-inch MMI display, easy-to-use physical air-con controls, and even (thankfully) physical buttons on the steering wheel. I do like the familiarity and intuitiveness of the space, although I do understand if some people may criticise it for being slightly dated (it is).

Standard on this model is the ambient lighting package pro, which includes perforations on the door cards through which ambient lighting shines (reminds me of what you might see in a CUPRA; yes, another brand under the larger Volkswagen Group umbrella). Also standard is the SONOS 3D sound system, which sounds great to my ears.

The steering wheel feels, in my hands, a tad too large in diameter from what I remember from the A3, although according to Audi the steering wheel diameter is identical across all its models. My mind may be playing tricks on me. 

Additional goodies include the SONOS sound system, as well as the ability to natively access a range of online applications

As part of the facelift, the S3 now also has on-board internet connectivity, which gives you access to the application store through which you can download streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal, as well as games as well.

All in all, it's a familiar and perhaps slightly unremarkable space. Build quality is high, overall spaciousness isn't, and it has all the typical hallmarks of a classy Audi cabin.

Output from the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine has been bumped up to 329bhp and 420Nm of torque

Plus performance

As part of the update, performance from the engine has been bumped up by 23bhp and 20Nm of torque - the 2.0-litre powerplant now produces 329bhp and 420Nm of torque, with power sent to all four wheels.

The S3 also now gets the same rear axle torque splitter found on the RS3, and the additional Dynamic Plus mode means that it is capable of more playfulness than before.

Not that anyone should be thinking about inducing oversteer on public roads. Driven lightly, the S3 is comfortably sedate. The ride feels no harsher than the A3, the engine potters away in the background, and it's an effortlessly practical and easy-to-use daily runabout. And just like with the A3s, I particular enjoy the compactness of the package in the broader context of cars seemingly growing bigger with every passing year.

The new dynamic plus mode, as well as the rear axle torque splitter inherited from the RS3, gives the S3 more playfulness if you demand it

When you do want to dial up the performance, the S3 obliges. Power comes readily and easily once the engine gets on boost, and through windy roads the car feels composed and predictable. It's not the sharpest steering car in the world, though the steering does load up nicely as you feed in more lock. And the soundtrack is muted even in the most boisterous setting, modern emissions regulations be damned.

Can you feel the revisions made to the suspension, steering and transmission? I'm not entirely sure – the car's competence and composure is hard to fault, but it also has not been suddenly transformed into a track weapon. And that's a good thing - cars like this S3 are not supposed to be uber-hardcore, but rather to tread that balance between daily comfort and capable performance on demand.

The upgrades on the facelifted S3 deliver a raised level of performance competency and daily functionality 

Sleeper choice

Judged on its own, the S3 ticks a lot of the right boxes. This facelift has brought more performance and agility to the package, while also adding one or two more creature comforts. It's still a capable little car, though admittedly not perhaps the most pulse-racing.

Do Audi's S models sometimes get lost in the mix? The honest truth is probably yes. They have their particular sleeper charm, but especially in today's market where performance can be found so easily and readily (especially with EVs), this particular mid-performance formula feels like even more of a niche proposition.

It is, however, worth noting that given the A3's Cat A COE positioning now, the performance gap between the A3 and the S3 has widened significantly (215bhp), while the gap between the S3 and RS3 is not as big as you might imagine (65bhp). Unlike other markets, Singapore does not get the 198bhp 2.0-litre A3, and not even the standard 148bhp 1.5-litre engine. And, the equipment specification is actually fairly similar between the S3 and the RS3.

In today's market, the S3's mid-performance positioning will have niche and specific appeal

This might actual help the S3’s sales case. Additionally, there are also few bedfellows in this segment.

For $344,999, it's actually cheaper than the VW Golf R, which shares a lot of the same technical bits. The pair of BMW M135/M235 Gran Coupe both cost more and have less performance. The Mercedes A35 is no longer on sale here. The almost $70k step up to the RS3 basically buys you more firepower and bragging rights.

So in a way, the S3 actually offers decent value-for-money. But it's still likely to be a tough sell, especially in today's market. It's no doubt still got its sleeper charm, but I wonder if it's a car that's going to be even more slept on - pity, because I quite like it.