When Audi unveiled the South African pricing for the A3 and S3 range, I had to read the press release twice and double-check their website – I thought they had made a mistake with pricing for the S3 Sedan.
The Audi S3 TFSI Quattro Sedan was given a starting price of R810,000, and packed the following:
- 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine producing 213kW and 400Nm.
- S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox.
- 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.9 seconds.
- Electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h.
- One of the best-looking four-door designs you can buy today.
How is it that Audi could give you this package at this price?
Granted, it’s R140,000 more than the VW Golf 8 GTI and R95,000 more than the Toyota GR Yaris – but it’s damn-near the same price as the Honda Civic Type-R.
Additionally, we must give credit where it is due – Audi is a premium brand and the luxury look and feel the car offers must be taken into account when it comes to pricing.
Put it to a vote
I looked around the office for reactions from my colleagues when we published the Audi A3/S3 pricing article, and even baited a few of them with questions like: “What do you think of the new S3 sedan?”
Their reactions were firmly normal, and I felt like I was going crazy.
Was I the only one who could see there was a luxury German sports sedan with killer looks and over 200kW of power – running through an all-wheel drive system – on offer for a competitive price?
This had to be put to the TopAuto readers, which was done in the poll below.
Thankfully, sanity prevailed and the TopAuto readers who voted in the poll confirmed that the new S3 is an attractive package.
It must be noted that the readers could have voted for the S3 based on the Sportback or Sedan models – but either way it speaks to the desirability of the range.
On top of the power and good looks of the vehicle, buyers will also receive a high-level of standard features.
This includes S sport suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, and a luxury cabin.
If you are still not convinced and the S3 does not tick all the right boxes for you, then 2022 may be your year – with the more-powerful RS3 is set to arrive in South Africa.
This vehicle will produce close to 300kW and 500Nm, producing a sub-4-second sprint to 100km/h.
Until them, I will enjoy window-shopping the S3 Sedan.
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