Not only has Audi Sport brought the RS 3 Sedan back for 2022 as an entry point offering, the new compact 4-door managed to set a Nürburgring record lap-time while boasting a an available 180 mph top track speed — another solid reason to consider a sedan over a compact crossover (but that’s just our opinion).Â
The RS 3 is one of Audi Sport’s most popular offerings in the lineup. And for 2022, the German has made significant changes, including a new RS Torque Splitter for improved handling, a wicked 5-cylinder mill with an impressive 0-60 time of 3.6-seconds, and above all, the reintroduction the redesigned RS 3 Sedan entry-level model for small car fans yearning to get on the performance action.
Both the Sportback and Sedan versions enter their second-generation for 2022. Here’s a look what’s new and specs.
RS Torque Splitter an Audi first
Among the many improvements being made to the returning Audi RS 3 are those that are aimed to enhance its driving dynamics and on-road performance. For example, the inclusion of the RS Torque Splitter, a first for an Audi car, means that each drive shaft now has an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch.
This allows for torque to be distributed variably between the rear wheels, sending more torque to the outside wheel when cornering, delivering superior stability when taking corners at speed.
Drivers can take advantage of the torque splitter through the various drive modes: Comfort (front axle), Auto (balance), Dynamic (rear axle), RS Torque Rear which lets a driver do controlled drifts, and RS Performance which is designed for track use.
RS Sport Suspension will come as standard on the 2022 Audi RS 3 model, and it includes DCC or dynamic chassis control with the car sitting a full 10-mm (0.39 inches) lower than the Audi S3, and 25-mm (0.98 inches) than the Audi A3. The DCC system continuously adjusts itself based on the road conditions and your drive mode selection, and can minimize vertical oscillations and boost lateral dynamics.
The popular 5-cylinder engine is back
The 2022 Audi RS 3 sees the return of Audi’s once-legendary 5-cylinder engine, a unit that is intimately connected with the Audi Sport brand. The engine will deliver some 401-hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, boosting the 2022 compact sedan’s power and torque by 7-hp and 15 lb-ft respectively compared to its predecessor model.
The final result is an RS 3 that can launch from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) in just 3.6 seconds, also faster than its predecessor by 0.3 seconds.
The 5-cylinder engine delivers considerable power and torque, of course, but what a lot of people really remember and love about this sports engine is the distinctive and rich sound that it makes. The unique sound is actually a product of its unique 5-cylinder design, and more precisely because of the 1-2-4-5-3 firing order of those cylinders. When put together with the new RS 3 exhaust system, it creates a rich sound profile that’s bound to attract many gearheads.
New Audi RS 3 Interior
Audi is trying to pair its carefully engineered driving dynamics on this returning RS 3 model with a cockpit to match. The first element that helps is the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit setup, which includes an all-digital display with all the drive information that a driver could want all in one place.
To further highlight the high-performance nature of the RS 3 driving dynamics, this special version of the virtual cockpit includes recording of g-forces, lap times, and also your acceleration times from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) and from 0-200 km/h (0-125 mph), as well as a quarter mile and eighth of a mile, or 0.4km and 0.2km respectively.
Other motorsport touches include a blinking shift indicator that changes the RPM display from red to yellow to red to help indicate ideal gear-shift times, and the central 10.1-inch infotainment display showing coolant, transmission oil temperature, tire pressure figures, and more. Read all our Audi reviews here.
