Audi RS 3 (2024) update: Sportback and Sedan come with improvements

Audi should look back on 2024 with a sense of satisfaction, helped by the steady stream of new models still arriving in showrooms. One of the latest is the refreshed RS 3, offered once again in both Sportback and Saloon body styles.

In what could prove to be the five-cylinder engine’s official farewell - as the brand shifts towards electrified alternatives - output remains unchanged at 400 cv. Even so, there are plenty of other updates across design, cabin and chassis.

From the outside, the RS 3 adopts the same kind of styling improvements introduced on the Audi A3. That means revised front and rear light clusters, now using the latest LED lighting technology and offering multiple customisation options.

Another key change is the redesigned Singleframe front grille, shaped to make the car look broader. Alongside it are new functional air intakes, intended to improve aerodynamics and help manage temperatures more effectively.

At the rear, beyond the updated visual signature, there is also a more assertive new air diffuser. Together with other details, it is designed to underline the width of the body.

To widen the choice list in the configurator, the updated Audi RS 3 also gains additional paint options. These include Kyalami Green and Kemora Grey, as shown in the images. And for the first time, Daytona Grey is also offered with a matt finish.

RS-focused interior

Inside this latest update, the overall look and feel remains very much that of an Ingolstadt performance model. Even so, the standout feature is the pair of front sports seats, which provide increased lateral support and include integrated head restraints.

The gear selector is the same unit used across the rest of the A3 range, as are the higher-resolution displays. However, the screens add RS-specific pages showing data such as power, torque, G-forces, acceleration and even telemetry designed to time laps on track.

In front of the driver, the steering wheel features flattened sections at both the bottom and the top, and it can be trimmed in either leather or Dinamica - a suede-like material. To make the cabin atmosphere more engaging, additional details have also been added to the ambient lighting system.

A distinctive soundtrack

The Audi RS 3 (2024) continues with the 2.5 TFSI inline five-cylinder engine, complete with its unmistakable sound. In fact, Audi has chosen to highlight it further by fitting a variable-opening system within the exhaust.

With a quick press of a button, drivers can choose between a more forceful soundtrack or a subtler "purr". And for anyone wanting something even more appealing to the ear, the optional RS Sport exhaust system can be specified.

In terms of figures, the 2.5 TFSI keeps its maximum output at 400 cv and torque at 500 Nm, as had already been hinted at during the Nürburgring record run. These are genuine performance-car numbers, delivering 0–100 km/h in just 3.8s and a top speed of 290 km/h.

Record-setting dynamics

Beyond the headline acceleration stats, the "new" Audi RS 3 brings several updates aimed at improving its handling. The highlight is the rear differential, which can distribute torque across the rear wheels in the most effective way.

Along with this, Audi has revisited the stability control calibration, as well as the brake-based torque vectoring set-up. The result is reduced understeer and sharper turn-in. Oversteer is now managed more effectively too, not only via the accelerator pedal but also through steering inputs.

To keep body movements under tighter control, the sportier RS suspension incorporates variable damping. All of these changes allow the RS 3 (2024) to carry more speed through corners.

Audi Sport backed that up with the previously mentioned Nürburgring-Nordschleife record, completing a lap of the German circuit in just 7min33,123s and beating rival BMW M2 by more than five seconds.

When it arrives

Orders for the latest Audi RS 3 update will open from the end of this month, for both the Sportback and the Saloon.

The first cars are expected to reach dealers in October, although pricing has not yet been announced. By way of reference, the RS 3 it replaces (2021) already exceeded €80,000.