The upgraded Audi RS 3 Sportback is an all-hours hot-rod that pairs a five-cylinder war cry with pin-sharp cornering confidence
There are cars you admire, cars you respect, and cars that make you grin like you have just gotten away with something. To us, the Audi RS 3 sits firmly in the last camp, particularly if, like me, you have a soft spot for the hatchback silhouette. Over three days with the updated RS 3 Sportback (from S$396,999), I did not take notes, nor did I need to. This is a compact performance car that fixes itself in memory the moment the revs rise and the road opens up.
From the get-go, the impression is visceral. Audi’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine delivers a deep, slightly feral soundtrack that feels increasingly rare in a landscape shaped by muted electric efficiency. Audi makes a point of its distinctive firing order, and with reason. In the calmer drive modes, it’s surprisingly civil, content with loping along without fuss. Then there is a rich thrum that hardens into a full-bodied roar when you switch to the assertive drive modes; the mood shifts in a beat, with throttle response tightening and the gearbox feeling clipped.
On paper, the figures are emphatic: zero to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of up to 290km/h. What lingers, however, is not the data but the immediacy. The RS 3 feels alert, eager, and refreshingly direct for something so refined. Revised chassis tuning and new standard tyres lend greater assurance through corners, evident in how cleanly the car gathers itself and drives out of bends with composure. Find an empty stretch, let the rev needle climb, and the RS 3 rewards you with that delicious sense of propulsion that quietens your thoughts.
A large part of this confidence comes from Audi’s torque splitter, which actively distributes power across the rear axle to sharpen turn-in and allow the car to feel more adjustable than its discreet exterior suggests. It sounds like marketing shorthand until you experience how naturally the RS 3 rotates when pushed, settling into a corner rather than forcing its way through. Its Nürburgring accolades begin to make sense.
Inner beauty
What sets the RS 3 apart from other hot hatches that are merely fast is its engine, which, dare we say, is the ace card here. Not only because it’s powerful, but for its texture. It’s deliciously supple at low revs, thick with mid-range shove for overtakes that feel effortless, and then— when you have space to play—delivers a hard-edged howl as the needle sweeps higher. In a segment crowded with highly strung four-cylinders, it feels almost exotic, for it isn’t louder just for the sake of it, but characterful in that old-fashioned, satisfying way.
Inside, RS bucket seats and the new flat-top, flat-bottom steering wheel establish intent immediately. This is a proper RS car that has been scaled down and built with full intent. Yet it remains convincingly premium and usable, with thoughtful ambient details that make the cabin feel special after dark. Visibility is what you’d hope for in a hatch, and the cabin has enough polish to make even a mundane commute feel like you’ve chosen something special.
The updated RS 3 Sportback is not a car that is to be bought on the strength of a brochure or a polished sales pitch. It is chosen because it reminds you why driving once mattered to you and what it was meant to feel like.
For us, the Audi RS 3 stands as a rare hot hatch that rekindles that feeling, especially late at night, on empty roads, chasing one last clean stretch of revs, simply because you can.
This story first appeared in the February 2026 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
