Sporty yet spicy S3

Upgrades to the engine, chassis and all-wheel-drive system make the Audi a sharper drive

- Lee Nian Tjoe

It was 26 years ago when Audi set the template for the modern compact performance car with the first S3's thumping turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.

Then, rivals came along, making cars with the same formula, some of which were better regarded than the Audi, which must have been annoying.

With the facelifted S3, available as a five-door hatchback as well as the four-door saloon that is the test car, Audi seems bent on making its mark on the compact performance car segment. Perhaps this will prompt the likes of BMW and Mercedes-AMG to up their game with their compact sports cars?

The S3 is aimed at a very specific type of performance car buyer. Besides being just big enough to be passable for family needs, the car has to be much sportier than the regular A3 model, but not quite as hardcore as the RS3. So, it is slightly spicy, but not so hot as to set hair on fire.

Under the S3's skin, Audi has turned up the temperature a little to give it more power than its direct rivals, while making more minimal changes to the body, consisting of new bumpers, lights and grille.

The S3 looks bulkier now with larger intakes on the front and boxier bumpers on both ends of the car. The design of the LED daytime running lights can now be tweaked, much like some of the newer Audi models such as the A5 and Q6 e-tron.

While the S3's grille used to have unpainted honeycomb-shaped vents set within a chrome frame, the facelift's grille looks like layers of fish scales from some angles, thanks to the L-shaped shiny cappings.

The design is also applied to the lower part of the rear bumper, fighting for attention with the four exhaust pipes.