2022 Audi RS 3 Sportback And Sedan Revealed

July 19, 2021July 19, 2021 Andrew Beckford 0 Comments Audi

The 2022 Audi RS 3 was given a digital unveiling this morning and Euro car fans are already itching to get their hands on it.

Audi RS cars are almost always fan favorites so we honestly can’t fault anyone’s hype for the new sport sedan. Naturally, being an “RS” model also means some dashes of aggressive exterior styling and a motorsport-inspired interior.

However, there is way more to the story than that.

2022 Audi RS 3 engine

The 2022 Audi RS 3 sedan and Sportback are both powered by a new variation of Audi’s legendary 2.5 liter TFSI 5-cylinder engine. The new engine can propel the RS 3 from 0 to 60 mph in roughly 3.8 seconds and has a limited top speed of 155 mph standard. Though, there is an option that can bump the top speed to 174 mph and the “RS Dynamic” package can push the top speed to 180 mph.

This is all possible due to the fact that the engine makes about 400 horsepower and 369 ft-lbs of torque.

Speaking of torque, the 2022 Audi RS 3 is the first RS Audi model that will come standard with a torque splitter. The splitter replaces the rear differential and electronically controlled clutch packs on each drive shaft replaces the previous rear clutch pack system.

It helps optimizes the torque distribution on the rear axle. Furthermore, during “dynamic driving” the torque splitter increases the drive torque to the respective outer rear wheel with the higher load, which reduces understeer.

Finally, the splitter can direct all of the power to only one of the rear wheels, with up to 1,290 ft-lbs of torque per wheel possible. Audi created a specific driving mode for this called “RS Torque Rear” which Audi admits is effectively a “drift mode”.

2022 Audi RS 3 styling

Starting outside and working our way in, one of the first things sharp-eyed Audi enthusiasts may notice are the slightly wider fenders on the RS 3 versus the S3. Not meant strictly for looks, the fenders accommodate the wider stance.

The headlights have also been slightly re-worked and now have a “matrix LED” option. The matrix can do a cool trick in which “R S 3” is displayed sequentially on the driver’s side and a checkered flag is displayed on the passenger side when walking up to the car. When driving both sides display the checkered flag. There is absolutely no reason for such a thing to exist beyond the fact that it is unbearably cool (in our opinion).

The front grill is also larger to allow greater airflow to the 2.5 liter 5-cylinder engine.

There are the obligatory deeper side skirts to make the RS 3 appear lower to the ground and on the sedan there is a decklid spoiler option and the Sportback features a wing mounted to the rear hatch.

2022 Audi RS 3 Interior

As you might suspect from a luxury sport sedan (or Sportback) the interior of the 2022 Audi RS 3 is a study of leather, alcantara, and tech. There are bolstered bucket sport seats up front and the rear bench features some bolstering as well.

The seats are covered in Napa leather with Audi’s geometric “honeycomb” stitching pattern with threads that match the exterior paint. The steering wheel is wrapped in alcantara with an exterior matched center stripe (because of course it is).

Behind the steering wheel is a 12.3-inch dash display screen which beyond the obvious features can also display g-forces, lap times, 0-60 times, eighth-mile times, and quarter-mile times.

All other vital info and entertainment can be viewed and controlled via a 10.3-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash. While Audi doesn’t explicitly say, we would venture to guess that the infotainment system is compatible with both Apple Car Play and Android Auto. However, we could be wrong.

Europe gets the RS 3 first

If you live in Europe then you have every reason to be hyped for this car as Audi expects an “early 2022” release date for that market. America will have to wait. How long that wait will be is currently unclear as Audi has not revealed any dates for the American market. Maybe we’ll learn more towards the end of the year.

What do you think of the 2022 Audi RS 3? How long would you be willing to wait for it if you’re interested? Let us know in the comments below or tweet to us at @MotorworldHype.