Facelifted Audi RS3 Debuts As Brand’s Straight-Five Swansong

The facelifted Audi RS3 breaks cover as the brand’s swansong to its signature straight-five engine.

Audi has unveiled the much-awaited facelift version of its compact performance model, the Audi RS3. Featuring tons of improvements inside out, the facelifted RS3 will also be the last Audi model to feature its signature straight-five engine as the automaker prepares to bid farewell to this beloved powertrain setup after decades of being in production.

The facelift treatment sees the new Audi RS3 getting the same front-end design changes as we saw on its non-RS-badged siblings.

Starting with the visual changes, the facelifted RS3 benefits from the similar series of visual modifications granted to its non-RS-badged siblings. For starters, its massive singleframe front grille now features a new surround element, while the front air intakes have been enlarged, plus a new splitter has donned its front face. Similarly, the RS3’s LED DRLs also feature more intricate lighting elements that are selectable, including one that looks like a chequered flag.

The light graphics enhancements also took place for the new RS3’s taillights, while both the two oval tailpipes and a new, slightly larger rear diffuser give the car a more aggressive stance. Topping off the exterior design changes are the new 19-inch matte black-hued aluminium wheels the car comes standard with, plus several new colourways, including Ascari Blue, Progressive Red, and Daytona Gray.

To go with the exterior changes, Audi designers have also tweaked the facelifted RS3’s cabin space. This sporty compact car is now offered with the carbon fibre RS bucket seats over the standard sporty ones, both of which are wrapped in high-quality Nappa leather upholstery. Also present here are the new ambient lighting unit, contrasting stitches that go on the steering wheel, centre armrest, door cards, and many more.

Audi's final version of its straight-five mill is rated at 394 HP and 500 NM.

As we mentioned earlier, the new RS3 will be the last Audi model to get its signature straight-five engine. For its final iteration, the 2.5-litre 5-cyl turbocharged unit delivers 394 HP and 500 NM, which allows the new RS3 to reach a decent 0-100 KM/H sprint time of 3.8 seconds, while its top speed is capped at 290 KM/H.

Beyond the upgraded straight-five mill, the new RS3 also benefits from a host of other mechanical upgrades, such as the car’s torque splitter and fully-variable torque distribution system to make it more responsive. At the same time, Audi engineers have also tweaked the new RS3’s electronic stability control, wheel-selective torque control, and the adaptive dampers—all preventing the car from understeering for a faster and more precise cornering performance.

The facelifted Audi RS3 is now the fastest compact production car to lap the infamous Nurburgring.

As a result, the facelifted Audi RS3 has broken the Nurburgring lap time record for the fastest compact production car, beating the previous record set by the BMW M2 by more than five seconds with a lap time of 7:33.123.

Deliveries for the all-new 2025 Audi RS3 facelift are slated to commence later in September this year, where the model will be priced at £59,510 (RM337,723) for the Sportback and £60,510 (RM343,398) for the Saloon in the UK. Given that the RS3 is the most popular Audi Sport model, we can expect this updated compact performance car to make its way into our market some time in the future.