Judging by the burbling growl that announced its arrival, the vehicle rolling into the driveway should have been some kind of low-slung, matte black coupe with a long snout and a jetliner’s wing. Instead, the car making the magnificent noise was a moderately sized four-door sedan with sleek lines and a modest appearance.
The 2025 Audi S3 is something of a stealth sportscar, well undercover in its disguise as an upscale small family sedan. Updated for 2025, the S3 is rocking more horsepower, a refreshed appearance, and powertrain enhancements that bump its performance up a notch.
On a test drive over sunny Southern California’s winding canyon roads and freeways we drove a US spec S3 quattro loaded up with options that added US$10,845 to the base price of US$48,700. In Canada the S3 Technik, the top-of-the-line model, has an MSRP of $62,350, with two available handling packages that add $1,800, along with individual options such as a black roof ($250), stitched leather seats ($1,300), and red brake calipers ($600), all of which were included on the US car.
Powertrain: The powerplant and portions of the driveline for this car are new. The 2025 S3 is powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo that makes 328 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That’s an improvement of 22 hp over its predecessor. The transmission is a seven-speed automatic.
The really interesting story here, however, is the new torque splitter. The S3 gets enhanced handling capabilities thanks to the car’s ability to provide all of the car’s rear torque to either of the rear wheels, depending on requirements. All the S3s are endowed with the Audi quattro all-wheel drive system, so the maximum rear torque is 50 percent of that available, and all of that can power a single rear wheel, delivering superior cornering capabilities as well as traction control under difficult conditions.
In the Dynamic plus drive mode, the system provides more power to the rear wheels, giving the car more of that tail-happy rear-wheel drive feeling, said Anthony Garbis, senior manager, product management at Audi of America. It modifies parameters for the torque splitter, electronic stability control (ESC), maximum engine torque and idle speed, as well as engaging a hard rev limiter.
Exterior: Following a redesign in 2022 the S3, and its A3 sibling, have been refreshed for 2025. The S3 grille is notably wider and flatter than before and is bookended by massive air intakes. These elements, combined with a sleek and aerodynamic-looking front spoiler give the S3 an assertively sporty face.
New LED lights add to the picture. Multiple LED elements can be selected through the onboard computer into four different digital running light styles.
The S3 is equally eye-catching as it disappears into the distance. An S-exclusive diffuser and vertical side reflectors brought in the from RS models nod to the car’s sporty heritage, while quad tailpipes funnel that glorious engine sound.
Interior: The new S3 interior is elegant and understated. Our tester was appointed with gorgeous diamond-stitched leather seats, that not only looked good but offered good support and eight-way adjustability. The adjustable armrest allows for a truly custom driving position. Rear seating, however, is quite confined, and there’s not enough legroom for a tall person to sit in comfort for a longer trip.
The cockpit area now has a standard 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a revamped shifter. Controls are mostly intuitive, although the buttons for the drive modes, ESC and auto start-top are positioned very low on the centre stack, making them hard to find.
Audi has done a lovely job with the interior lighting, with highlights on numerous important elements including doors, footwells, centre console and cup holders. There are 30 different lighting colours on tap that allow the car to reflect the driver’s mood.
Drive: The 2025 S3 benefits from the trickle-down of chassis and engine technology – like the torque splitter – from its high-performance stablemate and Nürburgring record-setter RS 3, which is also being updated and released in March 2025.
For the driver of the S3, this all combines into a comfortable, nimble and quick package. Steering inputs are deft, and corner exit speeds impressive, especially in tight spaces and with elevation changes. The brakes are phenomenal. In Dynamic or Dynamic plus modes the car shifts late and fast, letting the engine spool up and put lots of power to the ground when you want it. And it all feels smoothly controlled, without the sensation of nanny tech in the background, even though that torque splitter is working hard to manage the back end. In short, there’s nothing boring about driving the S3.
Infotainment: With this refresh Audi has improved the integration of its app store with the car’s multimedia interface. This allows popular apps to be directly downloaded to the car. There’s also an available wireless charger.
2025 Audi S3
2025 Audi S3
2025 Audi S3
2025 Audi S3
2025 Audi S3
The onboard navigation system was a bit glitchy in our test, misinterpreting waypoints, superimposing a map inlay over the main map, and delivering instructions late.
Audi has packed a lot into this small family sedan. It’s attractive, but not showy, and quick without being a wild thing. It’s also priced well in Canada against the competitive set, offering buyers a solid, and stealthy choice that could keep all the drivers in the family happy.
2025 Audi S3
Price: TBD
Configuration: Front engine, all-wheel drive
Engine/transmission: 4-cylinder, 2.0 litre turbo, 7-speed automatic
Fuel capacity: 55 litres
Fuel economy ratings (L/100 km): 10.4 city; 7.6 highway; 9.1 combined
Warranties: 4 years/80,000 km
Competitors: Acura Integra Type S, Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 4matic
Website: Audi Canada