# Embargo #2 broken: The S3 Sedan



## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/26/audi-s3-sedan-new-york-2013/


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## djdub (Dec 30, 2001)

here's to the Sportback in the USA. I do like it though.

Check this though, looks like they just put covers over the bars and it's the same exact design...

2014 Audi S3:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2014-audi-s3-sedan/#photo-5766375

2013 VW Jetta:


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

Glad to see the hatchback is a go. Price it right and it'll get decent sales. Will it have the same wheelbase as the sedan?


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## Exousia (Feb 22, 2010)

wait, where are you all seeing that the sportback/hatchback is US bound?

EDIT 2: "A3 Sportback will return with A3 Sportback e-tron® Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) confirmed for the U.S. market"

NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. Piss off Audi Of America.


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## bcaudi (Jan 30, 2013)

Chimera said:


> Glad to see the hatchback is a go. Price it right and it'll get decent sales. Will it have the same wheelbase as the sedan?


Hopefully they keep the fun with the new powertrain


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## YBL8 (Mar 6, 2004)

They just killed the manual trans. I am so sad.


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## ChrisFu (Jun 9, 2012)

YBL8 said:


> They just killed the manual trans. I am so sad.


Master of understatement.

I am in utter disbelief.

So angry and disappointed I can't see straight.


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## Boosted 01 R (Feb 10, 2013)

39K for the S3 not bad, hopefully Canada will get the S3 for 39K also and not overprice it for the hell of it


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## kevlartoronto (Jun 10, 2012)

Boosted 01 R said:


> 39K for the S3 not bad, hopefully Canada will get the S3 for 39K also and not overprice it for the hell of it


hahahahhaa. that won't be happening. add 6k dollars like the s4. i say 45k in canada.


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## lotuselan (Apr 9, 2008)

YBL8 said:


> They just killed the manual trans. I am so sad.


 I'll miss the hatch but no manual means I'll be looking elsewhere for my next ride


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## kevlartoronto (Jun 10, 2012)

i would have to agree with you. this opens up my decision knowing audi is killing the manual.


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## V0LKSWAGENSRULE (Aug 26, 2004)

I'm hoping against hope that it's a mistake... maybe they'll wait 6 months like they did the B8 A4 before introducing the Manual trans here in the US.


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## V0LKSWAGENSRULE (Aug 26, 2004)

... any word on Haldex or Torsen? I know it's 99% gonna be Haldex, but one can hope, right?


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## Boosted 01 R (Feb 10, 2013)

kevlartoronto said:


> hahahahhaa. that won't be happening. add 6k dollars like the s4. i say 45k in canada.


lol, manufactures they love bending over the Canadians, even though our dollar matches the US dollar most of the time

Hopefully it changes down the road..... I can see them doing 3K mark up on a car in this bracket..... I could live with 1,500...... but my pocket really wants equality lol


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## kevlartoronto (Jun 10, 2012)

Boosted 01 R said:


> lol, manufactures they love bending over the Canadians, even though our dollar matches the US dollar most of the time
> 
> Hopefully it changes down the road..... I can see them doing 3K mark up on a car in this bracket..... I could live with 1,500...... but my pocket really wants equality lol


it's slowly changing. i was pricing out bmws and when you add the options to match the cars the gap isn't that big. with bmw the base canadian car starts at a much higher price because it's loaded with options.


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## Boosted 01 R (Feb 10, 2013)

kevlartoronto said:


> it's slowly changing. i was pricing out bmws and when you add the options to match the cars the gap isn't that big. with bmw the base canadian car starts at a much higher price because it's loaded with options.


yeah true, varies with different manufactures though........ 

Too bad about manual for the guys who wanted it.... I can see Audi reasoning though, the cost to audi supplying both version would have made the A3 base prices a little bit higher..... its a million times better looking than the CLA.... as long as the pricing is right audi will sell a lot :thumbup:


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

V0LKSWAGENSRULE said:


> ... any word on Haldex or Torsen? I know it's 99% gonna be Haldex, but one can hope, right?


Haldex only for transverse mounted engines as found in all VAG MQB product.


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## kevlartoronto (Jun 10, 2012)

if i have to buy a paddle shifter tranny it will probably be the bmw 328d as long as they don't bone us on the price. i was hoping audi would bring the 2L quattro with the manual, so i held out until now. too bad because this car looks great.


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## Exousia (Feb 22, 2010)

I'm hoping AoA gives us some definite answers on a few things-

1. Will the Sportback appear in the future in any powertrain outside of the hybrid? I'd hate to pick up a sedan to have the Sportback launch in another config 6-8 months later.

2. What options will be available on the S3 sedan?

3. US MPGs?

4. How bad are they going to butcher the front end/led headlights added the silly orange reflectors for US DOT?

I guess if the MQB Golf R or the forthcoming 2-series doesn't deliver(no dual-clutch from both) a S3 sedan it is. Or I'll just get another bike and wait a year or two.


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## LazyLightning (Aug 11, 2012)

YBL8 said:


> They just killed the manual trans. I am so sad.


Major bummer. Looks sweet overall - if they brought us manual + quattro I would have definitely traded my R in for the S3 next year...


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## fjork_duf (Jul 13, 2001)

I see a pattern and I am making a prediction:

TTS - DSG only
TT-RS - Manual only

S3 Sedan - DSG only
RS3 Sedan - Manual?

Either that or if you judge by the other RS cars maybe all will be DSG for the USA. unfortunately with the S3 sedan being a 2015 model I am sure that means the RS3 will be 2016. Argh! The wait is going to suck!


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## JDBVR6 (Dec 29, 2006)

I actually like the A3 sedan a lot more than I expected. I love how you can see bits of B5 A4 in its styling elements (The integrated lip spoiler on the trunk lid). One of my biggest worries about the A3 sedan was that it would look like a shrunken A4. Audi seems to have given the A3 sedan it's own identity and I am certain people will be able to differentiate the two models in the wild. I do agree, as some members have already pointed out, that a manual should be available for the A3 sedan. 

Audi, you are playing a dangerous game by trying to tell enthusiast what we should and should not want.* We are the core* of your customer base and this is something you should never take for granted. :wave: 


However, as a current A3 sportback owner, I want to see the sportback available in powertrains other than hybrids. I want to see a sportback TDI and 2.0T as well. I don't even care if it's DSG only. I just want my utility and the ability to buy an A3 the way I want it; Not the way you think I should want it Audi. :facepalm: 
I sincerely hope someone at AOA reads my post along with others in this forum and reconsiders their product planning.


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## VWNCC (Jan 12, 2010)

Boosted 01 R said:


> yeah true, varies with different manufactures though........
> 
> Too bad about manual for the guys who wanted it.... I can see Audi reasoning though, the cost to audi supplying both version would have made the A3 base prices a little bit higher..... its a million times better looking than the CLA.... as long as the pricing is right audi will sell a lot :thumbup:


I agree, it looks much much better than the CLA and yes, they need to price it right.

There are lots of "commoner"s out there who think a mercedes is better than an Audi. So, if they are the same price, a lot of them will go "why wouldn't I get the mercedes?".


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## B0000rt (May 24, 2007)

V0LKSWAGENSRULE said:


> ... any word on Haldex or Torsen? I know it's 99% gonna be Haldex, but one can hope, right?


Why does it matter to you? Because you think Torsen is better then Haldex? It's a transverse engine, it's not 99% going to be Haldex, it's 100% going to be Haldex. The only thing up in the air with the cars with longitudinal is whether or not it'll have a Crown Gear or Torsen system.


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## V0LKSWAGENSRULE (Aug 26, 2004)

Travis Grundke said:


> Haldex only for transverse mounted engines as found in all VAG MQB product.


Yeah, I know. Plus there was all the talk last year about them not adding the ability into the body/frame, right?



B0000rt said:


> Why does it matter to you? Because you think Torsen is better then Haldex? It's a transverse engine, it's not 99% going to be Haldex, it's 100% going to be Haldex. The only thing up in the air with the cars with longitudinal is whether or not it'll have a Crown Gear or Torsen system.


Look, I'm not trolling, so don't treat me like a newbie. It would be nice to have the new A3 share the same H-mounted engine/Haldex as it's bigger siblings. I could care less that it's gonna be T-mount/Torsen as long as it's stuck to the ground better than a Front Wheel Drive.

I'm glad to see that both the A & S are going to be Quattro though 

Now to decide on which colour - Blue, White or...


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## caliatenza (Dec 10, 2006)

VWNCC said:


> I agree, it looks much much better than the CLA and yes, they need to price it right.
> 
> There are lots of "commoner"s out there who think a mercedes is better than an Audi. So, if they are the same price, a lot of them will go "why wouldn't I get the mercedes?".


Actually i think the CLA is more bold, the A3 is a bit on the safe side, more of the traditional Audi. They both are very good, but the CLA is more expressive.


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## John Y (Apr 27, 1999)

*FV-QR*

Looks great, IMO - could see an A or S3 in my future; probably the first sedan I've ever wanted to buy. Like it a lot.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

Exousia said:


> I'm hoping AoA gives us some definite answers on a few things-
> 
> 1. Will the Sportback appear in the future in any powertrain outside of the hybrid? I'd hate to pick up a sedan to have the Sportback launch in another config 6-8 months later.
> 
> ...


1. It's entirely possible. Audi of America has stated that they are looking at additional Sportback power trains. That all said, expect the Q3 to make its debut for CY2014 as well, which will make it that much more difficult to justify the Sportback. I know that we all want a 6MT+Quattro+TDI Sportback, but that's probably not going to happen in all reality.

2. The press releases have stated some of the standard equipment: sunroof, leather, bluetooth, pre-sense basic, etc. Whether the higher-end display and navigation system is standard or not hasn't been announced. I wouldn't expect any details on packaging until much closer to launch next year.

3. Likely similar to those on the Eurospec models, but since the testing methods are slightly different we will have to wait for official US test results.

4. Until the US DOT changes their regulations - we're stuck with those sucktastic orange reflectors.


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## kevlartoronto (Jun 10, 2012)

I would have been happy with a manual transmission in any Quattro version of this car. Even if I had to spend the extra cash to buy the s3. All my alternatives all are 10k more than what I think the a3 will be.


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## B0000rt (May 24, 2007)

V0LKSWAGENSRULE said:


> Look, I'm not trolling, so don't treat me like a newbie. It would be nice to have the new A3 share the same H-mounted engine/Haldex as it's bigger siblings. I could care less that it's gonna be T-mount/Torsen as long as it's stuck to the ground better than a Front Wheel Drive.
> 
> I'm glad to see that both the A & S are going to be Quattro though
> 
> Now to decide on which colour - Blue, White or...


Get the Competition controller if you want the rear wheels engaged all the time, even under braking
http://www.hpamotorsport.com/haldex.htm


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## dogbolter (Feb 28, 2010)

Exousia said:


> wait, where are you all seeing that the sportback/hatchback is US bound?
> 
> EDIT 2: "A3 Sportback will return with A3 Sportback e-tron® Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) confirmed for the U.S. market"
> 
> NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. Piss off Audi Of America.


Plug in Hybrid? Yeah we all want that like a hole in the head. WTF are they thinking?


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## Cyncris (Aug 12, 2012)

B0000rt said:


> The only thing up in the air with the cars with longitudinal is whether or not it'll have a Crown Gear or Torsen system.


If you go read all the press releases on the new B9 platform, it looks like Quattro as we know it on longitudinal engines is going away. It looks like everything will be FWD and if you want Quattro, you will get a pair of electric motors for the rear wheels.
They are calling the new system e-Quattro and I can't find anything that says Quattro as we know it will stay on once they introduce that.


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## B0000rt (May 24, 2007)

Cyncris said:


> If you go read all the press releases on the new B9 platform, it looks like Quattro as we know it on longitudinal engines is going away. It looks like everything will be FWD and if you want Quattro, you will get a pair of electric motors for the rear wheels.
> They are calling the new system e-Quattro and I can't find anything that says Quattro as we know it will stay on once they introduce that.


There's no press releases for the B9, they're all speculations and rumors... I don't understand how they're going to make a MLB with a L engine but FWD only? Would it just look like how it looks now, but the rear diff and driveshaft is removed? That would be odd.


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## Exousia (Feb 22, 2010)

dogbolter said:


> Plug in Hybrid? Yeah we all want that like a hole in the head. WTF are they thinking?


I agree. Maybe they are looking to do a staggered launch for the other powertrains, I say we need- 

S3 Sportback
A3 Etron Sportback and sedan for that mater
A3 TDI sportback

I can see if they don't want to put the petrol 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI out there also, but it feels like they're just setting the Sportback up for failure stateside.


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## ProjectA3 (Aug 12, 2005)

S3 with S-tronic = sign me up (i have two manual trans VW's now to row my gears)

manual transmission A4's currently sell about MAYBE 2% of total A4 production here in the US. with such low sales, it doesnt make financial sense for Audi to have to legalize a bunch of different drivetrain options the majority will buy.


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## Canthoney (Aug 5, 2012)

I seem to recall Audi teasing one more RS model this year. Anyone have a clue as to what model? I'm hoping an RS3.


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

ProjectA3 said:


> S3 with S-tronic = sign me up (i have two manual trans VW's now to row my gears)
> 
> manual transmission A4's currently sell about MAYBE 2% of total A4 production here in the US. with such low sales, it doesnt make financial sense for Audi to have to legalize a bunch of different drivetrain options the majority will buy.


But are there so few manual sales due to the type of buyer that's shopping the A4? TBH, it seems like the B8 is drawing an older, non-enthusiast type that would prefer an automatically shifting car. Folks that want a sporty manual are looking elsewhere.


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## ChrisFu (Jun 9, 2012)

Chimera said:


> But are there so few manual sales due to the type of buyer that's shopping the A4? TBH, it seems like the B8 is drawing an older, non-enthusiast type that would prefer an automatically shifting car. Folks that want a sporty manual are looking elsewhere.


Bingo. Using A4 manual sales as a baseline is apples to oranges.


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

Same with the poor Sportback sales. Selling a $40k compact during the housing/financial/market collapse and recovery is going to make for poor sales figures. BMW would be in the same boat, but instead every other car is a BMW because you can lease a $40k car for $339.


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