Audi's New Small Sedan: Will there be an RS3?

High Cost Means Tough Sell

Our pals at Fourtitude.com have worked up a Photoshop image of an RS version of the coming A3 sedan, based on the A3 Sportback Audi unveiled at last fall's Paris Mondial de l'Automobile. The RS3 sedan would have 10-spoke RS4/RS5 wheels and the subtle wheel flare arches from the two newer RSes in place of the wilder flares of earlier RS cars, Fourtitude.com figures.

The independent Audi news website guesses the Audi single-cell grille also will get the "frown" of the new RS5, rather than the older-style front fascia of the RS4 Avant. Audi design is working on differentiating the grille design of various RS models, and Fourtitude assumes the RS3 will adapt a bit of the limited-edition A1 Quattro's look. There's one problem with this car: It would cost Audi about as much as a TT RS, which means a price in the mid-$50Ks. One source insists the car is a tough business case for that reason.

The standard A3 sedan is designed to grab the customers the original A4s caught. "The B8 A4 has gotten bigger, more conservative, maybe more luxurious, and we think there's room to bring a smaller, sporty car," Audi of America president Scott Keogh says. The A3 sedan has "tremendous potential" among non-luxury buyers, adds product planner Filip Brabec. Audi of America will continue to sell the new A3 Sportback in at least limited versions, Keogh adds. That's certain to include a TDI. In other Audi news, our RS3 skeptic says the next TTS will be powered by a five-cylinder engine, not a four, making 280-300 hp. The Audi TT will be all-new for 2015, and design chief Walter de Silva has described it as a radical styling change, not an evolution like the current model.

The Mark III TT will retain its signature roofline, and may get the new front-end design language previewed by the Paris Crossline concept, itself a preview of Audi's coming BMW X1 competitor, the Q3. The TT's grille will feature the Crossline's "intersecting" form, with no chrome surround. Keogh confirmed we will get imports of the new RS5 cabrio introduced at Paris. Audi is bringing assembly of that convertible "in house" from Karmann, which is now owned by Volkswagen AG. Porsche Boxster and Cayman production will shift to Karmann. The U.S. market will get the RS7, with a tweaked version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8. The RS6 will not be imported, and the RS7 could be as much as 18 months away. Keogh says Audi will import the A8 TDI beginning in the first quarter of '13, followed by importation of TDI A6, then A7 and Q5, all with the same 3.0-liter diesel. With Audi of America having delivered on its sales promises to Audi AG, it has become easier to get models for which there has been some resistance in the past for U.S. import.

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