Two years since its initial reveal, the current-generation Audi RS3 is receiving a mid-life update.
The 8Y Audi RS3 was launched in late-2021 as a comprehensive overhaul of the five-cylinder hatch, and two years on, it’s getting an update.
Recent sightings give a clue as to what we’ll see change, with the car’s bumpers and lighting units front and rear all in disguise. The most notable change looks to be at the front, with more angular grille mesh and reshaped lower intakes making the large central grille more prominent than before. Overall design appears to be sleeker than the original car in-line with the rest of the current Audi range, with the headlight design likely to follow suit with sharper, more modern optics.
At the rear, the RS3 will receive a similar treatment, with lighting units now more akin to those on the RS e-tron, and the bumper more aggressive than before. The rear diffuser appears to feature much more prominent fins, too, and encompasses those trademark Audi RS oval exhaust tips carried over from the original.
Audi hasn’t given us any clue as to whether the facelift will receive a performance uplift, but the current car is more than potent enough. Peak power from its charming 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder stands at the same 294kW as the old car, with torque up marginally – given the small uplift from generation-to-generation, don’t expect to see much change with this mid-life facelift.
Interior images are yet to surface, but updates to the HMI for improved infotainment response, sharper graphics and an improvement to overall useability are likely – the 8Y RS3 disappointed us with a downgrade in interior quality over its predecessor, so we’re intrigued to see just how the facelift fares.
While the current RS3 has been around for a couple of years, Audi took it off sale entirely in early 2023 due to supply constraints, making its return highly anticipated. Final pricing won’t come for a while yet, but expect a hike.