Sharper claws for Audi’s small predator, the 2025 RS 3
Audi’s smallest RS model heads into the 2025 model year with a subtle facelift, deeper chassis tweaks, and a familiar five‑cylinder soundtrack. Built in Ingolstadt and still the brand’s most affordable RS‑badged four‑door, the compact sport sedan aims to keep enthusiast eyes—and ears—on the internal‑combustion corner of Audi Sport’s lineup.
Powertrain: the five‑pot carries on
The aluminum 2.5‑liter turbocharged inline‑five returns unchanged, delivering 394 horsepower and 369 lb‑ft of torque. Audi quotes the same 3.6‑second sprint to 60 mph as last year, though the optional Dynamic Plus package now lifts the top speed to 180 mph—25 mph beyond the standard 155‑mph governor. The uneven 1‑2‑4‑5‑3 firing order gives the RS 3 a tonal signature the V6 and four‑cylinder competition can’t quite replicate, yet the engine is now operating under steadily tightening global emissions rules. EPA numbers sit at 20 mpg city, 30 highway, 23 combined.
Chassis fine‑tuning and that Nürburgring lap
The front‑drive roots of the MQB platform have always demanded creative torque management. Audi’s answer, the RS Torque Splitter, remains in place but gets revised software mapping. Two electronically controlled multi‑plate clutches overdrive the outside rear wheel in a corner, trimming understeer. Audi’s drive‑select menu lets the system shuffle power according to five driving modes, with RS Performance optimized for track work. Together with adaptive dampers in the RS sport suspension plus (still optional), the hardware shaved more than seven seconds from the outgoing car’s Nürburgring‑Nordschleife lap, clocking 7:33.123. Impressive, though primarily relevant to those who care about lap times on a public toll road in Germany.
Exterior updates: small tweaks, bigger attitude
You won’t mistake the 2025 RS 3 for an all‑new generation, but the facelift is easy to spot. A larger Singleframe grille swaps honeycomb for a rhombus insert, flanked by angrier air intakes. Anthracite‑colored rings replace chrome, and the rear bumper integrates a taller diffuser with vertical reflectors. Matrix‑design LED headlamps include an RS‑specific daytime running‑light pattern—drivers can cycle through four signatures via the infotainment screen. Fresh hues join the palette: Arkona White, Progressive Red metallic, and Ascari Blue metallic sit alongside carry‑over green, gray, black, yellow, and Python Yellow.
Standard 19‑inch 10‑cross‑spoke wheels remain, but a matte‑gray variant comes with the Carbon Optic bundle. Tick Dynamic Plus and the RS 3 rolls out on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R–spec rubber rather than the usual summer tire—a nod to buyers who actually track their cars.
Cabin: darker metals and brighter lights
The cockpit keeps its driver‑centric layout yet adopts a more purposeful vibe. Bright silver trim yields to a Vanadium dark‑metal finish on handles, vents, and switchgear. New ambient LEDs trace doors, cupholders, and the center console; hundreds of laser‑cut rhombus perforations allow colored light to bleed through the door cards. A redesigned shifter sits low on the console, while the new flat‑top‑and‑bottom steering wheel features metal paddles and thumb‑access RS Mode toggles. Alcantara wrapping remains optional, as do color‑contrast seat stitchings in Micrommata Green or Express Red when the Design Package Plus is ordered. A 3D SONOS audio suite is standard.
Pricing, packages, and the tariff variable
The 2025 Audi RS 3 sedan starts at $63,400 before $1,195 destination, a modest uptick that adds some previously optional equipment as standard. The Carbon Optic package, Dynamic Plus pack (ceramic front brakes, Trofeo Rs, 180‑mph limiter), and Design Package Plus return at undisclosed prices. How those figures hold once newly announced import tariffs filter through the supply chain is anyone’s guess—sourcing a niche German performance sedan might feel different on the wallet by the time cars land at U.S. ports.
Where it fits in Audi Sport’s hierarchy
With the RS 5 Coupe and RS 6 Avant sitting higher in both output and price, the 2025 RS 3 remains the gateway to Audi’s RS catalog. Those leaning electric will eye the RS e‑tron GT, yet the RS 3 continues to serve purists with a combustion layout that traces its lineage back to the legendary Sport Quattro S2. Audi’s own S3 receives a refresh this year as well, but the RS 3 is 110 hp stronger and carries torque‑vectoring hardware absent on the S‑badged car.
Final thoughts on a sharpened classic
The 2025 Audi RS 3 doesn’t chase headline power figures or dramatic redesigns. Instead, it tidies the edges—recalibrated torque splitter, freshened aesthetics, richer interior details—while retaining the character that makes the five‑cylinder RS 3 feel distinct in a sea of turbo fours and sixes. Whether incremental changes and a $63K base price can hold against rising tariffs and ever‑quicker EVs is the looming question, but for drivers who still value a raucous inline‑five and playful chassis in a tidy footprint, the RS 3’s latest revision keeps the formula intact.
-Ed
2025 Audi RS 3
