New Audi A3 and S3 prices revealed: starts from £32,000

• New Audi A3 and S3 prices confirmed
• Prices start from £32,035
• Tweaked design across the range
• 333hp in the new S3
• Suspension and chassis upgrades improve handling
• Standard A3 made more comfortable

The Audi S3 has been given a nip and tuck makeover for 2024, keeping it looking fresh against alternatives like the BMW M135i and Mercedes-AMG A35.

You also get a touch more power to go along with the new face, and the standard A3 range has been updated as well.

New Audi A3 and S3 price and specs

The new Audi A3 and S3 are available to order now, with prices starting from £32,035.  That makes it a few thousand pounds more expensive than the outgoing car, and it’s a touch dearer than a Mercedes A-Class. It does undercut the BMW 1 Series though.

There are three trim levels to choose from if you go for the standard A3: Sport, S-Line and Black Edition.

New Audi A3 Sport: from £32,095

As standard, all A3s get 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated seats, a 10.1-inch infotainment system, cruise control and lane departure warning. You’ll have to pay an extra £565 if you fancy the saloon version over the hatchback.

New Audi A3 S-Line: from £34,315

Stepping up to the S-Line gets you a handful of sporty styling upgrades. It gets 18-inch alloy wheels, more aggressive-looking front and rear bumpers, lowered sports suspension, sport seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

New Audi A3 Black Edition: from £36,015

If you fancy treating yourself to the range-topping Black Edition then you get blacked-out badges, 19-inch alloy wheels and some unique interior trim. The rest of the spec is the same as the S-Line.

For some people the standard A3 won’t be enough, and only the spicy S3 will suffice. If this posh hot hatch takes your fancy, you’ll have to part with £46,925 for the hatchback, or £47,490 for the saloon. That makes it more expensive than both the Mercedes-AMG A35 and the BMW M135i.

New Audi S3 design

The updated Audi A3 was revealed a few weeks ago, and the S3 gets a similar range of styling tweaks.

The main change up front is the new grille. It’s slightly wider and more imposing than the outgoing car’s, and there’s a new Audi logo mounted slightly higher up. The lower bumper also features some larger, more aggressive-looking air intakes.

The S3’s side profile is pretty much unchanged, although there are some new alloy wheel designs to choose from. The rear end features some new tail lights and a revised bumper, and you can still choose between hatchback or saloon body styles.

New Audi S3 engine and performance

You’ll still find a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet of the new Audi S3, however it’s been tuned for a bit more power.

It now has 333hp and 420Nm of torque, which is exactly the same output as the limited edition Volkswagen Golf R 333. Not a huge surprise seeing as both cars share the same engine, and it’s a 23hp and 20Nm increase over the outgoing S3.

So what does that added power do for performance? Well the new S3 will do 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, which is just 0.1 of a second quicker than the old car. It’s also exactly the same as the Mercedes-AMG A35.

New Audi S3 suspension and chassis

The performance gains may be pretty minimal, but the new Audi S3 has a few tricks up its sleeve to make it more agile through the corners. It’s now available with the same torque splitter as the flagship Audi RS3, meaning the car can distribute power between the rear wheels for optimum grip.

You also get a new Dynamic Plus mode for the traction control, which sends as much power to the rear wheels as possible to encourage oversteer for some sideways action on the track. The suspension is also slightly stiffer than before for added responsiveness, and the brakes have been upgraded as well.

New Audi A3 also revealed

As well as the hot S3, the standard Audi A3 has also been given an update for 2024.

Changes to the exterior are pretty subtle but bring the A3 range closer in line with Audi’s latest models. The ‘singleframe’ grille gets a new mesh design, and is wider, while the Audi badge is integrated into the top edge rather than floating in the middle. It’s also been totally de-chromed.

It’s flanked by wide, jowly air intakes, as well as updated headlights with clever daytime running lights that feature four different patterns, allowing you to customise the appearance of your A3. They each have their own welcome and goodbye animations when you lock or unlock the car, too.

The rear also gains a new bumper and diffuser, inspired by Audi’s more sporting S and RS models. Finishing off the exterior makeover are two new metallic paint shades – District Green and Progressive Red.

Audi A3: interior and technology

The interior makeover is rather less distinctive. There’s a new, smaller gear selector, in line with Audi’s other models, and all trim levels now get the brand’s 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display as standard.

New air vents and a gloss black centre console also feature, as does revamped interior mood lighting with illuminated cupholders and door panels.

Interior tech has been given a once-over. The optional premium sound system was previously a B&O setup, but is now provided by Sonos. A wireless smartphone charger is now standard equipment, as is navigation.

The 10.1-inch centre touchscreen has new software, with a variety of third-party apps available and built-in Amazon Alexa to help with music streaming or controlling smart home devices.

You’ll also be able to buy a wide range of functions through Audi’s web store, rather than having to choose them when you order. Kit such as adaptive cruise control and high-beam assistant can be either be permanently purchased or rented for a short period. Audi suggests scenarios like booking adaptive cruise control before a long driving holiday, for example.

Audi A3: engines

Two engines will be offered in the facelifted A3 at launch – a 1.5-litre petrol (named the 35 TFSI) or a 2.0-litre diesel (35 TDI). Both come with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and produce 150hp, though a manual gearbox will be made available for the petrol.

Performance figures haven’t been revealed, but we’d be surprised if they changed much from the outgoing car – meaning 0-62mph in around 8.4 seconds for both models.

A plug-in hybrid powertrain will arrive later in the year, likely proving the pick of the range for company car drivers.

Can’t wait for the new Audi S3? Check out the latest deals on the current car to see how much you can save. You can also sell your current car through Carwow, and it’s super simple to do. Tap the button below to sell your car for what it’s really worth.