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January 2016|TOPCAR.CO.ZA 45Road test: Audi RS3 SportbackERE’S SOMEgood news for achange: the internalcombustion engineis showing no signsof abating and we’vegot the hot hatchpower ba ttle largelyto thank for thisfact. You see these hatchbacks still employrelatively small engine configurations andmaximise their power and efficiency byusing crafty engineering, largerturbochargers and ECU software trickery.The Audi RS3’s 2.5-litr e five-cyli nderturbocharged blueprint is a case in point, nodownsizing or hybrid drives here. It’s theonly one of its rivals to eschew the nowsegment-standard 2.0-litr e configuration infavour of its tried-and-tested st raight-five``````marvel – a legacy engine if ever there wasone. Now re-engineered to deliver morepower, moretorque and less emissions, itstill offers one of the most emotivesoundtracks around.``````Pipe dreamsFrom a visual perspective the prev ious-generation RS3 looked a little ordinary andnot as aggressive as some of its RS-badgedsiblings of the time but this new edition isanything but meek. A brief glance at itssheet metal will reveal several clues thatreference its sinister character such as thegloss-black grille complete with gapingairdams, rear spoiler, 19-inch wheels andblistered wheel arches that house a widenedtrack. Delve a little deeper and you’ll noticethe cherry-red brake calipers (a R4170option) and the keyline Quattro logoH