Automakers are hammering the streets of the world for mid-summer testing; just in the last 24 hours (as of this posting) we’ve seen the Smart ForFour EV facelift, a BMW iX5/iNext showing its production SUV body, and our first look at the new Skoda Octavia hatchback. Joining the fray are these sharp images of a camo-wrapped Audi S3 saloon enjoying a few curves in the afternoon sun.
Previous S3 encounters:
We’ve seen the Sportback running around, but this is just our second sighting of the saloon. To no surprise, it’s adopting Audi’s latest take on its trademark grille, with the opening a bit wider and slightly less gaping. Truth be told, it pretty much looks like the current A4, just a bit smaller overall. That’s rather interesting, considering the current trend among automakers to give everything a “coupe” profile. It’s possible such a machine could eventually arrive, slotting somewhere between the saloon and Sportback, but that’s pure guesswork at this point.
Gallery: Audi S3 Saloon spy photos
Also falling into the realm of guesswork – albeit well-educated guesswork – is the S3’s power source. A turbocharged 2.0-litre engine not unlike the mill found in the current S3 is highly likely, though it could produce upwards of 300 bhp. Power would obviously go to all four wheels because it’s an Audi, and that's what Audis do.
We’ve only caught a couple S3 prototypes at this point, and they’ve all been seen recently. Usually, that means a reveal is still a long ways off, but we’ve seen other S3 variants off and on since 2018. As such, our intel suggests Audi will launch the new S3 Saloon in Europe early next year as a 2020 model, after the A3’s reveal later this year.
Source: CarPix