This duel is an obscure one. Their relatively compact bodies boast performance levels matching larger sports cars. Their hatchback body style may be associated with more mundane activities like grocery shopping and ferrying the children from school, but with their big car pricing, they cannot justifiably be “just” hot hatches.
This is the realm of the “hyper” hatch where the traditional hot hatch themes are elevated to a higher plain – not just in terms of absolutes like horsepower and pace but something else, something special…
It’s hard to decide which is more difficult to accept: a contentious design that you need to constantly defend or a look so conservative that an electric blue hue is the only way the car can stand out in the crowd. Let’s start with the shy and understated one. The recent facelift on the S3 has seen the introduction of LED day running lights. Apart from the new lamp clusters, the Audi remains the cleanly styled and handsome three-door hatch (the five-door version arrives only later this year). But in the light of its sleek and eye-catching siblings – notably the A4 and A5 – the S3’s design is nondescript.
But for those in the know, the car’s traditional profile is timeless and reminiscent of the days when Audi stood for quiet confidence. The matt silver mirror caps, the more chiselled front bumper, rear diffuser and 18-inch alloys set the S3 apart in the best of Audi S car traditions.
Aesthetically, the 130i is everything the S3 is not. The 1 Series broke the mould of a BMW sports car as the result of the organisation’s quest to reach out to a new audience. The styling, born of Chris Bangle at his most eccentric, borders on being downright weird. So even though there’s a hatch at the back, the proportion is closer to the romantic “shooting brake” body style (think of the old Aston Martin and Lotus Excel). The M Sport kit, standard on the 130i, gives an M3-like jawline, which does look rather sporty (or fussy to some). But even with all these, the inverted arc defining the flank still looks a bit strange.
Radical as it may appear on the outside, the 130i’s interior is very conventional, with no surprises. The controls are exactly the way you’d expect them to be. With many of them similar to what’s in the established 3 Series, they look and feel pleasantly familiar.
It’s obvious that BMW has built the 130i to a price. Arguably, the use of grey as the predominant colour doesn’t help (the 125i Coupe’s black on red combo looks much better). Some of the plastics used feel uncomfortably brittle. Most glaring, though, is the lean equipment count. The car doesn’t even have digital climate control or electric seat adjustments (although the side bolsters are adjustable).
Now, paying nearly $17,000 more than the 130i should surely make the S3 a better-equipped car. It does – but only slightly more so. The materials used are definitely AAA grade. You also get digital dual-zone climate control, along with plenty of S3 badges (it only just manages not to be tacky). But the car also contends with manual seat adjustments, and doesn’t have steering-mounted audio and cruise control that are found in the 130i.
While the patchy equipment levels on both cars do dent their appeal at some level, it’s how they feel behind the wheel that really matters.
With the 130i, the power and drivetrain is classic BMW. The inline-6 feels creamy, right up to its redline. The 6-speed automatic is responsive and works well to maximise performance. Intuitively positioned shift paddles are ever ready for a spot of DIY sequential shifting. The brake pedal has a very natural feel and takes well to enthusiastic use.
The steering feels a little heavy at low speed and the wheel itself (an M Sport equipment) is unnecessarily thick-rimmed. But it has a sense of lightness and linearity, and exudes a level of precision about its instructions to the front axle.
The front end definitely has lots of bite. But pushing the car into the corners, the 130i reveals a slight rearward bias, giving the impression that the rear wheels (where the driving torque goes) are as engaged in plotting the course as the front. The sportier springs with lowered ride height (again, courtesy of the M Sport pack) give an unnecessarily busy ride at speed. And it’s possible for the tail to loosen slightly when braking hard over bad roads. But it’s more entertaining than a real bother.
The S3 is available only with a 6-speed manual gearbox (the dual-clutch transmission will be introduced with the five-door). Typically, manuals will be the default choice for “pure” enthusiasts. But not today.
The gates on the S3 are very well defined, which is good. But the shift action is overly light and the clutch is surprisingly high. The set-up feels more like it was tuned for city driving than enthusiastic romps up and down winding roads. In fact, the gear and clutch are perfectly painless to live with on a daily basis.
While the basic construction of the 2-litre engine is similar to the one in the A3 2.0 TFSI and Golf GTI, it has been extensively reworked (pistons, bearings, injectors, the works) to comfortably withstand the 1.2 bar of boost from the turbocharger. The result more than matches the 3-litre naturally aspirated job in the 130i.
Expectedly, there is a bit of turbo lag to contend with and the inline-4 can’t match the cultured purring of BMW’s inline-6. But the rewards are more than sufficient compensation. The boosted 2-litre almost feels mad and its slightly hoarse voice only backs the S3’s hardcore image.
It is obvious that the S3’s stronger torque spreads over a wider rev range than the BMW’s. Matched with its relatively closely stacked gear ratios, the Audi feels explosive, with almost no sense of inertia to overcome. Most cars, and not just the 130i, will be left in its wake.
The S3’s ability to surf its fat plateau of torque is complemented by its chassis, which has a greater bias on absolute grip than handling balance, in contrast to the 130i. With the additional traction supplied by its all-wheel drive system (the Haldex system always give more drive to the front, rather than the slight rear bias on the other quattro versions), the S3 rockets ahead with absolute aplomb. When the roads straighten out, the car impresses with its well-judged ride, being a better all-rounder than the 130i.
In fact, the S3 is extremely easy to appreciate and exploit with its well-resolved dynamics and bountiful reserve of power. It is the quintessential S car philosophy that Audi has been applying up till the last S4. But as ironic as it may sound, this can be the S3’s weakness when placed against the lively 130i. The BMW is far from perfect but it feels like it’s a living character, with layers and dimensions that need time to peel and savour.
Told you so – hyper hatches are an acquired taste.
Audi S3
DRIVETRAIN
Type: 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
Capacity: 1984cc
Bore x stroke: 82.5mm x 92.8mm
Compression ratio: 9.8:1
Max Power: 265bhp at 6000rpm
Max Torque: 350Nm at 2500rpm to 5000 rpm
Power to weight: 182.1bhp/tonne
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
Driven Wheels: All
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h: 5.7 seconds
Top Speed: 250km/h (limited)
Consumption: 11.8km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front: MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
Front / rear: Ventilated discs
TYRES
Type: Continental SportContact3
Size: 225/40 R18 (front/rear)
SAFETY
Airbags: 6
Traction Aids: ABS, ESP
MEASUREMENTS
Length: 4230mm
Width: 1765mm
Height: 1399mm
Wheelbase: 2578mm
Kerb Weight: 1455kg
Turning Circle: 10.7m
+ It’s fast, quality cabin, handsome proportions
– One-dimensional dynamics, patchy equipment level, high price
BMW 130i
DRIVETRAIN
Type: 24-valves, inline-6
Capacity: 2996cc
Bore x stroke: 88mm x 85mm
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Max Power: 265bhp at 6650rpm
Max Torque: 315Nm at 2750rpm
Power to weight: 179.7bhp/tonne
Gearbox: 6-speed automatic with manual select
Driven Wheels: Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h: 6.2 seconds
Top Speed: 250km/h (limited)
Consumption: 12km/L (combined)
SUSPENSION
Front: MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear: Multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
BRAKES
Front / rear: Ventilated discs
TYRES
Type: Goodyear NCT5 Run-flats
Size: 205/50 R17 (front), 225/40 R-17 (rear)
SAFETY
Airbags: 6
Traction Aids: ABS, ESP
MEASUREMENTS
Length: 4239mm
Width: 1748mm
Height: 1421mm
Wheelbase: 2660mm
Kerb Weight: 1475kg
Turning Circle: 10.7m
+ Sporty handling, lively chassis, soulful engine
– Unnecessary M-Sport kit, low equipment levels, plastics can be more premium
