2025 Audi A3 and S3 First Look

The updated A3 is now AWD-only and boasts enhanced performance.

Andrew Ganz | 

Sep 25, 2024 | 3 min read

Audi

Audi's smallest sedan — one of few traditional compact luxury sedans available on the U.S. market — sees updated styling and more standard features for 2025.

Fans of sports sedans will likely appreciate the sporty S3 version's additional power output, too. Here's what you need to know about the 2025 Audi A3 and S3.

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The A3 and S3 Have Updated Looks

The A3 and its S3 sibling have new front and rear styling, though it may take parking the 2025 and 2024 models side by side to spot the differences. Cognoscenti might appreciate the laser-etched badges on the roof pillars above the door handles, as well as the racier-looking rear diffuser.

The A3's redesigned 17-inch wheels can be upgraded to 18s, while the S3's standard 18-inchers can be swapped out for 19s.

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The S3 has a different grille design and a more pronounced lower spoiler in the front, as well as its own diffuser and integrated spoiler in the rear. This model's LED headlights now offer four selectable settings for the daytime running lights, too.

Inside, all A3 models now have a standard 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster rather than the analog setup that came with last year's model. Style-wise, the gear-shifter buttons and climate control vents have been revamped, and the revised ambient lighting system offers up to 30 different color options that peek out through 300 laser-cut slices in the fabric trim on each front door panel.

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Big Tech for Audi's Smallest Sedans

The 10.1-inch touchscreen includes a three-year trial subscription to a navigation system plus access to the automaker's app store for applications such as YouTube and Spotify. The quartet of USB-C ports can be supplemented with an available wireless device-charging pad.

These small sedans are also newly available with a Sonos-branded audio system that replaces last year's Bang & Olufsen setup. Other available features include adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring, plus a new 360-degree camera.

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Quattro All-Wheel Drive Now Comes Standard

Last year's base-model A3 with front-wheel drive has been dropped, with all-wheel drive (AWD) now standard across the board. The A3 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It's rated at 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, a 15 lb-ft improvement over the 2024 A3.

Bigger changes come to the S3, which features an uprated version of the turbo four that puts out 328 horsepower (22 horsepower more than in 2024) and features a broader curve for its 295 lb-ft of torque.

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The S3 also gains a system that can send up to half of the available torque to a single rear wheel to help increase grip or counter understeer. The S3 rides on a lowered suspension compared with the A3.

Both cars use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though the S3's has been tuned for quicker response.

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While Audi has revealed a similarly updated version of its high-performance 401-hp five-cylinder RS 3 for global markets, the automaker hasn't released details about a U.S. version.

The A3 lineup kicks off north of $39,000 in base A3 Premium trim, or about $600 more than last year's cheapest AWD model, while the S3 rings in just shy of $50,000, or about $1,500 up from 2024.

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All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Andrew Ganz

Andrew Ganz has had cars in his blood ever since he gnawed the paint off of a diecast model as a toddler. After growing up in Dallas, Texas, he earned a journalism degree, worked in public relations for two manufacturers, and served as an editor for a luxury-lifestyle print publication and several well-known automotive websites. In his free time, Andrew loves exploring the Rocky Mountains' best back roads—when he’s not browsing ads for his next car purchase.