Audi Has Figured Out How To Crush The Mercedes CLA45 AMG

Apr. 07, 2015 4:40 PM ET by Jay Traugott Industry News / 49 Comments

It's quite simple, really.

A couple of weeks ago, we heard whisperings about the possibility of Audi bringing its RS 3 stateside. No, not the RS 3 Sportback, that 362 hp hot hatch many in the US have been hoping for. Instead, Audi has literally just confirmed to Automotive News the RS 3 that America will receive will be a sedan. Consider it the so-called spiritual successor to the RS 4 sedan from 2006-2008. Why the sedan and not the hatch? The answer is the same old story of Americans preferring sedans over hatches.

The RS 3 Sportback is powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder that gives the car a 0-62 mph time of less than five seconds. That engine is mated to either a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch gearbox. "We really, really want the RS 3," stated Audi of America CEO Scott Keogh. He wants the sedan "to be a great positioning car, a great halo car. I'm very confident we'll see that car in the market. That's as far as I'm going to go." That's as good as an official confirmation to us, and we're anxious to see a direct matchup between the RS 3 sedan and the current segment leader, the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG.