Ingolstadt's engineers have been testing numerous facelifted and refreshed models in the winter lately, including the Q8 SUV, and the Audi S3 is the latest spotted by our spy photographers. The example you see here is the hatchback, but the refinements made to this car's styling will be carried over to our USDM sedan almost exactly.
The 8Y S3 was revealed in 2020, although it only hit our shores the following year. That means we should not expect this facelifted model to be unmasked for a little while yet, and the US launch will probably be even further off.
These images reveal that the hot hatch will get a new front bumper with a new grille that looks far more intricate. It's tough to be sure, but it appears that the tiny triple-nostril element above the grille may be going away. The headlights boast new graphics, which is to be expected, but Audi has obscured the fenders, side skirts, rear quarters, and even the lower half of the doors. We do not expect these elements to be altered for the refresh, however.
At the back, the taillights will also feature new graphics that make them look longer, and the rear bumper is getting a massage. The reflector elements will be more upright than the horizontal accents on the current model, and the diffuser trim will be completely redesigned.
As for the powertrain, there's nothing to suggest any drastic changes will be coming to the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine, which currently generates a healthy 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. With its quattro AWD system, 0-60 mph is claimed to take 4.5 seconds. If anything, these figures will be improved slightly, and the CO2 emissions will drop a touch, but other than that, Audi will likely keep the S3 largely unaltered.
Of course, if those figures aren't enough to get your pulse racing, the S3 will be easily tuned to RS3 levels or higher. You'll just have to spend a little extra.