The Paris Auto Show is currently taking place in, where else, Paris. A number of auto makers are there showing off their latest vehicles, even though a handful of them had decided to skip the show this year. One of those auto makers is Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group. They announced the 2018 Audi RS 3, which is a beautiful car, and best of all, it’ll be the newest member of the Audi family to sport Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support.
We’re looking at 400-horsepower here on the 2018 model, that’s a slight upgrade over the 367-horsepower found on the 2017 model. There’s also 354 pound-feet of torque from that 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. What this means is that the Audi RS 3 is going to go fast, being able to go to a top speed of 174 mph. It’ll also be able to go from 0 to 60 in about 4.1 seconds. Keep in mind that this is a compact sedan, which makes these numbers seem even more impressive. Those that have driven an Audi in recent years will know what to expect from Quattro all-wheel-drive, which is indeed available here. What is interesting about the 2018 RS 3 is that it is wider, and lower than the A3 that launched this year.
When it comes to technology in the car, you’ll be getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as we already mentioned. This is all through the latest version of MMI, which is their infotainment system. Like with other Audi models, the infotainment system screen slides up from the dashboard, and you have a trackpad and rotary dial in the center console to interact with the display. Once more, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit system is available on the RS 3. This places a 12.3-inch display where you would normally find all of your dials and gauges. This makes for a pretty amazing user experience, and much easier to use navigation while keeping your eyes on the road. All of the autonomous features you’d expect from Audi are also available here, including the ability to keep the RS 3 in its lane, as well as adaptive cruise control, to name a few.
A lot of the vehicles being announced in Paris at the Auto Show right now, aren’t going to make their way over to the US. And that’s just how things go. A lot of countries that drive on the opposite side of the road, get different models than countries like the US would. However, the Audi RS 3 is coming to the US. And according to CNET, Audi’s representatives said that the 2018 Audi RS 3 was made with the US market in mind. Which is great news for those that are fans of the RS 3 and can’t wait to get one. It should go on sale in the early part of 2017.
