Audi is in the final stages of testingits most hardcore 4-door A3 variant – the RS3 sedan, which will be launched soon.

It's surprising, given how hotly anticipated the German luxury car is, that details ofthe RS3 sedan are a trifle sketchy. The 4-door RS3 will continue to use the same MQB platform as itsSportback sibling, but there is a strong possibility that it will use a newly developed engine.

The engine is expected to be a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbopetrol,but not the same unit as in the hatchback version. Instead, it could be the motor that will debut later this year in the TT RS; one reportedly capable of making 300 kW (that's more than the Mercedes-AMGA45 – although that has one less cylinder).

With this information, we can expect the RS3 Sedan to be a bit quicker than the RS3 Sportback’s 0-100 kph (4.3s) with a limited top speed of 250 kph.

With the TT RS arriving later this year, the introduction of the 4-door RS3 is like to be pushed back until 2017. We anticipate that South Africa has a relatively good chance of getting this model, which will compete with the likes of the BMW M2 and the CLA45.

Picture credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

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