Audi RS3 orders paused in Australia as wait times stretch up to two years

“Being number six (for Audi Sport, or RS model sales globally), we do have quite a large pull when it comes to production on that particular model or Audi Sport models just because of our global ranking.

“But there are much larger markets like the European markets, US, UK, which obviously have a larger percentage of that production.

“So when production does start to ramp up, or (in) those markets, the demand starts to come down slightly, that’s when we will see it. I can’t put an absolute definitive time on it. But we will try our best to make sure that customers get cars in a suitable timeframe,” Mr Dale told Drive.

Audi Australia has not confirmed how many orders it is currently holding for the RS3 range, or how many cars are allocated to Australia each year. Drive understands the order pause was applied in December 2022.

Audi reported 2110 examples of the A3 as sold locally in 2022. It’s unclear exactly how many were RS3s – but historically it has accounted for 15 per cent of A3 sales, with the less powerful four-cylinder S3 accounting for about 25 per cent of the model mix.

The pause on Audi RS3 orders in Australia comes as spy photos emerge in Europe of a facelifted Audi A3, S3 and RS3 range undergoing testing, which overseas reports speculate is due in European showrooms sometime in 2024.

This would coincide with the current A3’s fourth birthday in Europe – though production delays have meant it did not go on sale in Australia until early 2022, two years after Europe.

Audi Australia would not be drawn on arrival timing for the updated A3 range, however executives acknowledged a facelift is in development, and it would arrive in Australia “slightly” after Europe.

“The thing is [the] A3 has only just come back to the market as a model for us [after a year between old and new generations, due to the delayed new model],” Mr Dale told Drive.

“So the facelift in Europe will come at a particular point in the [RS3’s] life cycle and we will pick up that facelift slightly afterwards.

“But in terms of timing, we don’t have a definitive time at this point. But we would try to align that in some way, shape or form with the communication to our customers [about the status of order books] to ensure … transparency.”

As reported previously by Drive, the current Audi RS3 is expected to be the last with a petrol engine, as its successor – not due until 2028 or 2029 – is slated to adopt electric power.