The Breakdown
- Audi will end production of the RS3 for Europe by mid-2027.
- The high-performance compact car will continue outside the continent.
- The RS3 Sedan and RS3 Sportback are the last Audi models with the inline-five.
Mercedes recently said goodbye to the V12 engine in Europe, and now its rival Audi is preparing to bid farewell to an iconic powertrain as well. Ingolstadt will end production of the inline-five for European markets by mid-2027. However, much like the twelve-cylinder engine from Stuttgart, the five-cylinder mill will continue outside the continent.
In a statement to Motor1, A3 model series spokesperson Julia Winkler confirmed the RS3 won’t disappear entirely. Although the luxury brand must call time on the 2.5 TFSI in Europe due to upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulations, Audi will keep the high-performance compact car on sale in non-European markets beyond mid-next year.
The RS3 may have one foot in the grave, but European buyers still have a decent window to purchase the car before it disappears completely. Although technically possible, Audi won’t update the engine to comply with stricter legislation because the return on investment wouldn’t justify the effort. The RS3 hatchback and sedan are the last cars to use this engine after the RS Q3, RS Q3 Sportback, TT RS Coupe, and TT RS Roadster were discontinued years ago.
The company’s five-cylinder lineage dates back half a century to the 1976 Audi 100. While it’s sad to see it go, that’s how the cookie crumbles under Europe’s increasingly stringent regulations. Another recent casualty in the luxury segment that comes to mind is BMW’s V8, as the twin-turbo 4.4-liter engine had to be detuned in the M5 and XM to comply with Euro 7.
The mainstream segment isn’t immune to tighter rules either. Mazda dropped the 2.0-liter engine from the Miata a few years ago, while Honda phased out the Civic Type R altogether “in accordance with European legislation.” The situation will only worsen with Euro 7 looming and the EU’s mandate for fleet emissions to fall by 90 percent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels.
I bemoaned the gradual demise of fun cars in an op-ed last year, noting that other Euro regulations have forced some automakers to discontinue them. For example, the Porsche Cayman and Boxster left the continent in mid-2024 after failing to comply with new cybersecurity regulations. In the mainstream segment, the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ suffered the same fate.
Audi RS3 competition Limited Sedan
Motor1's Take: The inline-five will be sorely missed, but looking at the glass half full, it’s not gone just yet. Even after it’s retired from the European market in mid-2027, Audi will continue building the RS3 in Győr, Hungary, for North America and other regions with more relaxed emissions regulations.
We’re hopeful the RS3 will last until the very end of the current A3 generation. But once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
