Compared to many cars with nearly 300bhp, Audi S3 running costs aren’t all that high. Claimed fuel economy is 40.9mpg on the combined cycle, which is mightily impressive.

Servicing costs are likely to be pretty high compared to some competitors, but Audi’s variable servicing schedules go some way to dulling the pain.

Audi S3 emissions range from 159g/km in the S Tronic car up to 162g/km in the manual model. Although nowhere near as low as many family cars these days, that’s significantly lower than the previous S3 and also less than competition from the Focus ST or the BMW M135i.

Historically, Audi S3 reliability has been exemplary. In fact, the firm has an excellent reputation for well-built and resilient cars.

Many of the parts used are tried-and-tested in other models, including the gearboxes and switchgear. The engine is new, but it would be most unlike Audi to launch a new powerplant without putting it through an enormous amount of strenuous testing first.