Revealed by Australia’s caradvice.com.au after a reader had enquired about the absence of both models from Audi’s official website, the Ingolstadt automaker’s Manager for Corporate Communications Down Under, Shaun Cleary, has stated that the changes required had resulted in the temporary suspension of manufacturing.
“The Audi RS3 Sportback and sedan models are currently unavailable to order in Australia, due to the implementation of the new Worldwide Harmonised Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) standards in markets with EU-homologation,” Cleary told the online platform in a statement.
“We anticipate RS3 production will resume in early 2019. However, we also expect that stock levels of the RS3 Sportback and sedan will ensure we are still able to meet demand for several months”.
The halting of RS3 production comes just over a month after Volkswagen ended production of the Golf GTI in Europe and French versions of the Tiguan due to both failing to meet WLTP standards, and after lowering output of the Golf R from 228kW to 213kW.
Other models affected by the WLTP include the BMW M3, Skoda Octavia vRS 230 and vRS 184 TDI, Opel/Vauxhall Astra OPC/VXR, Peugeot 308 GTI and the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa OPC/VXR.
