It’s certainly a smart place to be. Of note was the refined dashboard design – many cars have so many buttons these days you think you’re in a space shuttle, but the S3’s interior feels restrained and, well, classy.

The instrument dials are grey, the needles white. The rev counter includes a boost pressure indicator and there’s that multifunction sports steering wheel with the flat-bottomed rim.

In models equipped with S tronic, it also has aluminium-look shift paddles behind the wheel. The pedals and footrest are made of brushed aluminium.

Sports seats with pull-out seat cushions are also a new development, while Audi also offers optional S sport seats with integrated head restraints and diamond quilting.

The interior of the S3, including the headlining, is in black with contrasting stitching. S logos adorn the door sill strips, the steering wheel, the gear/selector lever knob and the instruments.

Unlike some other high performance hatchbacks, Audi S3 comfort levels aren’t actually bad at all. The ride quality is forgiving and the cabin doesn’t suffer from undue road or wind noise intrusion.

You can hear the engine, but that’s deliberate. Audi has actively pumped sound into the cabin to emphasise the S3’s sporty nature.

The seats are very supportive and also fairly comfortable, so there’s not a huge amount to worry about there.