Photo: Audi
Who said wagons are yesterday’s news? Certainly not Audi, who have put a price on the ultimate expression of the A4 Avant. With the order books now open in the automaker’s domestic market, the cheapest RS4 Avant will set you back €79,800. And boy, the options list is as extensive as you’d expect it to be!
The family-oriented RS icon is similar from a technical standpoint to the RS5. The two share their 2.9-liter TFSI and 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though the RS5 is quicker to 100 km/h (62 mph) than the RS4 Avant. With 450 PS (444 horsepower) and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque sent to all four wheels, the newcomer needs 4.1 seconds to thrust to 100 km/h.
The twin-turbo V6 hiding under the hood is based on the engine found in the Porsche Panamera 4S, though it develops more ponies and twist in the four-ringed application. Of course, the 2.9-liter TFSI doesn’t sound nearly as good as the 4.2-liter FSI flat-plane V8 of the B8 RS4 Avant, but times are changing at Audi’s Sport division. And Mercedes-AMG. And, of course, BMW M. Put simply, the German establishment is all for downsizing and forced induction.
Stiffer than the former generation and approximately 80 kilograms lighter, the B9 RS4 Avant carries a starting price of £61,625 in the United Kingdom. The United States will miss out on this sporty family wagon, chiefly because Audi can’t make a case for this sort of vehicle when the A4 allroad is struggling in this part of the world. The RS6 Avant doesn’t have a place in the U.S. either.
European customers who wish to unleash the full potential of the RS4 Avant can do exactly that with the RS Dynamics Package. Tick it off the options list, and top speed increases from 250 km/h to 280 km/h (174 mph). For reference, winding the Chevrolet Camaro SS up to its full potential will get you 165 mph.
This sort of performance, as expected, doesn’t get you too far on a full tank of gas. At NEDC-rated 8.8 liters per 100 kilometers, the RS4 Avant drinks fuel in big gulps. To the fast Audi wagon’s defense, it translates to a 17-percent improvement compared to the V8-powered predecessor, so that’s that.
The twin-turbo V6 hiding under the hood is based on the engine found in the Porsche Panamera 4S, though it develops more ponies and twist in the four-ringed application. Of course, the 2.9-liter TFSI doesn’t sound nearly as good as the 4.2-liter FSI flat-plane V8 of the B8 RS4 Avant, but times are changing at Audi’s Sport division. And Mercedes-AMG. And, of course, BMW M. Put simply, the German establishment is all for downsizing and forced induction.
Stiffer than the former generation and approximately 80 kilograms lighter, the B9 RS4 Avant carries a starting price of £61,625 in the United Kingdom. The United States will miss out on this sporty family wagon, chiefly because Audi can’t make a case for this sort of vehicle when the A4 allroad is struggling in this part of the world. The RS6 Avant doesn’t have a place in the U.S. either.
European customers who wish to unleash the full potential of the RS4 Avant can do exactly that with the RS Dynamics Package. Tick it off the options list, and top speed increases from 250 km/h to 280 km/h (174 mph). For reference, winding the Chevrolet Camaro SS up to its full potential will get you 165 mph.
This sort of performance, as expected, doesn’t get you too far on a full tank of gas. At NEDC-rated 8.8 liters per 100 kilometers, the RS4 Avant drinks fuel in big gulps. To the fast Audi wagon’s defense, it translates to a 17-percent improvement compared to the V8-powered predecessor, so that’s that.
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