Fast station wagons are in the DNA of Audi, and at the present moment, the RS4 Avant is the fast wagon to have. Propelled by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 450 horsepower and 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) of torque on tap, it’s hard to think of an even cooler car for cool dads and cool moms.
“Wait, what about the V8-powered Mercedes-AMG C63 T-Modell?” Fair point, but the three-pointed star’s approach in this segment is extremely different. In addition to the number of cylinders, bear in mind the Merc is rear-wheel-drive and the RS4 Avant makes use of quattro permanent all-wheel-drive.
It’s quattro that helps the Audi take on the winter with little effort from the driver’s part, as demonstrated by Auditography with some good ol’ snowplowing in the Tatra mountains in Poland. Painted in Navarra Blue Metallic, the RS4 Avant in the following video feels at home in this type of winter wonderland, which speaks volume about quattro technology.
As standard, the setup is rear-weighted. The mechanical center differential locks 60 percent of the torque to the rear axle in normal driving mode, but when slippage occurs, the suck-squeeze-bang-blow can be dialed up to 85 percent to the rear or 70 percent to the front axle, whichever needs it most.
Priced from €79,800 in Germany, the 2018 Audi RS4 Avant comes with many features as standard, though not everything that’s truly desirable for this kind of vehicle. The matrix LED headlamps are optional, as is the RS dynamics package that cranks top speed from 250 km/h up to 280 km/h (174 mph).
Dynamic Ride Control, ceramic braking system, RS dynamic steering, RS sports exhaust, sport differential, and the head-up display are also optional. Last, but certainly not least, people who are into towing can spec the RS4 Avant with a trailer hitch that’s capable of towing up to 2,100 kilograms (4,630 pounds) on an 8% incline.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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