The new powerful Audi RS 4 Avant breaks cover with its combined sportiness and unlimited everyday usability. Its twin turbo VS allows 450PS of power and 600 Nm of torque.
The Audi Sport-developed RS 4 Avant is expected to become available to order in the UK in November, with the latest Audi design language and equipped with the latest infotainment developments based around a new touch-screen MMI touch operating system. The first UK specification examples of 450PS super-Avant will arrive in standard and even more lavishly equipped Vorsprung specification in early 2020.
The exterior
The Singleframe is wider and flatter than its counterpart in the A4 model line, and in common with the RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback the grille features the three-dimensional honeycomb structure in gloss black that characterises the RS model series.
To give it a clean look, the Singleframe is frameless - the new ‘eggcrate’ grille with the RS 4 emblem is inserted directly into the bumper with the large lateral air inlets and vertical flaps. The shape of the standard Matrix LED headlights with their darkened bezels has also been redesigned.
The interior
In the interior of the Audi RS 4 Avant, LED light guides trace the contours of the doors and the centre console—doing so in up to 30 different colours in combination with the optional ambient lighting package. The horizontal alignment of the instrument panel creates a sense of spaciousness. The driver and front passenger are welcomed by the illuminated door sill trims that bear the RS 4 logo.
The 10.1-inch MMI touch display is the control centre of the new operating system. The touch-sensitive screen displays a high-resolution graphic animation of an RS 4 Avant. The driver can use the RS monitor to call up an overview of drive system component temperatures, maximum g-forces and information on tyre pressures and temperatures.
The drive
The new RS 4 Avant can accelerate from zero to 62mph in just 4.1 seconds. The TFSI engine weighs just 1kg, which is 31kg less than the V8 engine in the previous 2012 RS 4. The twin-turbo V6 applies an impressive 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft in a broad engine speed range from 1,900 to 5,000 rpm.
The power of the 2.9 TFSI flows to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system via the sporty eight-speed tiptronic. In regular driving, the system delivers more power to the rear axle.
The suspension
The five-link front and rear suspension enables the optimal absorption of longitudinal and lateral forces. With the standard RS sport suspension, the Audi RS 4 Avant is seven millimetres lower than the S4 base model with sport suspension.
The optional RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) enables even more agile handling. This integrated roll and pitch stabiliser consists of a special damper system that counteracts the movements of the vehicle body with no delay without the use of electronics.