- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
4.2i, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
331kW, 430Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 10.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
New car review: Audi RS4 Avant
When German manufacturers decide to build a compact sports sedan they generally don't stuff about with eking the maximum performance from a minimum of engine capacity. The big players are Mercedes-Benz and BMW who shoehorn V8 engines into their C-Class and 3-series variants respectively to create the C63 AMG and M3, which are seen as benchmarks of the genre.
The pinnacle of Audi's efforts is the RS4 which, after a few years of being absent, is back. It too gets a V8 engine that is virtually a carryover of the hyper-revving 4.2-litre unit from the previous version.
And while its rivals have diversified into a variety of body styles, Audi has reverted to just the one shape. Yep, if you want the fastest version of the Audi A4 and are prepared to spend around $150,000 you'd better want a wagon. Audi calls it the Avant, and it's the one and only RS4 on sale.
What do you get?
With just the one RS4 variant available, it's a pretty easy car to categorise. Based on the mid-sized A4, it has been modified by Audi's performance offshoot Quattro GmbH for maximum performance which, as well as the 331kW V8, includes a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox, stiffened and lowered suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels and subtly redesigned front and rear bumpers.
Standard equipment levels are high without being generous for the $149,400 price of entry. Things like powered leather seats and satellite navigation are standard, as are bi-xenon headlamps, a rear parking camera, motorised tail gate, keyless entry and ignition and tri-zone climate control.
If you're after heated seats, an anti-theft alarm, blind-spot assistance, a sunroof or larger 20-inch wheels you'll have to dive into the extensive options package when there are plenty of far cheaper cars offering this sort of stuff as standard equipment.
What's inside?
The interior is based on the now five year-old B8 version of the A4, making it entirely familiar for anyone who's ever sat in an Audi. That means plenty of black or dark grey trim and a fairly conventional dashboard layout with a central screen using a dial-based menu for functions such as navigation, trip computer, stereo and suspension settings. It also means peerless fit and finish, maximum legibility of the uncomplicated instruments and virtually fool-proof ergonomic simplicity.
Added to that, the RS4 gets a flat-bottomed steering wheel and sports seats – the latter being heavily bolstered and, combined with the car's lower ride height, pretty difficult for non-athletic drivers to slide in and out of. Once ensconced, the amount of side-support is excellent even if they are a little hard in the base.
Rear seat passengers get an adequate but not generous amount of leg room, but the RS4's packaging flexibility is obviously extended by the wagon body. The cargo area is spacious, the floor low and easy to access and the powered tail gate adds another level of ease to loading. Fold the back seats flat and it increases even further.
Under the bonnet
The 4.2-litre V8 is the heart and soul of the RS4. Unlike the lower-revving, turbocharged engines found in other Audi models this one is a screamer, developing its peak power at a heady 8250rpm, while maximum torque (or pulling power) of 430Nm arrives at 4000rpm.
So the temptation when driving is to use all the revs, holding gears and revelling in the heady exhaust note and rapidly escalating performance that Audi claims is in the region of 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. The seven speed automated gearbox with dual clutches is almost as smooth as a conventional auto and of course, has a manual mode that can be operated by paddles mounted either side of the steering wheel.
But it's also happy to be driven more gently with the transmission set for auto, the engine burbling away merrily and still pulling strongly enough from low revs to give more than ample performance. It's also a good way to save fuel: fully extending the engine's rev band to shift the RS4's nearly 1.9-tonnes of mass will slurp through the recommended 98-octane fuel at a rate of more than 12.0 L/100km.
On the road
Quite apart from the strength and flexibility of the engine, the RS4's suspension set-up leaves no doubt this is a car built for maximum performance. The ride is stiff to the point of harshness, and delving deeper into the firmness settings via Audi's drive select system (which also varies steering and throttle response) only increases the way the suspension faithfully transmits every bump and ripple in the road surface through to the cabin.
The payback is in grip levels that no driver could sensibly want to exceed. The RS4's all-wheel-drive system ensures there's ample traction to inhibit wheelspin under acceleration even on slippery road surfaces, which together with minimal body roll and sticky tyres means corners are simply something to steer through and not necessarily plan ahead for.
Verdict
The RS4 is a taut and purposeful performance car so if it's driving excitement at any speed the buyer is after, it is unlikely to disappoint. Unlike most cars of its potential there's also the practicality of the wagon body, making it a very useful family car into the bargain.
The price tag is obviously high, but comparable or less than its two major rivals. Equipment levels could be better and more ride comfort would be appreciated but in all the RS4 is a pretty potent package.