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All-new Audi RS 4 Avant : wolf in sheep’s clothing

Are you a sporting mum or dad or just someone that’s in for a game from time to time ? Then the new Audi RS 4 Avant is YOUR car. Nothing more enjoyable than waiting in the slow lane at the traffic lights with empty child car seats in the back knowing that with your car you will be able to beat any other car stopping next to you. The new Audi RS 4 Avant is like a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. The beautiful Nardo grey version we had the chance to test drive, just adds up to that feeling.

Text and photos Anja Van Der Borght


When creating this fourth generation Audi RS 4 Avant, the designers took inspiration from the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO. Massive air inlets with typical RS honeycomb structure and wide, flat single frame grille define the sporty front of the car. The optional Matrix LED headlights with tinted bezels add to that character.

The new Audi RS 4 Avant combines high performance with superlative everyday utility. Its 2.9 TFSI engine with 450 hp and 600 Nm of torque – that is the same engine as the RS 5 – makes it the sporty vanguard of the A4 family. The standard quattro drive distributes the power of the V6 biturbo to all four wheels via a sportily configured eight-speed Tiptronic with optimized gear changing. Do we need to say that this car shifts gears in a fluent way and sticks to the asphalt? For those who want still more, Audi also offers an optional rear sport differential. Average fuel consumption is about 8.8 liters per 100 kilometers. That is an efficiency gain of 17 percent over the previous model. Moreover, that official average fuel consumption is very close to the one we experienced in real life. Our average consumption varied in between 9.1 liters and 9.3 liters. Furthermore, you have to take 199 grams of CO2 per kilometer into account.

Okay we have to admit. We adore Audi for its great driving and its clean look both inside and out and the new Audi RS 4 Avant is nothing different from that. The black interior underscores the sporty character of this new Audi. Immediately after we are sliding behind nthe wheel, we feel like coming home. The RS sport seats give good support (also on the sides) and the thick flat-bottomed RS leather multifunction sport steering wheel feels great in our hands.

At the inside we like the sophisticated materials that feel qualitative but in particular we like the digital racing-style cockpit that also displays the g-forces. Not that you would experience in the RS 4 Avant enormous g-forces as race pilots or jet pilots do but it still is a fascinating gadget. Another think we like as it brings a lot of light and atmosphere into the car is the panoramic glass rooftop. It’s an option (1,730.30 Euros) but one that’s worth considering.

Compared to the Audi A4 Avant, the wheel arches are 30 millimeters wider and are given added emphasis by the quattro blisters. The new Audi RS 4 Avant travels on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels as standard; 20-inch wheels are available as an option as are the red braking claws (356.95 Euros for the latter).

At the rear end, the RS-specific diffuser inserts, the oval tailpipes of the RS exhaust system and the RS roof edge spoiler make for a distinctive look.

The shift gate and the illuminated door sill trims are all adorned with the RS emblem.

The new Audi RS 4 Avant weighs only 1,790 kilograms that is 80 kilograms less than previously and Audi did its best to enhance the performances on different levels. The V6 biturbo does not only develop 450 hp, its peak torque is 600 Nm, that is 170 Nm more than the previous model! Moreover, the peak torque is available across a broad engine speed range from 1,900 to 5,000 rpm and is key to how the Audi RS 4 is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. The top speed is 250 km/h. With the optional RS dynamic package (5,995.55 Euros, VATi) our test car was equipped with that top speed increases to 280 km/h. The standard-fit RS sport suspension sets the Audi RS4 Avant another seven millimeters (0.3 in) lower than the A4 basic model with sport suspension.

By way of equipment options, there are RS sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC), ceramic brakes and RS-specific dynamic steering. Drivers can define their own individual personal driving experience using the standard dynamic handling system Audi drive select.

Basic price 84,700 Euros (tax included) for Belgium. Price of our test car 104,931.2O Euros.

www.audi.be

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