- Doors and Seats
NA
- Engine
NA
- Engine Power
331kW, 600Nm
- Fuel
Petrol 9.5L/100KM
- Transmission
NA
- Warranty
NA
- Ancap Safety
NA
2024 Audi RS4 Avant review
Few vehicles carry the 'wagons are better' flag with more panache than the 2024 Audi RS4 Avant. Trent Nikolic samples the first local drive of Audi's updated wagon to find out just how potent the modern iteration of a now legendary platform can be.
2024 Audi RS4 Avant
In many ways, the Audi RS4 needs no introduction. And, if a sedan is good, a wagon must be even better, right?
That's certainly the case when we're talking about a performance car. As such, the RS4 Avant we're driving at its local launch has gained almost mythical status in this country.
Family buyers wanting to appear practical, while flying under the radar, fight with outright performance enthusiasts to secure one of a limited number that hit the showroom floor in our local market. Fast SUVs might garner most of the attention now, but fast wagons are where it all started.
Australia is an SUV-crazy market as we know, but there's still appeal in the inherent practicality of a wagon. It's useful, has significant boot space, and doesn't drive like an SUV. Plus, the cabin presentation can be even sportier than the sportiest of SUVs, given the low-slung driving position. What's not to like? And now, the RS4 Avant is even sportier.
The new RS4 Avant has been tweaked to deliver even more appeal, while still flying under the radar of most road users. If you know, you know, but if you don't, it's just another Euro wagon cruising by.
Audi has shown the A4 range's replacement already, set to arrive in 2025, the new A5 range – in liftback sedan and wagon forms – is set to offer a more potent S5 variant. And while an RS5 hasn't been shown yet, it'll be the only option as a replacement for the current RS4 range.
Entry doesn't come cheap, but this is an exclusive club. The starting price for the revised RS4 Avant is $165,015 before on-road costs and options are added.
The Avant we spent most time with at launch has some tasty additions too. You can read our pricing and specification story for the breakdown on both the RS4 Avant and RS5 Sportback. The Competition Plus Package adds $15,290 and includes such highlights as RS sport coilover suspension, RS sport exhaust system, fixed-ratio dynamic steering, and reprogrammed software for the quattro sport differential and transmission.
I write highlights because there's a lengthy list. Our test car also has the RS Design package in red ($3400), matte carbon exterior trim ($6300) and inlays in matte carbon twill ($1400). The 20-inch Audi Sport wheels are a no-cost option. The final price is a hefty $191,405 before on-road costs.
Key details | 2024 Audi RS4 Avant |
Price | $165,015 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Ascari Blue metallic |
Options | Competition Plus Package – $15,290 - RS sport coilover suspension - RS sport exhaust system - Front bucket seats - Fixed-ratio dynamic steering - Revised software for diff and auto trans RS Design Package in red – $3400 Matte carbon exterior package in red – $6300 Inlays in matte carbon twill – $1400 |
Price as tested | $182,005 plus on-road costs |
Rivals | Alfa Romeo Giulia | BMW M3 | Mercedes-AMG C63 |
Audi's infotainment system has settled into a neat groove where it's easy to use and easy to work out for first-timers. As per the model you're familiar with, there's the current-get MMI navigation plus infotainment system, controlled by a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and the navigation uses Google Earth.
While most of us now prefer the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto interface, the proprietary satellite navigation system is a breeze to use. And accurate too. On that note, though, at launch the wired Apple CarPlay connection was faultless. Both smartphone systems can be connected wirelessly if you prefer. Drivers get Audi's excellent virtual cockpit screen, which is customisable and smartly presented.
For the first time in this generation, you can opt for RS front bucket seats, and while they are undeniably track-focused, they work pretty well on the road too. Striking a nice balance between firmness and comfort on a longer drive, they don't detract from your enjoyment behind the wheel, which can't be said for all seats of this type.
The Dinamica and leather trim is tasteful, with the honeycomb pattern in the front face and matte carbon at the rear adding to the individual feel.
Our tester also had the Alcantara steering wheel, shift knob and centre console knee pads, with contrast stitching. The seatbelts are black with red edging, and the front floor mats get the RS logo on them, as well as contrasting red stitching.
Audi tells us the Dinamica material used in the cabin is made up of 45 per cent recycled PET fibres, with approximately 215 grams processed per seat.
Environmental focus aside, and going back to the original point, the front two seats are comfortable but GT-focused as well, making the RS4 Avant a sensational candidate as a long-haul tourer. If you live in the city and you regularly travel further afield, for example, this is the kind of performance car that would make the drive significantly more enjoyable.
The second row is compact but comfortable, making the RS4 Avant useful for four adults, or parents up front and rapidly growing children in the second row. The second-row seats are sporty enough, but crucially, not so sporty that it's a pain to get into and out of the back doors.
Conversely, they don't have the flat bench feel that some of the lesser designs deliver. One thing Audi has been nailing for a long time now is high-class cabins, and the RS4 Avant's is as good as anything in the burgeoning Audi stable.
A wagon's most useful feature, though, is without doubt its enormous boot space, which expands from 495 litres to 1495L when you fold the second-row seats down. It means you can carry longer items like skis, a bicycle, or a snowboard, for example, and do so safely inside the cabin. Once you open the luggage hatch, the floor is low but not impractically low, and effectively flat all the way through.
We don't always buy into the marketing guff that car companies like to put out to the public, but when Audi says it has 'enhanced the sportiness of the RS4 Avant', it's hard to argue the point. New coilover suspension, an RS sport exhaust, a revised quattro differential and transmission, top speed increased to 290km/h, and the 0–100km/h run reduced to 3.9 seconds.
There's a level of performance under the cool-as-hell wagon skin that you simply cannot deny. Even if you're an SUV fan.
The engine is a screaming ode to everything we love about the old way of doing things – with the benefit of a healthy slab of modern technology of course. The 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6 belts out 331kW between 5700rpm and 6700rpm and a thunderous 600Nm between 1900rpm and 5000rpm – both unchanged from the previous version.
There's an eight-speed tiptronic automatic and Audi's signature quattro all-wheel-drive system. Audi claims 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, but we didn't have the chance to test that figure at launch. The V6 sounds tough when the revs rise, too, another enticing feature of the RS4 Avant.
The new coilover suspension matched with 20-inch alloy wheels and low-profile rubber make their mark out on the open road, where the RS4 Avant is firm but still comfortable. That remains the case even on lumpy B-roads or coarse-chip surfaces.
I suspect a nasty pothole would result in a decent thump, but the everyday pliability of the ride is impressive given the otherwise focused nature of this wagon. Take into account, too, that you can toss the RS4 Avant fiercely into a corner, and it handles more like a race car than a regular road car. Its roadholding ability is well beyond the realms of the average driver or average road.
Key details | 2024 Audi RS4 Avant |
Engine | 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol |
Power | 331kW @ 5700–6700rpm |
Torque | 600Nm @ 1900–5000rpm |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | 8-speed torque converter automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 181.9kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1820kg |
Turning circle | 11.8m |
It might seem obvious that a car like the RS4 Avant is a joy to drive, but it's a point worth noting again here regardless. There's so much about the driving experience that reminds you why sports sedans and wagons are as great as they are, and every road is an opportunity to tune into just how competent this car is as an all-round experience. The brakes, the steering, the grip and the balance are all fantastic on any road and will leave you regularly seeking out the long way home.
Getting your hands on one of these cars is going to be a difficult exercise. Audi will struggle to access as many as demand will necessitate, but the manufacturer tells us that supply is strong. The revised RS4 Avant is – unsurprisingly – an exceptional performance car that is as useful as it is hardcore. You can drive it as sedately as you like, or as committed as you're willing to. Neither will see it raise an eyebrow, it's that capable.
The RS4 Avant also shows that the SUV hasn't quite vanquished the wagon just yet. Certainly not in regard to driving engagement and the feeling you get as the driver. Only the most exotic (and expensive) of the SUV brigade can hold a candle to the RS4 Avant.
If you want one, get into an Audi dealership quick smart. Beg, borrow, steal. Do whatever you have to do to secure an order. You won't regret it.