The current RS4 Avant has been on sale since late 2017, and it continues to be an absolutely ridiculous monster of a mid-sized wagon, but today Audi announced an update to the high-performance long roof. With a more aggressive front fascia to match the new RS6, and a new interior with the updated MMI touch, the RS4 continues to live on otherwise unchanged.
“Combining consistent sportiness with unlimited everyday usability may seem like an unconventional idea to some, but to us, the high-performance Avant is one of the best concepts of our 25-year history,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “As our long-standing bestseller, the Audi RS 4 Avant contributes significantly to the success of Audi Sport GmbH.”
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The B9-chassis RS4 continues on with the same 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine producing 443 horsepower and 442.5 lb-ft of torque. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, and there’s no need to give the car more power than that, so why bother?
Do you really need a mid-sized family wagon to go any quicker than 4.1 seconds from 0-60? Do you need it to be capable of faster than 174 miles per hour? No, you don’t.
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Visually, the car now features a “singleframe” grille with honeycomb gloss black eggcrate insert. The RS4 emblem remains embedded on the grille, but it, along with the four-rings logo, have been given a black out treatment (optional). There is also a new inlet at the leading edge of the hood, which matches other RS models.
The front wheel arches have been widened an additional 30mm at both the front and back, which rules.
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Inside you have a new 10.1-inch MMI touch display which benefits from a new operating system. The B9-generation A4 was introduced way back in 2015, and the technology continues to march forward rapidly, so this system is a welcome change. The touch display now controls many of the functions that you formerly needed a rotary dial on the center console to operate.
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Audi’s very nice “virtual cockpit” gauge displays can be configured in RS Mode straight from an RS specific button on the steering wheel. This gives you access to special RS displays which provide tire pressure, torque and power output, engine oil temperature, lap timings, acceleration measurements, and g-forces. It will also activate a redline shift-light in the optional head-up display.
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The new interior also, crucially, includes a set of new much-larger aluminum shift paddles. For when you want to feel like your wagon is a race car.
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It’s a pretty great Audi, but we still can’t buy it here in the U.S. market, even though it’s Audi Sport GmbH’s most popular RS model. For those in Europe, expect the updated car to hit dealer showrooms in December with an 81,400 Euro price tag. It’s shown here in Tango Red, but Audi says you can special order it in Nogaro Blue!
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