While sports cars provide a lot of fun, they come with a major downside: practicality is crap. But here's where high-performance sedans come in. While four-doors weren't very dynamic a few decades ago, they can be as agile as an entry-level sports car nowadays. And in addition to the power and speed, they can also provide seating for four or five people and decent trunk space. But hey, it gets even better with wagons, which can provide a lot more storage room, sometimes enough to go on a long vacation with the wife and the kiddos. Why am I talking about high-performance grocery getters, you ask? Well, the super awesome Audi RS4 Avant was just unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Let's make one thing clear: I'm not a big fan of Audi cars. I know that most of them are powerful and a nice place to spend time in, but I think they look boring and that they're too expensive. But at the same time I have a weakness for the Avant range, especially if it comes with an "RS" badge. So yeah, I'm really excited to see the new RS4 Avant hit auto show floors, despite losing its V-8 engine. Yes, you read that right, the V-8 was replaced by a smaller displacement V-6. But that doesn't mean the new RS4 Avant is less powerful and aggressive.

Continue reading for the full story.

Not Your Grandma's Grocery Getter

Thanks to the new, sharper design language of the latest-generation A4, the RS4 Avant is a much more menacing car. The massive Singleframe grille up front sports the usual honeycomb mesh, but the larger outlets inside the bumper and the angular headlamps give it the kind of aggressive stance you don't want to see in your rear-vew mirror. The RS4 is also 1.2 inches wider and sits nearly a half-inch lower than the standard wagon, so there's no way you can't tell this is a beefed-up hauler.

The wagon is equipped with Matrix LED headlamps and bespoke 19-inch wheels, but 20-inch rollers are available if you want a sportier stance. The Nogaro Blue pearl from Audi Exclusive recalls the first generation Avant from 1999 so there is a bit of heritage to be had with the new wagon. On the other, Audi claims that the new design features many details from the Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO race car from the late 1980s and early 1990s. If you can find them, please let me know in the comments box because I can't see any...

Anyway, the interior is pretty much the same sober package that comes with any RS car. Almost everything is black, but you do get goodies like RS sport seats with optional honeycomb pattern, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and an RS-specific display. An optional styling package adds carbon-fiber and aluminum trim for that race-inspired look.

No Extra Power, but Better Performance

There's big news under the hood, where the previous 4.2-liter V-8 was replaced by a 2.9-liter V-6. This move is far from surprising given that Audi hooked on downsizing and the 2.9-liter is already available in other RS models. And to be honest, it's not a big blow to tradition, as the first-generation RS4 Avant was actually powered by a 2.7-liter V-6. I guess we could say that Audi is returning to its roots.

The new engine is rated at 450 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, which means that you only get an extra 126 pound-feet, as the horsepower output is similar. But hey, 126 pound-feet is nothing to sneeze at and you should also consider the fact that the new wagon is significantly lighter. All told, the new RS4 Avant needs 4.1 seconds to hit 62 mph, which makes it around a half-second quicker than its predecessor. Quite the improvement, huh? Top speed is rated at the usual 155 mph, but the RS Dynamic package will increase it to 174 mph. Naturally, the Quattro all-wheel-drive system is standard, so you get good grip no matter the season.

I guess the only bad news at this point is that there's no sign that the new RS4 Avant will come to the U.S.. While Audi release pricing for Germany and the rest of Europe, there's no word of North American availability. Darn...

Drivetrain Specifications

References

Audi RS4 Avant

Read our full speculative review on the Audi RS4 Avant.