New 444bhp Audi RS4 Avant on sale from £61,625

The new 444bhp Audi RS4 Avant is now on sale in the UK following on from its reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Two versions are available at launch, with the standard RS4 Avant priced from £61,625.

At that price tag, buyers get 19-inch ten spoke alloy wheels, LED headlights with high beam assist, RS super sports seats with honeycomb stitching, plus a full suite of tech, including Audi’s 12.3-inch virtual cockpit system, an additional 8.3-inch display on the dashboard, sat nav, cruise control, parking assist, and a hatful of driver assists and safety features. 

Alongside the regular car, the RS4 Avant Carbon Edition will be offered, priced from £71,625. Styling tweaks such as larger 20-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers and carbon wing mirrors make the cut, alongside an RS sports exhaust system and LED Matrix headlights. Nappa leather RS seats and carbon inlays are found in the cabin. 

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After a couple of generations of V8-powered RS4s, the new hot estate version of the A4 goes back to the layout of the original RS4 Avant by adopting a twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The 2.9-litre unit produces 444bhp and 600Nm of torque - enough, Audi claims, to take the car from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds, and on to an electronically restricted speed of 155mph. Audi will also offer an RS dynamic package that raises the car’s limit to 174mph.

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Despite the performance, the new RS4 Avant’s motor - which transmits its power through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and permanent four-wheel drive - is considerably more efficient than the old V8. It’s around 17 percent easier on fuel consumption, in fact, with combined economy of 32.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km.

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The new model gets aggressive air intakes at the front, and it sits 7mm lower than a basic A4 with sports suspension. An extensive options list will include RS sports suspension with active dynamic ride control, carbon-ceramic brakes and RS-specific dynamic steering. 

The RS4 Avant’s spec includes 19in forged-aluminium wheels (20in items will be optional), Nogaro blue paint, oval tailpipes, a bespoke diffuser insert and a roof-edge spoiler - along with wheelarch blisters that are 30mm wider than a standard A4’s. The cabin gets a flat-bottomed leather RS wheel, Audi’s virtual cockpit display and RS sports seats with an optional honeycomb pattern. 

What do you think of the new Audi RS4 Avant? Let us know below...