THE DRIVE REPORT: AUDI RS4 AVANT

The fact that the Indian car market doesn’t see the appeal of estate cars, particularly fast estates, has never really resonated with me. Estates are spacious and mature. They tell the world that you aren’t so completely consumed by appearances that you will forego utility, and at the same time, you aren’t so fixated on utility that you will abandon the laws of beauty completely. And as far as fast estates go, Audi has always made the best of them, no doubt about it. Yes, the E63 AMG wagon is a handsome thing, and yes, the BMW M4 Touring has considerable appeal. But their designs still seem like an afterthought. With Audi, particularly the RS3, RS4 and RS6 – the shapes lend themselves to estate design particularly well, emanating power and majesty.

Of the lot, the Audi RS4 Avant, in many ways, manages to strike the perfect balance between power and practicality. It’s powerful, but not ballistically so, unlike the RS6 which is really a torpedo disguised as a family estate. And it comes with a bit more space and grand touring ability than the RS3, whose power-to-weight ratio makes it arguably better on mountain B-roads. In essence, it’s the most versatile of Audi’s fast estates. Which worked perfectly since my time with the RS4 included a sprint to the Bavarian Alps followed by a sojourn across the length of Germany, via the Autobahn: one of the country’s greatest offerings.

Featuring a twin-turbocharged, 2.9-litre V6, the RS4 produces 444 bhp of power and 600 Nm of torque. To put that in perspective, that’s more power and more torque than a standard Porsche 911 Carrera 4S makes. Unlike the 911, the RS4 is big on space and able to accommodate three full-sized suitcases along with two small ones, with the rear seat folded. This in a car that, at least in Germany, has a top speed of 295 kmph.

“RS cars are our image cars” says Audi AG VP of Sales, Martin Konsbruck when asked about the drought of Audi performance cars in India. Konsbruck admits that the cars are major drivers of image and should return in the near future. Simply put, when it comes to performance and luxury, the RS GmbH imprint isn’t as strong as that of AMG or BMW’s M-division. But all of that is likely to change with more RS-badged cars, featuring brand-new ICE powertrains, scheduled to arrive by 2026. Which of these makes it to India remains to be seen, but according to Konsbruck, it will be a healthy mix of electric and ICE. Lamentably enough, the RS4 does not retail in India. For the moment, only the RS5 (four-door) and the RSQ8 are flying the petrol-powered RS flag in the country, with the RS e-tron GT.

The ultimate grand tour

Having taken the keys to the matte grey RS4 Avant with its blacked-out alloys, Matrix-LED bestowed headlamps and 30mm wider (compared to the standard Avant) wheel arches, from Audi’s HQ in Ingolstadt, it was virtually impossible to steer it all the way back to the hotel basement. Instead, I took full advantage of the V6 and the city’s proximity to the Bavarian Alps and with nary a second of hesitation, went straight for the Rossfeld Panoramastrasse located at the Alpine summit overlooking the city of Salzburg.

To be able to hit a public road and go as fast as the car and your own fortitude would let you, is one of the hallmarks of civilisation and development. Which is why it’s always a delight to return to the German Autobahn, arguably the last bastion of speed as far as public infrastructure is concerned.

The RS4 radiates even more aggression than it did previously, but in reality it has various facets than outright speed. Yes, it’s inherently stiff, but in “Comfort” mode, it’s quite sedate and mild-mannered on the highway. Until of course, you step on the throttle. The turbos work overtime to gasp air, as if to blow out the candles on an enormous tier cake, while the V6 hums with Teutonic restraint to deliver a shockingly quick ascent to triple-digit speeds. On the de-restricted portions of the Autobahn, the RS4 is, through sheer good fortune, the fastest machine on the road, edging past other diesel estates who aren’t making as many fuel stops as I have to. Considering it to be a token entry fee for the mecca of speed that is the Autobahn, I decided to keep driving with a heavy foot.

Roughly 250 km from Ingolstadt is the Rossfeldpanoramastrasse, named thus because it was created roughly a century ago to offer a panoramic view of the Alpine valley. The base of the mountain has begun to thaw out but the last bit of snow from a receding winter has left the ascending road slippery. Which would be a concern for anyone without Quattro AWD but not for the RS4. And therein lies its appeal. Despite being a full generation older than the current M3 Touring, the RS4 remains so impeccably well-built and so phenomenally planted that it performs at supercar speeds consistently without ever causing you to worry for a second. On the banked sections of the de-restricted Autobahn, the RS4 didn’t budge for a second. I’ve had the fortune of driving it across snow and ice, and on roads both wet and dry, and it remains the most weather-proof performance car experience I’ve had in ages.

Performance SUVs are great, but they’re not quite as flat around corners as this car.

The next day, en route to Berlin from Munich, the RS4 showcased its mile-crunching prowess. Yes, there is a toll in terms of fuel consumed, despite its 61-litre fuel tank and 480 km range but can you really put a price on the ecstasy of speed? Turns out you can, but let’s not get bogged down by the little details.

Because the RS button on the steering wheel means you get to extract the maximum performance from this beast. The engine turns growlier, the roads turn blurrier and the gauge turns … redder. It all plays out like a fever dream, until you’re back at the fuel station, of course, blinking in disbelief as to how it managed to take you and enough luggage to clothe the armies of Babylon across one of the largest countries in Europe, so quickly.

Verdict

Konsbruck pointed out that a recent consumer survey revealed design and reliability to be one of the main reasons buyers bought Audis. But the likes of the RS4 underscore the marque’s dedication to producing world-class performance cars with new-age flair and old-school fortress-like build quality. The RS4, although thirsty when pushed, manages to thrill, cocoon, nurture and astound. It’s not superlative like the RS6, but in many ways, it’s the best of the lot. Time for a petition to bring more fast estates to an SUV-obsessed country.

2024-04-13T04:04:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd