By Karl Peskett.
Chat to any child born this decade and the term “station wagon” doesn’t seem to be in their vocabulary. For this writer, born in the 1970s, the station wagon was a staple sight on Australian roads. Trips down south, to school, to the shops – we travelled everywhere in the wagon.
Around a decade ago, the SUV gradually took its place. Which is interesting given most SUVs are just a wagon body with raised suspension and all-wheel-drive. But the wagon is making a comeback, just in a form that is a lot more expensive.
German brands now have several premium wagons in their lineup, but there are none more desirable than Audi’s RS lineup. The V8-powered RS6 and its smaller brother, the RS4, are two of the fastest and most competent wagons around. But at nearly $100K cheaper, it’s the RS4 which has our attention.
Open the door and you’re greeted with a high-spec version of the A4 interior, so as you’d expect, the build quality is class-leading, but there are plenty of added go-fast goodies like the lashings of carbon-fibre everywhere. And no, it’s not the el-cheapo carbon look you get in cheaper cars, this is the real deal.
The Nappa leather seats and their hexagonal stitching feel excellent, as they should at this price level. But it’s the inbuilt massaging programs that really make driving it a pleasure no matter how good or bad your day has been.
Clearly, that wagon bodystyle allows a level of practicality that a sedan doesn’t deliver, with quick release seat backs that flip down and create a larger load area. As standard, you get 505 litres, which grows to 1510 litres when folded flat. There’s also a luggage net to stop things sliding around, and a cargo net that prevents loaded items ending up in the passenger area.
The rear seats are well positioned to make the most out of the available space, and there’s a good amount of headroom and legroom, though three large adults across the back seat will get a little squishy.
Okay, that’s the practicality out of the way, what you really need to know is how it drives, right?
Here’s some figures for you: The RS4 runs a new 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that pumps out 331kW and 600Nm. This runs through an eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and gets sent to all four wheels with Audi’s quattro system. Too technical? How about this – 0-100kmh in just 4.1 seconds.
Launch control is particularly effective and very, very easy. Put it in Dynamic mode, make sure it’s on Sport for the automatic, press the stability control button once, put your foot on the brake and flatten the accelerator. Then let go of the brake and hang on.
The V6’s angry snarl makes its presence felt, there’s an exhaust bellow every time the gear changes, and it accelerates in a very relentless fashion. Thankfully the brakes are up to the task of hauling it up again, given its speed potential.
The ZF automatic is so adept at changing that there’s rarely a need to use the paddles, and to be truthful, you’ll end up hitting the rev limiter before you get a change to change gears – best leave it be.
The suspension, though, is the quandary. There’s a range of adjustment from Comfort to Dynamic and the difference between them is exactly as the names describe them. The whole car sits lower, so the springs and dampers have been tuned to make the most out of the platform to make it turn in sharply and hang on. It does all of that, but when you come to a stop, there’s a rocking motion that you would normally get from tall, air-suspended vehicles (think Rolls-Royce Phantom). It seems odd, and takes away from the sporting experience that the RS4 exudes.
And the engine, while technically proficient, just lacks the aural drama of the previous 4.2-litre V8, meaning it just doesn’t grab you like the older, slower car did. It’s a bit like the BMW M4. It’s better on paper in every single measurable way, but the old V8’s sound and driving manners were just so much more involving.
The RS4 is similar. While the new model is better, faster, more efficient and more practical, it just makes everything seem a bit too easy. There’s no fight, no taming of the machine, and that’s where it falls down. It’s no challenge to drive quickly, and makes anyone look quick.
For some, that’ll be enough. And if it’s a fast car with practicality you want, look no further. But if you want to feel a part of the machine, then it may be worth spending a little less and looking for a good used Audi RS6 instead.
