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Audi S4 Avant: Land Of (S)QUATTRO
AUDI S4 AVANT
LAND OF (S)QUATTRO
Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photography by Gian Romero
Some days are more unique than others, a bit like the morning I collected the S4 Avant. In reality it should have been an RS6, but the first take I was abroad for another press drive and the second the car was missing. To dispel the myth of “there is not two without three” we organized a test with the guys at Audi, waiting for the undisputed performance estate queen to be available again. My choice fell on the new S4 Avant, what we can call the smallest sister, since the S3 (and therefore also the RS3) are part of the hatchbacks segment. I have two cylinders and 200 horses less, but the weight is in our favor. What does all this have to do with the fact that the collection day has been so special? Little or nothing to tell the truth, or see it as a matter of stubbornness, a bit like not listening to the weather warning and find myself on the motorway between snow and ice, an unknown number of detours and closed connections that have brought us in the middle of the worst day of the entire winter, now gone by. I could have come back, postponed the withdrawal, but do not touch my schedule or I could get out of my mind. By now I had already planned a series of things and I would not have returned empty-handed for anything in the world, the S4 Avant had taken the semblance of the Holy Grail and would have come back home with me the same evening.
Talking about dedication and commitment, know that despite having spent the whole day on the motorway defying the blizzard and the infamous icestorm, just before 11.00 pm, I parked the Audi in the backyard, even if full of snow. A great personal satisfaction, when you mentally tick every item of your daily program – never postpone anything, for no reason. I find the same precision and integrity in the S4, which I was able to observe calmly only the following morning, where regardless of the inches of snow that invaded the driveway and the ten miles of road to the office, I finally focused my attention on a model often forgotten by those who sharpen the view only starting from the RS badge. The new S4 Avant has a sober look, traced on the lines of the A4 Avant that we tested a couple of years ago, with the addition of the S-line package, in this case both for the outside and the inside, but above all for the mechanical department. To suggest its sporty nature, there are a couple of details that could even go unnoticed to a distracted eye, such as the V6 T logo on the front wheel arches or the two pairs of tailpipes at the back. Even the most classic metallic silver color helps to make this S4 the ideal companion for a cohabitation that can last all year round, regardless of how and where you could use it. What really matters is here, however, as the 6-cylinder 3-liter turbo is able to ground 354 horses on the pavement and a mighty 500Nm of torque. Traction is managed by the well-known and impeccable QUATTRO system, which distributes the power optimally, making the drive on slippery terrain a real child’s game. In the same way it does not interfere with driving involvement, always interesting thanks to the reactivity of the engine and an elasticity that makes it sharp on mountain roads, but able to grind kilometers on the motorway without drying up the tank.
As mentioned, compared to the RS6 there is less power, but also less weight, the same for the more fierce RS4, which is not afraid of expressing much more muscular lines and a more nervous character. The 6-cylinder S4 is able to do everything in a good way, which may seem a gamble, ‘cause between comfort and performance there is a rather obvious emotional gap, but reality is precisely that managing the gas pedal and setting chassis, gearbox and steering sensitivity in a more sporty direction, the S4 sharpens the claws and begins to show you how it is able to gain speed at rhythms that you did not think possible, at least in this first step of sports estates. It’s not the case to go shopping and test the load capacity of the trunk, not even to verify the accuracy of parking sensors or the (excellent) connectivity of the infotainment. After risking more lives than a cat to get it, I want to use it properly in that area that interests me and open-minded people like you. Once ready, I set the navigator and we load all the equipment for the photo shoot, heading towards the snowy peaks we see towards the horizon. Yesterday’s weather seems to have subsided, but the temperature is rigid and the roads are certainly not in excellent condition. It is here that the S4 demonstrates one of its aces in the sleeve, a perfect balance between a frame that is able to accurately communicate what is happening below you, but an impressive ease while handling every situation with extreme calm, maintaining sustained paces without caring too much if the asphalt is insidious or not. When there is enough space go hard on the throttle and in a moment we are pressed to the seat accompanied by the unmistakable scream of its 6 cylinders. It is never too invasive, nor artificial as happens with some 8 cylinders – there are also crackles that accompany the gear shifting near the rev limiter. A real pleasure, now you understand why I did not intend to postpone all of this?
Suddenly we come to that typical intersection where we usually backtrack, but this time we are still hungry for bends and above all, the safety transmitted by our Audi pushes us to go further, letting us take a road that was cleaned just a few hours before – two walls of snow on both sides, no room for mistakes, but what draws a diabolic grin on my face is that it was a one-way road. No danger of crossing someone from the opposite direction and the full chance of being kicked by the V6 from Ingolstadt. Just a moment not to be insulted by the farmer who was staring at us from the window of his house and I push the right pedal like a madman. Not the slightest hesitation, the S4 does not break up and swoops down a downhill stretch, I have to lighten up and despite having entered some corners with a little ‘too much ease, the chassis follows perfectly my inputs, showing how practically rolling and understeer are almost completely absent, or otherwise not perceptible on this type of roads. The gearbox is quick and despite not being able to love the little plastic paddles behind the steering wheel, they are exactly where they should be and shoot one gear after another with the precision of a cardiovascular surgeon under amphetamines. I do not care, in this moment, how much the cockpit is a welcoming and ideal hi-tech ambient for posterity, how the sat-navigator is precise and fast to use, just like the virtual cockpit (so beautiful) that allows you to set everything you can desire in front of your eyes. In this very moment I must absolutely keep my eyes fixed on the narrow dark asphalt snake that creeps into a carpet of snow now almost completely stiffened by negative temperatures.
Boom, passing from third to fourth becomes a real obsession, the engine gives the best of itself just above 5000 rpm and you can keep down almost as if you were on a naturally aspirated sports car. In reality, the torque curve starts so early that you have a deadly soundtrack right when you press the gas until you have to throw yourself on the brake. The road widens and it is too late to check whether we have broken the tripod or some loose lens in the trunk – there is a little gap in front of us and you have to open it up without restraint. All those who claim that there is only the RS6 should give this a go, the S4 is lethal, it costs less, burns less fuel and on such roads is infinitely more agile. Too bad that it passes too unnoticed, the exhaust at the rear is not enough to make things clear with those tailgating and soon to be left to eat your dust. I wanted some more muscle, maybe not necessarily like the RS4, but that differentiated it from a normal A4 with S-Line package. Whatever, these are things on which you can still intervene after buying one, while on a dynamic level it would have been much more difficult, long and expensive and instead we find ourselves with a family car with a calm and peaceful character, but that can emulate the more powerful sisters without suffering from any inferiority complex. Every now and then we have to stop, for some photos and for some hot comments (so to speak, at 1°C) and it’s a good opportunity to take a look at how a clean and soft design this car offers, despite the multitude of straight lines and edges. The front grille gives it an aggressive tone, while the rear has updated that of the previous model, improving it. On this very specimen there are no leather seats, but comfort comes in full force, and by the way I love the sports steering wheel with a squared bottom and the carbon fiber inserts on the dashboard. Finally, LED light clusters provide greater visibility in the evening and attract curious looks when using sequential turning signals.
Now, let’s hope the planets line up in the right way and bring the RS6 in my hands, because I’ve marked it on my agenda and I could go crazy if I could not put a check next to it as soon as possible!
AUDI S4 AVANT
Layout – front-engined, all-wheel-drive
Engine – V6 cylinder 2.995cc – turbo
Transmission – 8-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 354 hp @ 5.400-6.400 rpm
500 Nm @ 1.370-4.500 rpm
Weight – 1.675 kg
Acceleration – 4,9 sec.
Top Speed – 250 kph
Price – from € 67.200