Road handling of this new RS4 Avant is a very good surprise, the 4.72m wagon shrinking around its driver as pace increases. A partial explanation can be found in the relatively contained weight, 1835kg with a full tank of fuel on our corner scales, with a 56.5% front / 43.5% rear split. A value strikingly similar to the 1832 kg of our Audi S5 Sportback daily driver, but which translates into a very different feeling. The RS4 appears more rigid and agile, better planted also, and steering feel is somewhat better than the clinical detachment of the Sportback. In Dynamic mode, body roll appears extremely contained, body movements well controlled and grip levels are very encouraging. Pushed to the limits on wet tarmac, the ESP system appears prompt to contain any sideways tendancies but allows plenty of understeer when excessive torque is applied while powering out of a hairpin. We will have to confirm and refine these first impressions in conditions – temperatures in particular – better atuned to the operating range of the Pirelli PZeros.

This amounts to a very encouraging first drive. The ingredients are there to make this car a great Audi RS, mixing every day usability (wagon, Quattro, S-Tronic) with the thrills of a sports car with an enchanting exhaust note, a broad performance envelope and a high level of driving enjoyment when and where conditions allow. If all-wheel-drive is a must have in your selection criteria, then the only real competition would be the far cheaper S4 Avant. The semi-official Abt chip-tuning allows to reach 435 hp and a handsome 520 Nm, more than enough to bridge the absolute performance gap. The net result could turn out to be superior in terms of every day drivability but will struggle to eclipse the attractiveness and exclusive experience of the RS4 Avant.