RS4 is a brute with a boot AUDI’S ESTATE MAKES AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE CAR

My love affair with high performance estate cars is ingrained, and this fantastic looking Audi RS4 is one of the best I’ve driven.

It’s powered by a 2.9-litre twinturbo V6 that produces 444bhp. Not quite as sexy as the previous generation’s V8 but it produces as much power, more torque and weighs 31kg less.

The whole car is 45kg lighter and CO2 emissions have been reduced significantly.

You really need to see the RS4 in the metal to get the full visual effect of the wheelarch bulges that increase the car’s width by 24mm over the standard A4 estate, along with a 30mm reduction in ride height. Quattro badges are dotted around, giant oval exhaust tailpipes look like they’re attached to a jet engine, and the dark vents that surround the tail lights look purposeful, although they’re fake.

Nineteen-inch alloy wheels are standard but our test car rides on optional 20-inch rims.

One option that really stands out is the upgrade that lifts the top speed from a restricted 155mph to 174mph.

If you paid for that you need to look at yourself in the mirror and have a chat.

What really matters is that the RS4 has massive punch whenever you need it. The engine drives through an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox with a torque converter.

There are paddles behind the steering wheel if you want to get more involved but for smooth changes keep the car in Drive mode because in Sport or Manual there’s a bit of thump as you change into the next gear.

The RS4’S interior more than matches the promise of its potent

looking exterior. Audi’s sports seats are both supportive and comfortable, and look terrific with their quilted leather upholstery.

There’s tasteful smatterings of aluminium trim and Alcantara, while Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel is standard. A very effective headsup display is an option.

The steering wheel has a selection of buttons including one with RS on it. Press this and the digital instrument display changes to give you information on the G forces that you’re pulling, along with the boost pressure.

The RS Avant is an effortless car to drive quickly, regardless of conditions.

The Quattro fourwheel-drive system constantly directs torque between the front and rear wheels. In normal driving it’s sending about 40% to the front wheels and 60% to the rear, with the possibility of sending 85% to the front if the system detects a loss of traction. In practice you’ve got an enormous amount of grip.

One of the options fitted to our test car is RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control or variable damping. It’s a two grand option but I can’t tell you whether it’s worth it or not because I strongly suspect that there was a fault with it on our test car. You expect a harsh ride in the firmest Dynamic setting but the ride in Comfort was also choppy even on a smooth motorway.

A pitching motion could be felt which I reckon was down to a problem with the rear dampers either locking up or operating with different settings to the front ones. Whatever the cause, the odd behaviour was very noticeable.

Handling is fantastic and the grip terrific – all this and it’s practical too

While we’re on the subject, the switch to select the different modes is hidden away on the dashboard when you’d have thought a more convenient location on the centre console would make more sense. Or, better still, on the steering wheel.

Handling is fantastically stable and grip terrific, plus you have an engine that sounds fruity, if not as mean as the V8. All in a package that looks fabulous both inside and out. It’s a practical car, too.

There was a time when you could buy an RS4 in saloon and convertible body styles, but today only an Avant (estate) is available. That’s fine by me.