Audi RS4 Avant review

Bar the overstyled door handle area – even that looks like it wants to pull your head off – this is surely one of the finest car interiors in the world. The RS seats are trimmed in Nappa leather, and look great with their contrast honeycomb stitching.

The flat-bottomed wheel is typical of the genre in that it positively explodes with functionality, including an RS mode button to programme your preferred drive settings, yet manages to be easy and intuitive in use. Better, certainly, than the over-zealous touchpad Mercedes now favours. And no sign of haptic surfaces in here either. Huzzah.

The aforementioned 12.3in Virtual Cockpit might be knocking on a bit in tech terms but it’s still impressive; in RS guise it gains some extra displays, including boost pressure, tyre pressures, a ‘hockey stick’ rev counter and a g-meter. A crisp HUD is an option. Also new is the 10.1in central infotainment touchscreen, which works well although the graphics aren’t particularly classy and we’re not sold on the typefaces. We’re being picky though.

Like all premium cars, there’s a lot going on and an equal amount to get your head around. We also reckon we’ve reached and possibly passed peak connectivity: the RS4 hovers somewhere close to overload, but its driving position is bang-on, the seats are great, and the climate control works well. The rest is just gravy, really.

Almost forgot. It’s an estate, with 495 litres of space with the back seats in place, 1,495 litres with them folded. Less than you get in the new BMW M3 Touring, but not by much.