OFFICIAL: 2013 Audi RS4 Avant revealed

Early this morning images of the new Audi RS4 were leaked, now, a few hours later Audi has released their official word. It’s one of the shortest gaps from leaked to official info we’ve seen and we say “Bravo!” to Audi.

As expected, then, the RS4 Avant has nicked all the juicy bits from the RS5 including the sweet high-revving 4.2 litre V8 engine, which produces 331kW/430Nm. A 7-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive system transfers that grunt to the road.

With its crown-gear centre diff the RS4 sends power to the wheels with a 40:60 rear bias. A maximum of 70% can be sent to the front wheels, with up to 85% possible at the rear. Aiding handling is Dynamic Ride Control suspension, which uses connected oil-lines to held reduce body roll.

New “internally vented wave disc brakes” help bring things to a halt. Measuring 365mm up front they save around 3kg of unsprung weight, Audi says. In standard configuration the brake calipers feature eight-pistons, but 380mm six-pot ceramic brakes may tempt you.

New style 10-spoke 19″ alloys debut on the RS4 Avant and the familiar 5-spoke rotor alloys are available as an option. You can also select from up to eight colours. Metallic paint is so passé, too, it would seem with two special crystal-effect colours (Prism Silver and Panther Black) sitting atop the colour tree.

And the best news? Audi Australia has confirmed the RS4 Avant will be on sale down under in the first quarter of next year. Time to start saving!

UPDATE: Over 30 new pics have been added below.

The Audi RS 4 Avant

• V8 powerplant with 331kW, 430 Nm
  
• High-performance brakes with wave discs
  
• Unique combination of dynamics and everyday practicality

A modern classic from Audi is making a comeback: the third-generation RS 4 Avant combines potent performance with a high level of everyday practicality. The 4.2-litre V8 produces 331 kW; the seven-speed S tronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive transfers that power to the road.

The Audi RS 4 Avant uses the same high-revving, normally aspirated V8 engine that powers the RS 5 Coupe. The 4,163cc powerplant produces 331 kW at 8,250rpm. Its maximum torque of 430 Nm is available from 4,000 to 6,000 rpm. The responsive V8 with its red-painted cylinder head covers accelerates the RS 4 Avant from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds on its way to a governed top speed of 250 km/h. This can be increased to 280 km/h upon request.

Hand-built at Audi’s plant in Györ, Hungary, the 4.2 FSI engine combines its impressive power with exemplary efficiency, consuming on average less than 11 litres of fuel per 100 km.

With its high efficiency and long top gear, the standard seven-speed S tronic also contributes to the vehicle’s good fuel economy. Drivers can let the lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission shift automatically or change gears manually using the selector lever or the paddles on the steering wheel. For explosive starts, drivers can also activate Launch Control, which manages the engagement of the clutch at an optimum starting speed and minimum wheel slip.

Top traction: quattro drive with crown-gear centre differential

Like every RS model from Audi, the RS 4 Avant comes standard with quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The heart of this system is the crown-gear centre differential. This compact and lightweight component can vary the distribution of power between the front and rear axles immediately, smoothly and over a wide range, with up to 70 percent flowing to the front or as much as 85 percent to the rear. The default 40:60 ratio of the rear-biased configuration ensures sporty handling.

The self-locking crown-gear centre differential works together with the torque vectoring system, which acts on all four wheels. If the load on the inside wheel is reduced too much while the car is being driven dynamically, the torque vectoring system brakes it slightly before unintended slip can occur. Audi offers the sport differential, which uses two superposition stages to actively distribute the power between the rear wheels, as an option.

Aluminium in abundance: the chassis

The chassis of the Audi RS 4 Avant is a very complex design. Many components of the five-link front suspension and the self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension are made of aluminium. The new speed-dependent power steering is a highly efficient electromechanical system with a direct steering ratio for highly precise road feel. It helps the driver stay on course by making slight steering corrections when braking on surfaces with different amounts of grip.

The taut RS setup lowers the body by 20 millimetres (0.79 in) compared with the Audi A4 Avant. New, polished 19-inch, ten-spoke forged aluminium wheels shod with 265/35-series tires are standard. Audi also offers 20-inch wheels with 265/30-series tires. These are available in a new, polished, titanium-look, five-V-spoke design plus two additional variants in the five-arm rotor design.

Mounted behind the large wheels are internally vented wave disc brakes measuring 365 millimetres in diameter up front. The steel friction rings with their wave-like outer contour are perforated and connected to the aluminium brake caps via pins. This concept reduces tensions, quickly dissipates heat and prevents transmission of temperature peaks. The new shape of the friction rings shaves a total of roughly three kilograms off the unsprung weight.

The calipers are painted high-gloss black; the front calipers have eight pistons each and sport RS logos. The ESP stabilisation system has a Sport mode and can be fully deactivated. For the front axle, Audi offers the option of 380 millimetre carbonfibre ceramic discs and six-piston calipers in anthracite gray. The ceramic brakes are especially lightweight, robust and durable.

The Audi drive select driving dynamics system is among the standard equipment for the RS 4 Avant. With it, the driver can switch between three modes – comfort, auto and dynamic – to determine the characteristics of the steering, the seven-speed S tronic and the throttle valve. Audi drive select can even vary the sound of the exhaust system, double-declutching when downshifting in dynamic mode. If the car is equipped with an Audi navigation system, a largely driver-configurable custom mode is also available.

In addition to the sport differential, another component available for Audi drive select is dynamic steering. It varies its steering ratio by nearly 100 percent depending on the speed driven and automatically countersteers slightly at the cornering limit for even more precise and stable handling.

Another particularly dynamic damping technology available as an option from Audi is the sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). Oil lines and a central valve connect diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers. During fast cornering, the system boosts the stabilisation of the front outside wheel, for example.

The damping characteristic of the sport suspension plus is variable, with a choice of three settings available via Audi drive select.

Athletic: the exterior design

The exterior design flaunts the athletic character of the RS 4 Avant. The hexagonal single-frame grille is set in a frame with a matte aluminium-look finish; its honeycomb insert is finished in high-gloss anthracite. LED daytime running lights encircle the xenon plus units like a clasp in the wedge-shaped headlights. The air flows through large openings divided by crossbars and embedded in a distinctive bumper featuring a splitter edge like on a race car.

When viewed from the side, the chiseled side sill caps and flared wheel wells catch the eye. The flared rear side elements with sharp horizontal upper edges are a nod to that all-wheel drive pioneer from 1980, the Audi quattro. The side mirror housings and trim strips have a matte aluminium-look finish, and a discrete roof spoiler at the back ensures the necessary downforce.

The distinctive bumpers and the two oval tailpipe caps of the dual exhaust system dominate the rear end and are integrated into an upturned diffuser. Audi also offers a sport exhaust system with a voluminous sound and black caps. Elegant light strips adorn the LED rear lights.

The Audi RS 4 Avant is 20 millimetres longer and 24 millimetres wider than the A4 Avant, but 20 millimetres lower. A choice of eight colors is available: one solid and one metallic finish, four pearl-effect colors and the two specially pigmented crystal-effect colors, Prism Silver and Panther Black. The extensively clad underbody integrates air vents for the seven-speed S tronic and the front brakes.

Sporty black: the interior

The interior of the RS 4 Avant is clad completely in black, with the exception of the roofliner, which is optionally available in Moon Silver. Chrome clasps subtly accentuate switches and control elements. Carbon inlays are standard, with brushed matte aluminium, Aluminium Race, black piano finish or a light stainless steel mesh available as options.

The standard heated front sport seats with integrated headrests are power adjustable and covered in a combination of black leather and Alcantara. Fine Nappa leather in either Black or Moon Silver accentuated with Stone Gray piping is optionally available. Other options include bucket seats or luxurious, climate-controlled deluxe seats with a ventilation function. The thick ring of the leather multifunction sport steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, and the shift paddles mounted on the back of it sport an aluminium-look finish.

The driver information system with colour display includes an RS menu with a lap timer and an oil thermometer. Both it and the MMI monitor display a special RS welcome screen when the car is started.

The instrument cluster bezel shines with a piano finish, and the design of the selector knob of the seven-speed S tronic is unique to the RS. Typical of all RS vehicles, the door openers are two delicate bars. The pedals, the footrest, the air vents, the shift paddles on the steering wheel, the MMI buttons and other controls shine in an aluminium-look finish. Aluminium inserts adorn the door sill trims, which are accentuated with RS 4 badges.

Audi offers exclusive high-grade leather packages for all seating options, including a design package with honeycomb quilting for the RS 4 bucket seats. Rounding out the list of optional equipment is a broad range of state-of-the-art driver assistance and communication systems, including the Bluetooth online car phone that connects the RS 4 Avant with the Internet.

Options for the luggage compartment, which offers up to 1,430 litres of cargo space, include a rail system with load securing set and a power hatch.

The Audi RS 4 Avant is planned to arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2013. Pricing and specification details will be announced closer to launch.