Audi S4 Avant 2021 Review

The 2021 Audi S4 Avant is the continuation in a long line of high-performance station wagons from the German prestige brand that began with the iconic Audi RS2, the company’s very first RS model that was co-developed by sister brand Porsche back in 1994.

Since then, many of Audi’s rivals – including, obviously, BMW and Mercedes-Benz but also the likes of Jaguar and Volvo – have jumped on (and off) the hi-po band wagon – pun intended!

But today, as SUVs have largely taken over the role traditionally played by station wagons, the S4 Avant is among a rare breed, with only Mercedes-Benz offering a direct alternative with its Mercedes-AMG C 43 Estate.

When you take into account the Audi S4 Avant is essentially a five-door, five-seat all-wheel drive wagon priced from $102,000 plus on-road costs, it does play in the same ballpark as high-riding options such as the Audi SQ5, Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti, BMW X3 M40i, Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar  and the Porsche Macan S.

While most of those SUV alternatives cost a little more and their performance is somewhat compromised by their taller stance, the 2021 Audi S4 Avant wants for nothing when you look at what you get and what it can do.

With the mid-life update, the S4 features new-look 19-inch alloy wheels and a revised front-end with a wider trapezoidal grille, larger side air intakes, redesigned LED headlights and a three-slot recess between the bonnet and bumper that harks back to the giant-killing Sport Quattro that changed the face of rallying in the 1980s and established Audi as a legitimate prestige brand.

Inside the cabin, the 2021 Audi S4 has an all-new infotainment screen – now with touch-screen operation rather than through Audi’s previous rotary controller – and there is a comprehensive array of advanced active safety features.

Other than that, it retains a long and generous list of standard equipment that includes high-quality Nappa leather trim with the brand’s unmistakable diamond pattern and front seats that are heated and have a massage function, as well as Audi’s fully-digital Virtual Cockpit instrument display that is complemented by a bright and clear head-up display on the windscreen.

The updated 10.1-inch MMI infotainment screen has sat-nav, Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, Apple and Android smartphone mirroring (with wireless charging) and a booming Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system.

Rear seat passengers haven’t been forgotten with tri-zone climate control allowing them to adjust the temperature separately from those in the front, while also having dual USB charging ports, a 12V outlet and pop-out cup holders in the centre arm rest. Customers can option heated rear seats for an additional $900 too.

As a wagon, the Audi S4 Avant has unique silver roof rails and an electric tailgate that reveals a boot capable of swallowing 505L of luggage underneath its retractable cargo cover, which comes in handy when items need to be hidden from view while the car is parked.

Our Quantum Grey test car (metallic paint is now a no-cost option which is a nice touch) was fitted with the optional quattro Sport Differential which costs $2990 and takes its as-tested price to $104,990 plus ORCs.

Safety has been a hallmark of Audi through the traction advantages of its quattro all-wheel drive technology, and the 2021 S4 Avant further improves on that concept while also adding another layer of security with the latest in advanced crash avoidance systems.

I’m a firm believer that having a balanced chassis with as much mechanical grip is the fundamental – and first – element of having a safe car underneath you from which all the other systems can work. And the S4 Avant is a perfect example of that basic principle; it is almost impossible to get the car out of shape – even with the stability control system disabled – and that’s a brilliant place to start.

We tend omit the obvious stability control and anti-skid braking systems in reviews these days because, I guess, it’s a given as they are mandatory on all new vehicles in Australia. But it is worth noting the S4 Avant has a three-stage ESC system; leave it alone for full support or push the button once and it has a ‘restricted’ stability control setting that offers a degree of slip before applying the hand of God and intervening.

Hold it down a little longer and it’s fully disengaged and all up to the driver, but the competency of the chassis dynamics is such that if you do come unstuck then you’ve done something pretty stupid.

Needless to say, leave that button alone unless you’re on track or bogged and know what you’re doing. 

On top of that, the S4 Avant casts a wide safety net with a comprehensive suite of active driver aids such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistance, lane keeping assistance, blind spot and vehicle exit warnings and rear cross traffic alert as well as automated parking assistance with a 360-degree camera.

The Audi A4 was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating using European data for four-cylinder sedan variants when it was introduced in 2015. It is fair to assume the S4, even with a heavier and larger V6 under its nose and its wagon body style, offers a similar, if not the same, level of occupant safety.

Not much has changed under the bonnet of the 2021 Audi S4 Avant, with the hi-po wagon carrying the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 as before that was – like the original Audi RS2 – also co-developed by Porsche.

It’s a sweet engine that produces 260kW of power between 5400-6400rpm and 500Nm of torque across a very broad rev range, starting from almost idle speed at 1370rpm and remaining on song all the way up to 4500rpm. It is impressively tractable and in combination with the sweet-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox it is never out of its performance window.

Traction is taken care of via Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system that naturally apportions 60 per cent of the torque to the rear axle in normal driving conditions but can send up to 85 per cent in certain scenarios, which makes it feel like more a traditional sports car and reduces the front-end from washing wide and understeering.

It is even better with the optional sport differential which actively transfers torque across the rear axle to improve traction and rotating the car in the corners.

All this ensures the S4 Avant is a bit of a sleeper as it can rocket from 0-100km/h in a rather rapid 4.9 seconds.

The S4 Avant can also hold its own on the circuit, too, and can definitely embarrass a few so-called ‘track’ cars with much bigger reputations. It clocked an impressive 63.65sec lap time around our Norwell Motorplex test track which, to put that into perspective, is almost half a second quicker than the much more focused Audi RS3 we tested a few years back.

Of the comparable (and I use the term slightly loosely) cars we’ve tested lately the Volkswagen Golf R Wagon gets within a couple seconds with a 65.77sec lap while the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is a little further back with a 66.12 and the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S hyper-hatch is a bit quicker with a 61.99. 

You can use just two words to describe the 2021 Audi S4 Avant: comfortable and quick. It is both of those as individual as well as compounded adjectives; comfortable, quick and comfortably quick.

To me, Audi sets the benchmark for interior design and the cockpit is a very nice place to be, no matter whether you’re carting the kids to school, hauling along the highway for hours or ragging it on a back country road or racetrack.

The designers have placed a lot of thought into decluttering the buttons and controls and the driver ergonomics are bang on. The torso-hugging seats make you feel very much part of the car and the Nappa leather upholstery elevates them to another level.

Audi’s Drive Select function offers the driver a choice of Comfort, Dynamic, Individual or Auto settings to subtly alter the behaviour of the adaptive sports suspension, engine and transmission to best suit all manner of driving applications.

They’re pretty much self-explanatory: Comfort offers a cushy ride, lighter steering and a softer throttle and is perfect for everyday driving; Dynamic stiffens up the suspension, adds resistance in the steering, sharpens the throttle map and optimises the gearing for a more spirited driving character; Auto constantly adapts these functions to your driving style according to inputs; and Individual allows the driver to tailor individual preferences – like heavier steering with soft suspension, for example.

No matter which mode you’re in, bumps are eaten up and corners are tackled with a degree of confidence and a genuine sports car character while the engine’s super-flat torque curve is a joy to have under your right foot and allows the car to dispatch tarmac in a blink of an eye.

On the practical side, the Audi S4 Avant can comfortably accommodate four adults, and a fifth is an option for short trips, with generous boot space that converts to 1510L with the 60/40-split folding rear seats put down.       

The 2021 Audi S4 Avant is arguably the best sleeper on sale in Australia today, which is probably why you haven’t noticed them on the road. It’s subtle appearance blends into the traffic and yet it disappears from the traffic lights or on a country road like a superhero.

It has one of the classiest, most flexible and well-appointed cabins on the market, hiding all the bells and whistles behind its minimalist design that somehow doesn’t make it complicated to navigate.

In my experience, it’s these middle-tier performance models that seem to find the sweet spot between everyday luxury and accessible performance, and that especially rings true in the case of the Audi S4 Avant.

Sure, it doesn’t shout about what it can do as loud as the more aggressively-styled RS 4 but I actually think it looks better for it and is more attractive.

However, if I do have one criticism, is that it could shout a little louder in its soundtrack – particularly in its Dynamic mode – with a bit more punch from the exhaust system.

Having said that, if you’re after a practical family wagon that isn’t an SUV with prestige quality and swift performance then take a look at the Audi S4 Avant – if you ever see one!

Disclaimer: Luke Youlden is a Bathurst 1000 champion, 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup series competitor, Tekworkx Motorsport mentor and chief driving coach, deputy chief instructor for the Porsche Experience and also works for Pilota Sportiva, whose clients include Audi Driving Experience and Volkswagen Group Australia.

How much does the 2021 Audi S4 Avant 3.0 TFSI quattro cost?
Price: $102,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol
Output: 260kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.8L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 178g/km (ADR combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)