2012 Audi S4 Avant

The S4 Sedan and the S4 Avant embody the cultivated sportiness typical of Audi. They are fast, powerful sports cars with uncompromised everyday practicality. The hexagonal single-frame grille, the wedge-shaped headlights clasped in LED daytime running lights, the LED rear lights and the new bumpers are the most obvious cues to the updated models.

Fine details differentiate the S4 from the A4. The radiator grille insert is Platinum Gray. It features finely sculpted, horizontal chrome crossbars and an S4 badge. The air inlets are covered with honeycomb grilles with double chrome strips, and the fog lights are rectangular. The central air inlet below the grille has also been slightly updated. The housings of the exterior mirrors shine with an aluminum-look finish, the side sills are painted in the body color and V6 T badges adorn the flanks.

The new S models are also immediately recognizable from the rear, with cues provided by the diffuser insert with the aluminum-look blade and the dual exhaust system with four elliptical tailpipe tips. The spoiler of the S4 Avant extends the roof edge; it is integrated into the trunk lid of the Sedan. Two paint finishes are reserved exclusively for S models: Estoril Blue, crystal effect and Prism Silver, crystal effect. 4.72 meters (15.49 ft) in length, the S models are 15 and 20 millimeters (0.59 and 0.79 in) longer than the standard Sedan and Avant models, respectively, on which they are based. They are 21 millimeters (0.83 in) lower, at 1.41 and 1.42 meters (4.63 and 4.66 ft), respectively.

Subtle updates: the interior

The Audi designers also made small changes to the interior. The leather multifunction sport steering wheel with the S4 badge has been redesigned, with the flat-bottomed rim available as a sporty option. The instruments have gray dials and white arrows with aluminum-look hubs. The MMI monitor displays a special welcome screen, and the new key has an S4 badge.

The inlays have surfaces of Matt Brushed Aluminum. Optional inlays include Carbon, Fine Grain Birch Wood Gray, Stainless Steel Mesh or Piano Finish; in the latter two cases, the fascia in the instrument panel also shines thanks to a piano-finish look. Aluminum-look shift paddles and pedals are standard, and S4 badges adorn the door sill trims.

Sportily cool black dominates the interior; the headlining is also available in Lunar Silver. The standard sport seats are covered with a combination of leather and Alcantara. They are power-adjustable, heated and include a center armrest.

Optionally available are S sport seats with particularly pronounced side bolsters, integrated head restraints and embossed S4 badges in the seat backs. They are also power-adjustable, and the Fine Nappa leather upholstery is available in a choice of three colors. A further alternative consists of climate-controlled comfort seats covered with perforated Milano leather. The lighting package, the xenon plus headlights with LED rear lights and the driver information system with color display round out the specific standard equipment of the S models.

245 kW (333 hp): the supercharged V6

The 3.0 TFSI features in both the S4 Sedan and the S4 Avant. The supercharged V6 engine produces 245 kW (333 hp) and applies a constant 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft) of torque to the camshaft at engine speeds between 2,200 and 5,900 rpm. Audi has tuned its sound so that it is more acoustically powerful than ever under load. The start-stop system is standard.

The S4 models offer fascinatingly powerful performance. The Sedan sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.0 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). Just as groundbreaking is the consumption: The Sedan requires just 8.0 liters of fuel per 100 km (29.4 US mpg) on average. Both models come standard with the seven-speed S tronic. It directs the power to the quattro drivetrain with the self-locking center differential and torque vectoring. The sport differential is available as an optional addition.

Both S4 models come equipped with the tautly tuned S sport suspension that lowers the body by 30 millimeters (1.18 in). Upon request, Audi adds electronic damper control that works in conjunction with Audi drive select. With its numerous adjustment possibilities, the system makes the driving experience even more versatile, and offers both a sporty driving mode and a comfort-oriented one. One new feature in the model series is the electromechanical power steering. Dynamic steering is available in combination with Audi drive select.

The S models come with standard 18-inch cast aluminum wheels in a five-parallel-spoke design and 245/40-series tires. 19-inch wheels with 255/35-series tires are optionally available. Black brake calipers, with S4 emblems on the front calipers, grab the four large, vented discs.

In Detail

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