The twin-turbo V6 will be retained in the facelift.
Audi Sport’s lineup is changing. Ingolstadt’s go faster division, in addition to adding more SUVs such as the SQ8, and future products like RS Q3 Sportback or RS Q8, Ingolstadt is also installing diesel engines on some of its S models that are sold in Europe. The Four Rings just announced that the next-generation RS4 Avant will feature a completely different powertrain than some purists may not like.
Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Sport’s managing director, stated that the next generation of the hot wagon will use a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This will reduce emissions and improve performance. It won’t be coming soon, as Audi still hasn’t revealed the mid-cycle facelift to the current RS4 Avant. According to the British magazine, the next-gen wagon with full-fat RS flavor will come out “early” in the next decade. Expect a release in 2023.
The RS4 Avant facelift will be revealed before the year ends to complete the refreshed A4 family. The twin-turbo, 2.9-liter V6 engine will remain. It is currently capable of 444 horsepower and 443 pounds-feet (603 Newton-meters) torque. The performance wagon can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.1 seconds, and reaches its maximum speed of 174 mph (281 kph).
Audi Sport already embraces electrification with a mild-hybrid setup both for its new RS6 Avant superwagon and the 2020 RS7 Sportback, which debuted a few minutes ago. Hoffmann also told Autocar that the third-generation R8 would be electrified in some way, although it is not yet known if it will be a pure electric vehicle or a hybrid. According to a British publication, this is the case.
Hoffmann did not explicitly rule out an RS1 hot-hatch, which is a surprise given that the regular HTML1 Sportback does not have the Quattro system Audi Sport’s models have.