American wagon fans have suffered for years, as their favored body style was dominated in the marketplace by the rise of the SUV. Recent reports suggested that Audi could bring the RS4 Avant wagon to the US in a glimmer of hope, but the German automaker has since poured cold water on those rumors.
The original rumor hails from Motor Trend, which got a whiff of the idea due to an alleged slip of the tongue by one of Audi’s German PR reps. Reportedly, when journalists at a press drive mused that the Euro-only wagon model would be great in America, a PR rep stated it would indeed go on sale in the US. On Tuesday, Motor Trend reported that an internal Audi source backed up the rumor that the hot wagon will indeed come Stateside. Allegedly, since the hotshot RS6 Avant wagon sold 2,000 units in short order in the US, the RS4 was being prepared for an American debut.
However, when queried, Audi was quick to dispel the rumors. “As stated to [Motor Trend], there are no plans to bring the RS 4 to the US market,” Audi representatives told The Drive on Tuesday evening.
That statement closely follows one provided to Motor Trend, which stated the company had “no plan to bring the RS4 to the U.S. market at this time.” Those last three words left room for speculation, but the statement provided to The Drive was more forthright in shutting down the rumor entirely.
It’s a pity, because the RS4 Avant is a hot wagon that delivers on fun. It has 444 hp and 442 lb-ft on tap from the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6. That’s plenty of grunt for getting up a mountain pass in record time, or for getting from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Plus, the wagon body style means you have room for the whole family and the dogs, without the dynamic compromises of a bulkier SUV.
It’s a shame that the US seems destined to miss out on the joys of the RS4 wagon. Sadly though, for the time being, the longroof faithful will have to look beyond Audi to get their fix.
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