The 2017 Audi S4 is possibly so subtle that Audi engineers thought they could get away with testing one undisguised. They were wrong. One of our spy shooters nabbed the new S4 out in the wild ahead of its official debut.
As we’ve seen with the standard A4 that bows publicly at this month’s Frankfurt auto show, the 2017 Audi S4 is a fairly conservative evolution in the styling department. There’s a lot more innovation underneath the surface, where greater use of aluminum shaves hundreds of pounds of weight (up to 264 pounds in the A4), despite its slightly longer and wider body.
The 2017 Audi S4 is not nearly as visually aggressive as, say, the comparable Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport. Aside from mildly larger front air intakes in the front bumper, wider side sills, a rear diffuser, and split quad exhaust outlets, the 2017 Audi S4 could easily pass for your run-of-the-mill A4. When the production S4 officially breaks cover, we also expect more aggressive wheels and tires specific to the S-line.
Our sources suggest the 2017 Audi S4 will get an updated version of its supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, this time with 340 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, compared to the last S4’s 333 hp and 325 lb-ft. Other reports have pinned the 2017 Audi S4 for as much as 350 hp from a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6. (For reference, the A4 will likely get a 252-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four for the U.S. market.) Either way, it looks like the S4 will live somewhere between the BMW 340i and its 320 hp, and the Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport and its 362 hp. Quattro all-wheel drive will be standard.
Look out for more details on the 2017 Audi S4 over the coming months. The car could be revealed early next year, likely at the 2016 Geneva auto show.
