DMoore

This keeps getting weirder.

Everyone now appears to be certain that there will be no B8S4 Avant for the US. I had a confirmation of that from AoA a few days ago.

HOWEVER. My dealer now claims he has confimed with AoA that there WILL be a 2009 S4 Avant - but it will be a continuation of the current B7S4 Avant.

I asked AoA about that today, and was told they have no information. I know a 2009 order guide has been released, and it does not mention a 2009 S4 Sedan or Avant, only the Cabriolet.

It makes no sense to me that Audi would continue to produce B7 Avants (albeit S4s) at the same time they're building B8 Avants.

But my dealer SWEARS he was at an AoA function last week, made a point of asking, and was told there will be a 2009 S4 Avant, not available until first quarter 2009.

Does anybody have any thoughts on all of this?

I want an S4 Avant! Actually, I want a B8, but I guess that's just not going to happen. So do I buy a 2008 from stock and settle for the closest I can find to what I want, or wait and *hopefully* get to order a 2009?

AAARGH!!!!!

DMoore
'07 RS4
'08 911 Carrera 2

bpp

The b8 S4 will be sold as a 2010 model year. Maybe the '09 Avant will be the b7 continuation.

antiSUV

That does not make sense, business-wise. If you like the space, utility and speed of the current Avant, you should probably get one now. I'm not sure if the dealers can still order a B7, since the changeover to full B8 production happens in a couple of months.

So I guess the S4 Avant is dead (in the US). Long live the S4 Avant!

CanuckRS4

An RS4 Avant would be just purrrrfect.

Stevelev

That's what I'm hoping for !

bpp

They have already for the b6 A4 and the b5 S4 overlap.

antiSUV

I bought my B5 S4 Avant in April 02. The production of B5 S4s ended in June or July of 02. Most model changeovers are done in July or August as that is when a lot of folks in Europe take off for the summer. Retooling during the summer break allows the assembly line to resume full production in September or so. The B6 A4 was introduced in the fall of 01 as MY 2002.

It makes no sense for them to keep the old model line running for more than just a few months. I expect that in Europe, the changeover to the B8 has been completed, and there are no B7s available new unless they are leftovers on dealer lots.

DMoore's dealer seemed to indicate there will be a 2009 S4 Avant in the B7 body. I highly doubt that, based on what has been disclosed on AW and other fora. The take rate on the MY 2007 S4 Avants was only 200 cars. So why keep the B7 line going for such a miniscule number?

If they stick with the usual timeline, there will be a one year hiatus for the S4 (i.e. intro as MY 2010), as what happened with the B6. The first B6 S4s were imported to the US as MY 2004. As the B7 is really a refined B6, there was no gap between those generations.

I've already told AoA that I may walk away from the marque if there is no S4 Avant available when I'm ready to retire my B7. I've voted with my wallet twice already, and want to do so again. If an RS4 Avant comes stateside, then I'd definitely be interested.

/rant off

S4AVNT

Especially if gas prices stay where they are, SUVs are a dying breed and Americans are returning to cars in droves. When they finally figure out they can get just as much space as an SUV in a wagon version of a car (e.g. an S4 Avant has more cargo space than a Hummer H3), wagons will make a resurgence. Then AoA will start importing more 4 and 6 cyclinder A4 wagons and the natural knock-on effect when they get cool will be to import the S4 Avant too. (Of course I have to gloss over the fact that a B6/B7 is no more fuel efficient than many SUVs which negates the gas price argument I started with!)

DMoore

A rep from AoA called me in response to an e-mail inquiry I'd sent. He said in no uncertain terms that there are no plans to import either the RS4 Avant or the B8S4 Avant.

I'd be all over an RS4 Avant.

DMoore
'07 RS4 Avus
'08 911 Carrera 2 Arctic