THE Audi RS 4 Avant is one of the world's fastest estate cars with blistering performance, four-wheel-drive and great looks.

It is also very practical and well built and is crammed with lots of smart tech and quality materials.

In dynamic mode it also makes a wonderful noise from its twin exhaust pipes and thanks to its quattro drive it is quick in all weathers.

It may be a luxurious load-lugger but the RS 4 is very potent. It can tackle the sprint to 62mph in just 4.1 second and goes on to a limited top speed of 155mph.

If that is not enough for you - part with some extra cash and the limit restriction can be removed to enable you to reach 174mph.

All that thrust comes from a 2.9-litre V6 450ps petrol engine with 600Nm of torque paired with an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox. And for those who want a quick getaway it offers launch control to leave everything else in its wake.

The RS has lots of design cues to grab your attention and make it stand out from normal Avant models including RS body styling flared front and rear wheel arches to cover the huge rubber, a front bumper with enlarged air inlets, a honeycomb design black grille with RS4 logo, front spoiler in Matt aluminium look, Matt aluminium roof rails and door mirrors, lateral air inlets next to the headlights, side sill extension, an RS roof spoiler, large 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, red brake calipers, LED headlights and rear lights with sweeping rear indicators and a sports exhaust system.

The sporty theme continues inside the superb cabin which features stacks of technology and luxury.

There are body-hugging sport heated front seats in fine Nappa leather with honeycomb stitching, Audi's virtual cockpit digital instrument cluster with 12.3-inch TFT high resolution display and RS menu, an 8.3-inch colour touchscreen with sat nav and Audi Connect services, a super Bang and Olufsen sound system, a leather sport steering wheel with aluminium-look gear shift paddles, head-up display and lots more to make you feel special.

All this does come at a price and the car I sampled was listed at £73,920 but it also boasted £5,320 of options, taking it to £79,240.

The RS 4 does offer sensational performance but it can also be quite docile if you want it to be.There are Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual drive modes to choose from and they alter the car's responses significantly.

In Comfort mode the RS 4 is still very quick but is composed and well mannered and its suspension deals well with all kinds of surfaces with the cabin remaining quiet.

Switch to Dynamic and the RS4 blows you away with everything becoming much sharper and the noise from the sports exhaust system entertaining you with its crackling soundtrack.

The eight-speed tiptronic gearbox is magnificent but if you want more fun you can take control by using the paddle shifts on the steering wheel. This car enjoys being pushed and the quattro delivers superb road-holding and fantastic grip.

It is a joy to drive on open roads and you can corner at speeds with ease while it also munches miles on the motorway.

Use the loud pedal and the RS 4 becomes thirsty dropping to around 20mpg but the official combined figure is 28.5mpg but if you take things easy you can get up to 33mpg. Emissions are listed at 224g/km.

On the practical front four adults can travel in this express estate in real comfort and the boot can take 505 litres of luggage or up to 1,510 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

As you would expect Audi has made sure that the RS 4 has all the latest safety features and driver aids to cope with its ballistic performance and protect its occupants, other road users and pedestrians.