Audi RS4 B9 review – interior and tech
Beautifully built, but quite dated, the B9 RS4’s cabin went downhill with the facelift ergonomically.
The RS4’s interior is less of a leap from that of standard A4 models than its exterior would suggest, which in many ways isn’t a bad thing. The basic interior layout is one of Audi’s older designs, with a high-mounted screen and physical controls for the air conditioning below. It’s a less contemporary look to that seen in Audi's newer models, but that will be a plus to some.
Compared with the original B9 RS4, the 2020 facelift model featured a larger touch-only infotainment screen, losing the lovely rotary dial on the centre console. Though quick and crisp when new, these systems were less intuitive than earlier cars with the rotary controls. Both have aged visually – they feel like last-gen cabins, especially by comparison to the new Audi S5’s, on which the RS5’s will be based.
Build quality is broadly excellent though, so too the materials, which mercifully eschewed the need to wrap every surface in faux leather and pointless stitching. The leather used on the seats, door trims and console was Audi’s wonderfully waxy Nappa stuff. Truthfully, this generation of RS4 is a high point of Audi cabin quality, along with the third-gen TT. The touch points are also reassuringly solid; the thin, firm perforated leather steering wheel is neither too big nor too small, although some might still find the flat bottom a tad irritating.
Unless you get an Audi Exclusive-spec example, interior colours and finishes are somewhat limited to black on black with a bit of coloured stitching here and there, but the overall aesthetic is sound. Space inside is good, while the standard pneumatically adjustable seats are superbly comfortable.
