GREAT ESTATES

GO-FAST WAGON OR A HYPED-UP SUV? BOTH ALFA AND AUDI OFFER UP TWO DIFFERENT FORMS OF PRAGMATIC PERFORMANCE

- CURT DUPRIEZ

AUDI RS4 AVANT versus Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q. Estate versus SUV. Apple versus orange.

Clearly, the competitors in this segment-jumping twin test don’t face off as neatly and naturally as, say, Giulia Q against RS5 Sportback. Or do they? Giulia versus RS5 Sportback does present disparity in body style, in door count and in driven-wheel format.

Ignore categorisation, and the RS4 versus Stelvio make an odd if naturally fit couple. Both are mid-sized wagons boasting their maker’s high-performance gumption and credo, with very similar all-wheel drive powertrains. And each promises all-rounder duality, fit for both school run utility and sunny Sunday morning thrills once uncorked.

And at $146,900 against $147,900 in favour of the slightly more affordable Italian, they want for very similar wedges in what are both recently fettled guises for MY21, too.

The pair occupy a similar groove, even if, by nature of different segmentation, the visually plumper Italian appears to be a tighter squeeze. In the absence of a Giulia Q estate or fullmonty RS Q5, this rivalry on the pages before you is a logical world cup match-up.

Interestingly, the Stelvio Q marks territory as arguably the friskiest and most agile high-performer for a pigeonhole that doesn’t favour such folly: mid-sized SUVs.

In fair contrast, the RS4 Avant is pegged as a pragmatic all-rounder, less visceral than key nemesis Mercedes- AMG C63 S Estate, less heroic than alpha siblings RS6 Avant and big daddy RS Q8: a sweet spot, rather than being renowned as a hot one.

As getaway cars for a bank heist go, it’s a two-minute job with a tape measure to deduce the Alfa Romeo is the smarter place to park more loot though, at 525 litres of boot space against the Audi’s 495L, the practicality advantage is trimmer than you might expect.

The form guide, too, favours the Italian on pace if, again, modestly so.