High-performance wagons are rare now, but two German brands are keeping the faith.

SO you think performance wagons are being pummelled into extinction by high-powered sports utilities?

Audi and BMW beg to differ. Two brands that admittedly, have produced plenty of big hoofed huge horsepower SUVs and crossovers in the past decade are nonetheless still showing commitment to the purer format of a proper high-practicality family performance car by announcing new additions. 

One is here now – that that’s the S4 Avant, the silver medal earner on the Audi A4 wagon performance podium behind the full-out RS4 (which has also just been updated) – and the other will be along in a couple of years.

That second offer sounds exciting because it’s a car BMW has always been theoretically able to make for years, but never has: A M3 Touring.

Munich announced this week that this derivative, set to sit along the M3 sedan  and M4 coupe, will soon begin testing and development at its plant near Garching, Munich, and on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, before launch in 2022.

There are no details yet, save the obvious connection use of the S58 turbocharged straight-six petrol M engine, which produces 352kW and 600Nm in the sister models.

BMW New Zealand, which choses to speak to NZ media via a publics relation company in Auckland (that generally has to relay everything through BMW Australia, home to the overall regional office, for approval) has not directly communicated thought about it coming on sale here.

However, the odds of it doing so seem very high, as, BMW Australia has given the nod, telling one outlet there: “We plan to introduce the M3 Touring and will advise arrival timing closer to the launch date.”

Just the shadowy image has been released, though spy photographer assert having seen what they believe to be heavily disguised mules in testing.

Meantime, Audi NZ has begun delivery of the S4 Avant, which costs $122,500 plus on roads.

This model runs a 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 TSFI engine via an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox and is, of course, all-wheel-drive. Audi claims 0-100kmh in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 250kmh. Sports suspension is standard here.

Matrix LED technology with fully automatic high beam and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system are among gloat-worthy standard features for NZ.  Driver assist systems include adaptive cruise assist, active lane assist and park assist and there are Tour, City and Park packages.

Owners can use a myAudi app on their smartphone to connect with the car, with a key option allowing remote lock and unlock and engine start. It also allows up to 14 myAudi users to store their preferred settings in individual profiles.

The wagon format brings luggage capacity of 495 litres, expanding to 1495 with the rear seats folded down. The tailgate and luggage compartment cover are electrically operated, of course.