We've spied the Audi S4 in Avant form testing in the snow with some other Volkswagen Auto Group vehicles. Thanks to some earlier spy shots of the Audi A4 Avant, which should also come as an A4 hybrid, we have our first chance to compare the two wagons side-by-side heading into 2023.

Traditionally, the S4 packs a few subtle changes over the standard car accompanied by larger brakes, more aggressive looks, and of course, more power. We can see some evidence of that here, with Audi attempting to cover some of the S4's front fascia with white tape in the shots below.

These appear to be vertical slats we've seen on some other upcoming Audi models, though it looks like the grille will be largely unchanged versus the standard A4. Of course, these are all pre-production cars and are subject to change. Likely, the S4 will also be getting some slightly different lights.

Unfortunately, we don't yet have any photos of the Audi A4 lineup's interior. However, previous generations of the S4 have featured S-specific upgrades like more amenities, grippier seats, and more performance-focused software for the car accessible through Audi's excellent infotainment system.

Around back, Audi tries its best to make the S4 look like the standard A4. Each has strange fake taillights to hide the rear lights from us, and the camo around the back is arguably thicker than at the front. However, it's clear this is the S4 based on the quad exhaust pipes out back. The A4 only has two.

Much like the front of the Avant, the S4 should get some slight tweaks to its rear fascia. Typically, S4s have upgraded brakes to match their larger turbo V6 powertrains, though the sizing between the two is extremely close. We're chalking that up to pre-production work by Audi.

Regardless, the S4's V6 should now be aided by a mild-hybrid system for the upcoming model year, and we expect that a debut could come at the end of 2023 as a 2024 model. No news yet on a potential American S4 Avant.