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Audi RS 6 2020 review

The Audi RS 6 Avant is iconic and no it doesn't come in a sedan.
EXPERT RATING
8
Whisper 'Audi RS 6 Avant' in a room full of car enthusiasts and the room will go silent. That's the type of attention this iconic car draws. Now the new-gen model is here and there's big expectations for this superwagon

The Audi RS 6 Avant is sacred ground for car geeks. See, we might barely agree on much in terms of what the ultimate driver's cars are but there are certain vehicles that are so awe inspiring they’re almost a protected species in our world, and the Audi RS Avant is one of them.

If you’re new to this idea and have only just stumbled onto the RS 6 Avant, then welcome. You’re just in time because the new-generation RS 6 Avant has arrived.

You only need to know three things at this point. The first is, an RS 6 is a high-performance version of the A6. The second is, Avant is Audi speak for wagon. And the third is, no you can’t get it in a sedan. The next best thing though is the RS 7 Sportback which shares the RS 6 Avant's engineering and features.

If this isn’t your first RS 6 Avant rodeo, then you’ll want to know what’s new and if this new one lives up to the legendary reputation.

Let’s go.

Audi RS6 2020: Avant 4.0 Tfsi Quattro Mhev
Safety rating
Engine Type4.0L turbo
Fuel TypeHybrid with Premium Unleaded
Fuel Efficiency11L/100km
Seating5 seats
Price from$154,660

What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?   10/10

Remember this moment in human existence: a time when you can buy a family car with a 441kW/800Nm twin-turbo petrol 4.0-litre V8. Yup, the electric future is coming and it’ll be great from what I’ve experience so far, but it’s clear engines like the V8 in the RS 6 Avant won’t be around forever so you should enjoy it while you can.

This engine with almost 600 horsepower is glorious. This engine with almost 600 horsepower is glorious.

And you will enjoy it – this engine with almost 600 horsepower is glorious. There’s the seemingly never-ending acceleration with 0-100km/h coming in 3.6 seconds. That’s a tenth of a second faster than the Audi R8 V10 RWD supercar, and this is a large, family wagon.

Compared to the previous generation model the power is down by 4.0kW but torque is up by a whopping 100Nm. Give me torque over power any day.

Shifting gears is an eight-speed automatic transmission, sending the drive to all four wheels.

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?   8/10

The Audi RS 6 Avant lists for $216,000. That might sound like a lot of money but to put it in perspective, when the RS 6 Avant was first introduced to Australia in 2003 it was $220K.

The Audi RS 6 Avant lists for $216,000. The Audi RS 6 Avant lists for $216,000.

Coming standard are the enormous 22-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights with laser lights, metallic paint, a panoramic glass sunroof (which is new to the model), privacy glass, a head-up display, soft-close doors and red brake calipers.

Inside there’s the Bang & Olufsen 16-speaker sound system (that's new, too), sat nav, the 12.3-inch 'virtual instrument cluster', wireless Apple CarPlay (new, as well), wireless charging, full leather upholstery with RS sport front seats that are heated and now come with ventilation as standard, and four-zone climate control.

Inside there’s wireless Apple CarPlay. Inside there’s wireless Apple CarPlay.

I’ve left off all the standard RS mechanical equipment, but I’ll cover that in the driving section below.

Is it good value? Well, its direct rival is the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Estate, but that’s not sold in Australia, the nearest to this is the C 63 S Estate for $170K. And while BMW hasn’t made an M5 Touring since 2010 there is the Alpina B5 Touring which lists for $217,000. I’ve tested the sedan version and it’s astonishingly quick and super comfortable. Alternatively, there’s the Porsche Panamera 4 Sport Turismo for $236,300.

Is there anything interesting about its design?   8/10

There’s something beautiful about the design of fast wagons, regardless of the brand. It’s that performance meets practicality combination, but Audi really is the master of it. 

Audi doesn’t just take an A6, add big wheels and then shout, “let’s hit the showers!” Well, the wheels are definitely large, but there are only four body panels shared between the A6 Avant and RS 6 Avant – the roof, front doors and the tailgate. The rest of the panels are unique to the RS 6.

There’s something beautiful about the design of fast wagons. There’s something beautiful about the design of fast wagons.

Look at those flared wheel guards – they extend out 20mm more than a regular A6’s.

This new-generation RS 6 Avant shares the same face as the RS 7 Sportback with the broad black mesh grille, narrow headlights, gigantic side air intakes and a thin upper air inlet which is a hat tip to early racing Audis.

All those sharp edges match its body which is more angular and ‘shredded’ than the previous generation’s curvy shape. Add the 22-inch alloys, plus the huge oval tailpipes (set into that chunky diffuser framed by the aluminum trim) and this RS 6 Avant is verging on Hot Wheels territory.

While the eight-year old kid in me thinks that’s awesome, the grown up me reckons it’s a bit too much. Historically, part of the appeal of the RS 6 Avant was its restrained styling – the thug in a suit.

While RS 6 Avant’s exterior is different to a regular A6’s their interior designs are almost identical. It’s a stunning cabin dominated by a dash which protrudes back towards the passengers and houses the media screen.

There’s sports seats with honeycomb stitching. There’s sports seats with honeycomb stitching.

Anther display for climate is set into the big centre console which divides the driver and co-pilot into almost cocooned cells.

The cabin isn’t without its RS touches though. There’s the sports seats with honeycomb stitching, fully digital instrument cluster with RS specific meters, the RS steering wheel, aluminium inlays, plus Nappa leather on the dashboard and doors. The level of fit and finish is up there with the best that I’ve seen on any production car.

The RS 6 Avant is 4995mm long, 1487mm tall and 1951mm across, for a wide planted stance.    

What's it like to drive?   9/10

I’ve never driven the bullet train before, but it probably feels (almost) as good as this.

Eight hundred newton metres lay curled up under that accelerator pedal ready to push the planet backwards. And waiting to catch you at the other end are enormous anchors in the form of 420mm discs at the front with 10 piston calipers and 370mm discs at the rear.

Now standard for the first time is Audi’s 'Dynamic Package'. Now standard for the first time is Audi’s 'Dynamic Package'.

The optional carbon ceramic brakes are the largest ever to be fitted to a production vehicle at 440mm at the front and 370mm at the rear, saving 34kg in mass over the steel brakes.

Now standard for the first time is Audi’s 'Dynamic Package' which adds dynamic steering (variable ratio) paired with all-wheel steering, a sport differential, and a 280km/h top speed.

Coming standard is adaptive air suspension and for $2850 you can option the 'Dynamic Ride Control' suspension which is a hydraulically activated adaptive damper system.

Explore the virtual Audi RS6

At the Australian launch Audi supplied two RS 6 Avants – one with the air suspension and the other with the dynamic ride control system. I’m probably supposed to say that the optional hydraulic dampers are the pick, but the air suspension suits this luxury freight train so much better.

I’d already driven the car with the dynamic ride control, and while it felt sharper and firmer, it’s ride was a tad uncomposed, almost as though the car was oversprung.

The RS 6 Avant with the standard air suspension on the other hand was not only far more comfortable and settled, but was still superbly dynamically, for a five-metre long car.

This RS 6 Avant is quieter than the previous generation. This RS 6 Avant is quieter than the previous generation.

Unless you were planning on attending regular track days, in which case the Dynamic Ride Control is the way to go, I’d stick with the standard air suspension which is far more comfortable over Australia’s less-than perfect roads.

Another thing I can say is that this RS 6 Avant is quieter than the previous generation. Even with the windows down and with Dynamic drive mode selected its exhaust note, while still glorious and deep, isn’t raucous and loud. Sound aside, this superwagon is as much a hi-po monster as ever.

How practical is the space inside?   8/10

Sure, the RS 6 has supercar acceleration but it’s also a large station wagon. So, it’s super practical, too, right?

Well not as much as you might think. See it’s not the most spacious of wagons. Up front the stepped dash protrudes into the passenger’s space, the door pockets are thin and the centre console storage under the armrest is small.

For phones there’s a wireless charger and two USB ports. For phones there’s a wireless charger and two USB ports.

Legroom in the back could also be better – at 191cm (6'3") tall I can only just fit behind my driving position, although headroom is good. The door pockets in the rear are larger and there are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest (another two up front).

The boot’s 565-litre cargo capacity isn’t bad and almost matches the Alpina B5 Touring’s 570 litres.

The boot’s 565-litre cargo capacity isn’t bad. The boot’s 565-litre cargo capacity isn’t bad.

For phones there’s a wireless charger and two USB ports in the centre console storage box, while back seat passengers have two USB ports and a 12V outlet. There are also directional air vents and dual-zone climate control in the rear, too.

While the RS 6 seats five, the middle passenger in the second row will have to straddle the hump over the drive shaft.

Legroom in the back could be better. Legroom in the back could be better.

While wagons have lower load lips to their boots making them easier to fill with luggage or shopping bags, SUVs are easier on the back when it comes to loading children into car seats.

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?   9/10

ANCAP tested the A6 in 2019 and gave it the maximum five-star score, however, this rating does not apply to the RS 6 Avant high performance model.

That said, the RS 6 Avant comes fortified with nearly every piece of advanced safety tech there is in Audi’s cupboard. There's AEB which can detect and brake for cyclists and pedestrians at speeds between five-85km/h and vehicles up to 250km/h.

There’s also rear cross traffic alert and intersection crossing assistance with braking, lane departure warning and corrective steering to keep you in your lane, and blind spot warning.

Not a fan of parking, the RS 6 can do it by itself or there’s a 360-degree camera that’ll help you do it yourself. There’s an exit warning system which will warn you if a vehicle is approaching as you go to get out, too.

The RS 6 gets Audi’s new Matrix LED headlights with laser lights. The RS 6 gets Audi’s new Matrix LED headlights with laser lights.

And if the RS 6 Avant detects that it will be hit from behind it will prepare the cabin by tensioning the seatbelts and closing the windows, as well as the sunroof.

Along with all that there are Audi’s new Matrix LED headlights with laser lights, rain-sensing wipers and adaptive cruise control.

For child seats you’ll find three top tether points and two ISOFIX mounts across the second row.

There’s no spare wheel – instead, there’s a tyre repair kit.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / unlimited km warranty

ANCAP Safety Rating

ANCAP logo

How much fuel does it consume?   6/10

This is a large, all-wheel drive car with a 441kW V8, but it also has a mild hybrid system in this new generation which will switch the engine off and let the car coast down hills, or at speeds under 22km/h.

Audi says this can save up to 0.8L/100km in real-life driving. That’s great news, but consumption is still fairly high with Audi claiming that after a combination of open and urban roads the RS 6 Avant will have used 11.7L/100km.

What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?   6/10

The RS 6 Avant is covered by Audi’s three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which not only falls behind in duration compared to mainstream brands but also its direct rival Mercedes-Benz which now has five-year, unlimited kilometre coverage. 

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km with a three-year plan costing $2380 and a five-year plan for $3910.

Verdict

The new generation RS 6 Avant is every bit as special as the previous version. The sharper, creased styling may take a little getting used to but underneath this superwagon is every bit as angry, plush, comfortable, superbly dynamic and practical.

Pricing guides

$194,989
Based on 4 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$188,990
Highest Price
$208,880

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
Avant 4.0 Tfsi Quattro Mhev 4.0L, Hyb/PULP, 8 SP AUTO $154,660 – 177,760 2020 Audi RS6 2020 Avant 4.0 Tfsi Quattro Mhev Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
8
Under the bonnet10
Price and features8
Design8
Driving9
Practicality8
Safety9
Efficiency6
Ownership6
Richard Berry
Senior Journalist

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Pricing Guide

$188,990

Lowest price, based on 4 car listings in the last 6 months

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Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.