I want you to forget everything you know about the Audi RS 6. Somehow, amongst a wash of fast wagon releases, the product refresh for Audi’s game-breaking wagon seemed to fall by the wayside. Why it was forgotten about I’ll never understand, but hiding all of your biggest improvements underneath the car without changing the design might have something to do with it. In fact, the only way to make any real sense of the special “Performance” features on the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is to drive it, so that’s exactly what I did.
For this review, I’ll explain how much the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance costs, what makes the “Performance” model special compared to the standard car (no longer available), and how it drives on the road before sharing our verdict. Let’s check it out!
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How Much is the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance?
The Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is priced from AU$241,500 plus on-road costs in Australia. However, our test car was fitted with the following options, which drove the price up to $247,200 before on-roads.
Options fitted to our test car included:
- 22-inch alloy wheels in 5-Y-spoke design, matt grey – NCO
- RS design package, blue – $2,900
- Matt grey exterior styling package – $700
- Inlays in carbon twill with blue thread – $2,100
Competition for fast wagons with oodles of space and 463kW of power available is few and far between in Australia. In fact, if we’re talking about new cars you can buy right now, there’s only one, the BMW M3 Touring ($180,100 before on-road costs). If you’re shopping for the RS 6, the toughest decision will be between the RS 6 Performance and its brother, the RS 7 Performance ($248,500), with its gorgeous profile.
What Makes the “Performance” Model Special?
If this is your first time reading about the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance, forget everything you know about the Audi RS 6. While the changes don’t sound particularly dramatic on paper, this is a completely different animal from the gorgeous wagon that everyone has already crowned “the ultimate daily driver.”
Boost pressure has increased from 2.4 to 2.6 bar, which means the 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo TFSI engine now produces 463 kW (+42 kW) and 850 Nm (+ 50 Nm). The result is a 0.2-second faster sprint from 0-100 km/h, now down to just 3.4 seconds. The most impressive feat is the 60-110km/h sprint, which is just 2.2 seconds, as tested by our friends at Driving Enthusiast. It’s also worth noting the 0-200km/h time is just 11.68 seconds, which puts it around the pace of a Lamborghini Urus Performante.
Clearly, it’s what you can’t see that makes this car particularly special, and that theme continues with the 8-speed automatic gearbox that’s been tuned to shift faster, particularly when ‘S’ or Dynamic mode is selected. Underneath the car, the self-locking centre differential is “lighter and more compact,” something you can really notice when tackling tighter, slower corners.
The forged 22-inch gloss silver and black metallic alloy wheels offer additional brake cooling because of their airy 5-Y-spoke design. However, they’ve also reduced a significant amount of weight. They’re 5 kg lighter than the wheels found on the standard RS 6, but more importantly, they’ve resulted in a 20kg reduction in unsprung weight, which has a direct relation to sharper throttle response. They’re paired with high-performance Continental Sport Contact 7 tyres, which have reduced the 100-0 km/h stopping distance by up to 2 metres.
What’s the Interior of the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance Like?
The “Performance” changes aren’t limited to the vehicle’s dynamics because the inside of the RS 6 Performance has levelled up, too. Most notably, there’s less insulation between the engine, the interior, and the rear of the vehicle, so you can hear all the V8 rumble and turbo-spool you want to.
You’ll find heated and ventilated standard sports seats finished in Valcona leather with contrasting honeycomb stitching and full-surface Ocean blue seatbelts. The same optional RS design packages in grey and red are available, but the brand has also introduced blue, which is the logical choice for any of these editions. This contrast stitching extends to the steering wheel in black with contrasting stitching in Mercato blue, the floor mats, the side of the centre console, and the selector lever cuff which is my personal favourite.
If you like soft-touch and racecar-like suedes, Audi’s Dynamica material (similar to Alcantara) has been added to the selector lever knob, but it can be optioned to several parts of the cabin if that’s your preference.
Technology-wise, you’re looking at a trio of screens. The first is in-front of the driver and houses a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, the second is a 10.1-inch colour display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the third screen is mounted below, a high-resolution 8.6-inch colour display for climate control. It doesn’t have the world’s biggest screen, but that’s totally okay because they’re thoughtfully integrated, and having the climate shortcuts accessible through the lower screen is very useful.
Finally, there are two programmable Audi RS buttons on the steering wheel that are your shortcuts to fun. They change the display in front of you to make the rev counter more prominent, but more importantly, they alter the vehicle’s driving characteristics to be firmer, tighter, and sharper, with a louder exhaust to boot.
What Powers the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance?
- Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo TFSI engine
- Power: 463 kW (620 hp)
- Torque: 850 Nm (627 ft-lbs)
- Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 3.4 seconds
- Drive type: Quattro all-wheel drive
- Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic
I could go on all day about this engine, but with cylinder-on-demand (COD) technology that can shut down four cylinders under light throttle load, the fuel economy on the freeway is something to be marvelled at. How you can be cruising down the freeway in a 2-tonne wagon with a twin-turbo V8 making more than 600HP and average around 10 litres per 100km is an engineering marvel. That said, don’t expect anything better than the claimed 11.8 litres per 100km around town. When you’re not deactivating, it’s thirsty.
How Does Audi RS 6 Avant Performance Drive?
When I reviewed the Audi RS 6 in standard form last year, I had the unique opportunity to drive it back-to-back with the BMW M3 Touring. Not because I wanted to compare them—they’re two very different vehicles for two different audiences—but because it gave me a chance to figure out their differences.
On the road, the BMW felt quicker, more engaging to drive, and more fun. However, the Audi was more comfortable and sensible, something you’d want to live with every day. It brought a luxury car experience that was closer to a Bentley, while the Touring was more like a Porsche GT3. On paper, the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance should be the ultimate compromise because, ultimately, all I wanted was a little more silliness.
It always amazes me how a brand can make a handful of seemingly basic changes and can completely transform the way a car drives. Combine the added power, precision, and serious cornering chops with that new self-locking centre differential and you have an animal of a street car. Where the standard RS 6 feels a tad lazy, this is wide awake through all your inputs. The steering is more accurate on and off centre, the gearbox tune has transformed how your right foot interacts with it, and I can hardly believe we’re in a hybrid-powered world where 2,090 kg isn’t considered heavy, but it feels sprightly and eager.
Most importantly, it’s not just a fast wagon. The standard RS 6 has been and always will be a very quick vehicle, but this RS 6 Performance is more rewarding to you as a driver. Drive it hard, and it will happily run like crazy off-leash, but put it on a lead, turn it into its more comfortable setting, and it’s a fantastic, comfortable grocery getter, too.
Man of Many’s Verdict on the Audi RS 6 Avant Performance
While the standard RS 6 was already one of the greatest performance wagons we’ll ever see, the new Audi RS 6 Avant Performance has addressed some of those teething issues we found in the standard car. This new vehicle is sharper, more responsive to your every move, and most importantly, more fun to drive.
Finally, it hasn’t compromised comfortability in the process either, with standard adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering with dynamic steering, Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound System, panoramic glass sunroof, and power-assisted door closures, among several other comfort-focused features. Ultimately, it’s recaptured my heart and the crown for the best wagon money can buy too.
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