WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

The hairy-chested Audi RS 6 Avant is not your normal family wagon

Audi’s latest wagon is anything but regular family transport. Behind the menacing black grille on its widened snout lurks a 4.0-litre twinturbo V8 mustering a mighty 441kW of power and 800Nm of torque.

Driving all four wheels via an eight-speed auto, it’ll launch the spacious five-seat RS 6 Avant to 100km/h in just 3.6 seconds. That’s supercar fast.

It has the looks to match the performance, too. Every panel except the tailgate, roof and front doors is changed from a regular A6.

Beneath the bulging wheel arches, enormous 22-inch wheels house 10-piston front callipers and 440mm discs, equal to the largest used on any production car.

At the back, there’s has a race car-like lower diffuser and two sizeable oval exhausts that deliver a distinctive aural note to match the fire and fury up front.

Inside, sculpted sports seats and flashes of optional carbon fibre show this $216,000 (plus on-road costs) wagon is focused on performance as much as luxury.

Materials have been meticulously chosen and a hi-tech infusion further telegraphs the RS6’s intentions.

Digital screens — including a 10.1-inch main infotainment screen and 8.6-inch lower display for ventilation controls and programmable favourites — keep things suitably connected, while there’s 12.3-inch customisable digital instrument cluster with unique RS displays, including a boomerang-shaped tacho.

There’s no shortage of equipment, either. Goodies include a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, four USB plugs, a sunroof, wireless phone charging, a sizeable head-up display, doors that suck themselves closed and quad-zone ventilation with a digital display to adjust rear airflow.

There’s also a smorgasbord of safety kit that includes autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot warning as well as rear monitoring to prepare the car for an impact, and exit warning that can momentarily delay door opening to save an ugly encounter with a cyclist or truck. But the star of the show is the engine. Plant the throttle and there’s a luscious surge of torque that makes for effortless progress, accompanied by a distinctive V8 snarl.

Legal speed limits temper the RS6’s talents, which clearly need something more than Australian country roads to be fully exploited. The top speed is, after all, 280km/h.

Or you can option the Dynamic Plus Package with carbon ceramic brakes (for $25,840) and up that electronic speed limiting to 305km/h — just the ticket for the grocery run.

Much of the grunt can be enjoyed at more sedate speeds, though. Those who don’t want wagon practicality can have the sleeker silhouette of the RS 7, now available with five seats (up from four). The RS 7 now matches the RS 6 with a pumped and widened body, rather than sharing the slimmer lines of a standard A7.

At $224,000 the RS 7 is an $8000 hike over the wagon, while reducing the load space from 565 litres to 535L. The only additional feature in the RS 7 is a rear spoiler that rises at speed.

Either is ludicrously talented through corners. Broad 22-inch tyres point the nose with pinpoint accuracy and grip levels are immense.

A new four-wheel steering system adds stability at higher speeds, the benefits most obvious in flowing bends. Through slower corners the mild rear steering tucks the tail around neatly as the scenery rushes by.

The all-wheel drive system plays its part, too, cleverly apportioning drive depending on the

road surface and the style of the driver. The RS 6 achieves extraordinary cornering flair for a wagon that weighs nearly 2.1 tonnes.

There are downsides to those kilos, though. The thirst for premium unleaded is officially 11.7 litres per 100km, or slightly less for the RS 7. You’ll almost certainly use plenty more than that in daily driving.

And it delivers its driving thrills with sheer strength and might rather than the poise and agility of more focused sports cars. The RS 6 and RS 7 are cars that pamper and flatter by throwing more of everything at the mission.

An abundance of race car DNA helps to create a tantalising executive express with wagon practicality.

VERDICT

Ballistic wagon that blends race-car genes with luxury extravagance.