A technological tour de force
Arare ride even in Europe, where the uber- sportswagen has achieved iconic status among the performance cognoscenti, the RS 6 Avant will finally reach North American shores in late 2020, a year after it shows up in Europe.
Replete with Audi’s highly regarded quattro all- wheeldrive system, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 with a 48-volt mild hybrid system and 592 horsepower, the sleek yet muscular Avant wears sheet metal no crossover or SUV can out- sexy. A family hauler for the Fast and Furious set? Or, considering the venue, the ultimate surf woodie, minus the wood? Yes and yes!
This Avant is the fourth- generation RS 6 for Europe and other markets, but the first generation Canadians will see. And Audi is not skimping on the features, loading up the wagon with all manner of performance and handling technologies, top- level infotainment and connectivity devices, and swaddling the cabin in appropriately tasteful materials and trims.
Though Audi will not be limiting production, its cost will ensure exclusivity. Pricing won’t be finalized for Canada until closer to the car’s arrival date, but Mercedes- AMG’S 2020 E 63 S wagon — the Audi’s closest rival — starts at $120,000.
The RS 6 Avant isn’t merely a hot- rod version of the A6. With the exception of the front doors, roof and tailgate, the exterior is made up of Rs-specific parts.
In addition, the Avant has been widened by 40 millimetres on each side with flared wheel arches, the better to emphasize the meaty P285/ 30ZR22 Pirelli P- Zero tires and killer wheels.
A power dome augments the hood, and the RS 6 adopts the front headlights from the A7 Sportback.
Below the lights, side air inlets open on the bumper and extend almost into the lower edge of the headlights, the Avant’s designers taking their cue from the front end of the R8 sports car.
The stylish rear end consists of a roof- edge spoiler and an RS- specific bumper with rear diffuser. In typical RS style, the exhaust system flows into chrome oval tailpipes, or in the case of the optional sport exhaust system — highly recommended, by the way — black tips.
The bright Tango Red tester was loaded with all the necessary equipment to scorch the twisting and undulating canyon roads feeding the Pacific Coast Highway.
RS Sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, replacing the standard adaptive air suspension? Check. Dynamic Package Plus, adding four-wheel steering, huge ceramic brakes, and jacking up the wagon’s top end to a super illegal 305 km/h? Yep! Customizable drive modes to tailor the car to the road and the driver to the car? Thumbs up!
Oh my, the gods of vehicular hooliganism do smile upon this beast. At just under five metres in length, the body style is clearly mid-size wagon, but the power, acceleration, feel, and grip say five-seat sports car. The car’s four-wheel steering meant no full-lock heroics were needed on even the tightest decreasing-radius turns. The slightest touch of the brake pedal scrubbed off speed when needed, and the Audi’s ability to hold the intended line, regardless of speed or change of road direction, had both my co-driver and I swearing in disbelief. Punching the throttle pinned us both back in our seats. Audi claims the 2,075- kilogram RS 6 Avant will hit 100 km/ h from a standstill in 3.6 seconds — honestly, it felt faster.
Naturally, there is a substantial amount of comfort and entertainment throughout the cabin. The perforated leather- covered steering wheel, flattened at the bottom and with large aluminum shift paddles, features multi- function buttons that allow the driver to directly select RS1 and RS2 modes.
The RS monitor display provides the driver with the option of having the top screen provide an overview of the temperature status of the drive components and the maximum acceleration figures. In Audi’s Virtual Cockpit system, special RS displays provide information on tire pressure, torque, power output, engine oil temperature, boost pressure, lap times, acceleration measurements and g forces. The shiftlight display prompts upshifting when the maximum engine speed is reached.
As for more appropriate use of the RS 6 Avant, there’s 565 litres of luggage space behind the rear seats.
Over the top, overpowered, and pricey, the RS 6 Avant is nonetheless a technological tour de force, one with a practical twist in the form of a family-friendly car that further expands the RS name as the most potent form of Audi vehicle available.
It might also represent the last hurrah for performance in its current form as Audi — and just about every other automaker — moves toward hybrid and other alternative methods of propulsion.