Vehicle’s allure flies under the radar
There’s something to be said for sleeper cars, ones that appear ordinary, but offer performance that far exceeds their looks.
It’s the sort of car I grew up with, my family’s first second car, a 1977 Pontiac Bonneville. Being that my mother would use it most of the time, she picked it out. Seafoam green with a beige vinyl top, stand-up ornament and rear fender skirts, it’s clearly a car not meant for those with Y-chromosomes. Until, that is, you peeked under the hood. That’s where a 6.6-litre V-8 with four-barrel carburetor resided, rated at 170 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque. Mom didn’t tolerate a lack of power in her cars.
By the time I drove it with regularity, it would outgun any Mustang GT or modern muscle cars of similar ilk, its feminine looks belying its underlying power.
That’s what makes the 2024 Audi S6 so sublime, a handsome car that looks pretty much like an Audi A6 to the initiated. And it is, sort of. But this one has been to the gym, a sportier iteration of the Audi’s luxury midsize sedan. Credit its 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 mated to a 48-volt hybrid system and electric supercharger that provides additional boost.
Through an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, it funnels 444 horsepower and 443 foot-pounds of torque through quattro all-wheel drive to all four corners. Reaching 60 mph (96 km/h) takes 5.1 seconds, which seems conservative having driven it. Top track speed is 250 km/h.
This might seem like a step back, considering the Audi S6 no longer sports the twin-turbocharged V-8 it did from 2014 through 2018, nor the V-10 that powered it from 2007 until 2011. Yet it does possess the prowess buyers in this class look for. Is it fast? Yes, about as fast as the less-expensive Audi A5 55 quattro sedan at 5.1 seconds, but not as quick as the A6 Allroad wagon at 4.4 seconds or RS6 Avant wagon at 3.5 seconds, according to Audi.
Thanks to its adaptive air suspension and rear-wheel steering, the Audi S6 has a nimbleness above and beyond that of its lesser A6 siblings. It mocks rough pavement, serenely delivering a smooth, refined ride no matter what’s going on underneath the car. And should the roads turn slick, the S6 has standard quattro all-wheel drive, which lend peace of mind — something I never had on the rear-wheel-drive Bonneville. Steering is quick and direct, which makes its ferocious acceleration manageable. As its speed builds it releases an aural symphony that rewards you for choosing the Audi S6 over something else.
But what’s particularly remarkable is what it feels compared to its German rivals. Its supercharged hybrid driveline and efficient eight-speed automatic transmission make for a smoothness and civility you’ll appreciate. It’s not a juvenile car, having a manner that rewards being an adult, albeit one who likes to drive fast. There’s a balance to its performance that rewards those who appreciate speed and refinement.
Yet as with many German vehicles, the ride can be firm at times, which some may find uncomfortable for a car that starts at $75,500. The flip side is its athletic prowess, which makes tackling your favourite twisting mountain road an exercise in pure pleasure.
Performance aside, the 2024 Audi S6 receives a host of updates for the new model year, including a revised front grille with standard LED headlights. There are new exterior paint choices, although seafoam green is not among them.
It also gets redesigned wheels, red brake calipers, new instrument panel inlay options, as well as enhanced infotainment offerings and more standard equipment. And buyers get a sixmonth trial subscription to Audi Connect Plus, which comes with an Audi app store. This facilitates seamless integration of your digital life, as well as parking and charging, productivity, weather, and news apps into Audi’s Multi Media Interface, or MMI for short.
That said, the 2024 Audi S6 comes with three screens: a large, customizable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster alongside a centre-mounted 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen and an 8.6-inch touchscreen mounted below it for climate controls. Audi has minimized the used of physical buttons, which imparts a sleek, modern ambiance to the cabin, even if it’s not always as easy to use quickly at a glance. Opting for the Premium trim brings with it a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, ambient lighting, a head-up display, and a wireless phone charger. But the whole cabin is awash in leather, metal and carbon fibre trim that’s pleasing. But its black interior with red stitching is a non-starter for those living in hotter climes.
The technology proves easy to use, something that’s rare in too many luxury cars.
It’s a remarkably enjoyable way to drive, one wasted on most drivers who opt for SUVs despite rarely, if ever, using their utility. They’d have so much more fun behind the wheel of an Audi S6, an understated statement of speed that stealthily satisfies your need for speed. Certainly, it does so more than my old Bonneville. But like that old Yank tank, the new one is quicker, far more technologically advanced and wearing far more sophisticated style.
But both flew under the radar with regards to speed.