New Audi RS6 Avant, powerful and efficient as it should be

With 600 CV of power and 800 Nm of torque, the new Audi RS6 is the perfect car for those seeking practicality and high performance

Just over four weeks separate the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the RS range by Audi from the presentation of the latest of its offerings.

The Audi RS6 Avant of 2020 is the ultimate expression of the balance between brutality and practicality. Both in terms of styling and performance, this colossal new car represents the meeting point of concepts that, in theory, are far apart: the maximum passenger and cargo capacity of an estate body combined with a powertrain worthy of a supercar, suited to use on a track day.

And although, at first glance, the model that shapes this version, pushed to its maximum expression, takes the new Audi A6 Avant as its reference, it only shares with any variant of the base model the roof and the tailgate that opens the load compartment that justifies its Avant name, offering a cargo volume from 565 to 1,680 litres of capacity. Everything else is unique, exclusive and reserved solely for the new Audi RS6 Avant.

Styling and layout of the RS, characteristic of an RS6 Avant

Elements and configurations that make a sporty family car like this one so distinctive, since such a car cannot be considered an ordinary estate but rather a vehicle built to be noticed wherever its enormous wheels take it.

With 21-inch and up to 22-inch wheels fitted within wheel arches whose flares have been widened by up to 40 millimetres, the result is an increase in overall body width of 8 cm and track widths that grow to 1,668 mm at the front axle and 1,651 mm at the rear compared with the Audi A6 Avant, giving this car an imposing look, even more so than its predecessors.

The lines of its front fascia, intersecting one another, reveal the work of a scalpel carving through the air. This effect is not merely aesthetic: every one of the cavities in its bumper genuinely serves a function, where a generous interwoven mesh grille proudly carries the brand’s logo and its DNA: Audi RS6.

In addition, the laser headlights heighten that incisive, sharp character, as do the ribs of the bonnet that conceal the car’s great mechanical trump card, which we are not yet going to reveal.

As we said, the side silhouette shows an immense car, whose sill extensions accentuate the sharp character of the car. The door panels, smoothed with a sterile cleanliness, enhance the sense of efficiency in its battle against the air surrounding it.

A look that culminates in a rear whose overhangs justify its nomenclature. But it is when, starting the descent down to the now-familiar oval exhaust pipes, that one realises this is not an A6 but a fully fledged RS6.

The newly designed tail lights show, as is now customary, a dynamic animation. And it is as we move down toward the rear bumper that the Audi RS settles onto enormous tyres with a 285 mm tread and a 30 profile for the 22-inch wheel, or 275/35 in the case of the standard 21-inch.

Audi Sport, who signed this work, offers a palette of up to 13 colour options, with the Nardó grey in matt finish, shown in the photos, and Sebrig black being exclusive.

The place to be

The interior of the 2020 Audi RS6 Avant is the ideal place for anyone who wants to enjoy the comforts of a premium car that offers sporty handling without sacrificing comfort in a family-sized body.

Thanks to the new instrument panel, whoever has the privilege of driving this machine will experience sensations similar to those of the cockpit of a racing Audi, since its display is inspired by those fitted to the competition cars that leave the workshops of Audi Sport, such as the new Audi R8 LMS GT2.

The Alcantara and Nappa leather upholstery add a touch of luxury and sportiness to the interior. The RS logos embossed on the seats and other interior elements, such as the steering wheel, are nothing more than another distinctive mark that reminds you of the place you never want to leave.

The mechanical configuration of the new Audi RS6

But what makes this car stand out is not only its styling or the luxury of its interior, but its mechanical configuration.

Building on the architecture of all-wheel drive, the house trademark, quattro, the German engineers have chosen to install a four-litre TFSI mechanical heart, eight cylinders in a V configuration, twin-turbo, capable of producing 600 CV and 800 Nm, paired with an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox.

With this, the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, and the top speed of the 2020 Audi R6 is set at 280 km/h, which can rise to 305 if fitted with the optional carbon-ceramic brake kit.

The adaptive suspension and the mechanical centre differential ensure optimal dynamism in this car, whose response is designed to be the right one for every driving situation. For this reason, it also offers up to six driving modes: comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency, RS1 and RS2.

The RS family also embraces hybridisation

As already happened with the presentation of the new Audi S TDI, as a major novelty, this new generation of the Audi RS6 features a mild hybrid system, or mild hybrid, which acts on the starter motor and alternator, plus an auxiliary electrical system that aids energy recovery and allows the combustion engine to be disconnected for up to 40 seconds when the vehicle is coasting at a speed between 55 and 160 km/h.

Together with the intelligent deactivation of cylinders when energy demand is low, the new Audi RS6 Avant is more efficient than its predecessor and delivers a saving of up to 0.8 litres every 100 km travelled.

The price of the 2020 Audi RS6

Although the price of the new Audi RS6 has not yet been published, it is likely to sit above 130,000 euros, as a reference for the outgoing generation of the Audi RS6 Avant.

For the British market, this car will open its order book from November, with the first units arriving in January 2020. It is therefore likely that, in Spain, we will find the first examples delivered to their buyers before next summer arrives.

As an exotic note, this car will also arrive in the American market. A model that had been blocked from entering the United States due to the difficulties involved in exporting a vehicle of this kind there.