Audi RS6 Avant 2013 Review

Audi RS 6 Avant

What we liked:
>>Power
>> Space
>> Grace

Not so much:
>> Price, even if it is improved
>> Lots of pricey extras
>> NT speed limits

But Audi Australia couldn’t wait that long to show it off, flying three examples in to coincide with the launch of its local ‘Land of Quattro’ advertising campaign and sending us off in one for a drive from Alice Springs to Uluru.

This is the third attempt by Audi and its quattro GmbH hot-shop at an RS uber-wagon based on the A6 Avant. The first appeared in 2002 and the second in 2008. All of them have had the same ballistic job description, packing extreme performance into what is traditionally the most conservative of automotive shapes.

This time round the fundamentals are these: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, eight-speed tiptronic auto, mechanically-controlled permanent all-wheel drive with connection to the road via adjustable suspension and 21-inch rubber.

It is enough to get the attention of the BMW M5, Jaguar XFR-S, Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG and -- dare we say it -- the new supercharged HSV GTS.

The RS 6 signals something of a model explosion from Audi’s equivalent of Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW M divisions. The RS 5 Cabrio arrives in August, the RS 7 Sportback (which effectively replaces the old RS 6 sedan in the line-up) and the first RS SUV, the RS Q3 in March (2014).

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

The standard equipment list is extensive and includes LED headlights, digital TV and radio reception, head-up display, parking system with 360-degree camera, a panoramic glass sunroof, a powered tailgate, an electric park brake, four-zone climate control, 14-speaker BOSE surround sound system, RS front sports seats upholstered in Valcona leather and honeycomb stitching, a luggage rail system and a matt aluminium styling package. There is no spare tyre.

Perhaps surprisingly at this price, there are plenty of options available.

They include:

Dynamic Package ($4900)
• RS Sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC)
• Dynamic Steering
• Top speed electronically limited to 280km/h

Carbon styling package ($8500)
• Radiator grille and frame in high-gloss black
• Funnel-shaped air intake in carbon, with quattro logo in titanium grey
• Roof rails in matte black
• Front sill in carbon
• Rear diffuser insert in carbon
• Front air intake in high-gloss black with diagonal struts in carbon
• Door mirrors matched to body colour

The previous two RS 6 generations sold 53 and 58 examples respectively here throughout their lifespans, but Audi Australia is looking for a substantial lift this time round, shooting for as many as 200 to burble and blat from dealerships over the next few years.

MECHANICAL

You can also find derivatives of this 3993cc DOHC 32-valve unit powering the S6 and S7 Audis as well as the Bentley Continental GT.

In the RS 6 it pumps out 412kW at 5700-6600rpm and 700Nm torque between 1750 and 5500rpm. While power is down slightly, torque is up 50Nm from the 5.0-litre V10 twin-turbo borrowed from Lamborghini for the old RS.

An important technical feature of the engine is the siting of the two twin-scroll turbochargers and their heat exchanger in the 90-degree vee providing a short gas flow and the minimisation of lag.

It certainly doesn’t hurt performance. The new RS accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.9sec (Launch Control is standard), a cut of 0.7sec. Yet fuel economy also improves around 30 per cent from 14.0L/100km to 9.8L/100km. That also means the CO2 emissions rate resets at 229g/km.

This claimed fuel consumption improvement is achieved with the help of idle stop-start and cylinder-on-demand, which turns the engine into a V4 in some low load situations.

The move from six- to eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission helps here, as does a claimed 90kg reduction in kerb weight to a still hefty 1935kg (that’s the number in the tech specs, but the brochure puts the weight at 2010kg).

That V4 creates an imbalance, but active engine mounts fix that. However, unlike the S6 and S7, the RS 6 misses out on the tricky speakers that cancel out the less pleasant noises the V4 generates. We didn’t notice them anyway.

Opening the bonnet of the RS 6 and you wonder how they squeezed everything in. It’s no surprise the engine, transmission and ancillaries require nine radiators and coolers between them to quell the massive heat generated in this cramped space.

The mechanical centre diff-based all-wheel drive system runs static 40:60 front-to-rear, but can send as much as 70 per cent of drive forward or 85 per cent rear depending on conditions. It works in tandem with the software-controlled sports differential for the rear wheels and torque vectoring system all-round.

The standard suspension is provided by sports air springs and multi-links which sit the body 20mm lower. But upgrade to the Dynamic package and you get the linked hydraulic Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) and a steel suspension and interconnected three-way adjustable shock absorbers that reduce roll.

Steering is electro-mechanical; brakes are massive 390mm cast iron internal wave design with black six-piston callipers up-front and 356mm single piston units at the rear. Invest in carbon fibre-ceramic brake discs and the front rotor size grows to 420mm and the callipers turn grey!

The RS 6 rolls on 5x2-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels adorned in 285/30 R21 tyres.

The behaviour of the suspension, steering and sport diff can be tailored by the five-mode Audi Drive Select which swivels through Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual and Lift (suspension) modes.

Underpinning all this is the Volkswagen Group MLB or longitudinal engine front/all-wheel drive architecture. Compared to the old RS 6 that means a 69mm extended wheelbase that now measures 2915mm. The front overhang decreases 55mm while overall length is now 4979mm (it was 4923mm).

Over the top of all the mechanicals an exaggerated version of the A6’s body has been draped. The sills, wings and rear wheel arches are enlarged compared to the previous generation RS 6. A matt-black single frame grille, large air inlets are front-end give-aways, elliptical tail-pipes are rear-end signatures.

PACKAGING

The luggage area offers 565 litres of space and that expands to 1680 litres with the bench seat split-folded down -- a process that can be easily accomplished via levers in the boot or at the seats themselves.

Accessed by an auto tailgate, the luggage area is fully carpeted, includes two storage nets and sliding rails in the floor. A bright-metal scuff guard protects the boot entry.

Because of the pronounced transmission tunnel the middle-rear seat becomes pretty much an after-thought (you can convert the car to a four-seater as a no-cost option).

By contrast the outboard seating, firm and upright in typically Germanic fashion, is spacious for head, knee and toeroom, even when one 180cm adult is seated behind the other.

There are both door grips and overhead grab handles to hang on with when the driver gets enthusiastic, while storage is provided by door pockets, string nets on both seats and dual cup holders in the centre armrest (which also contains a medical kit).

The four-zone climate control system has temperature adjustment for the rear passengers and vents both in the B-pillars and the centre console.

Up-front there are deep and wide bucket seats. The driver has memory as well as lumbar and other adjustments, while the thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel’s reach and rake is also power adjusted. There are shift paddles mounted behind the upper spokes.

A 320km/h speedo and 6600rpm redline tachometer dominate the instrument panel, while the button-heavy centre stack and centre console are familiar, as are the MMI controller and a retractable eight-inch monitor. Carbon-fibre inlays and plentiful RS logos deliver a sporting ambience.

Up-front storage is provided by door pockets, dual lidded cup holders, a double level lidded centre bin and a sizeable glovebox.

SAFETY

Standard safety equipment includes front, front-side, rear-side and curtain airbags; stability control, traction control, anti-lock braking, tyre pressure monitoring, three-point seatbelts and adjustable headrests for all passengers.

COMPETITORS

BMW M5 ($229,900/423kW – on-sale September); Jaguar XFR-S ($225,545/404kW); Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG S ($249,900/430kW).

And the local contender, the HSV GTS? How about $92,990 and 430kW!

It’s also worth pointing out that the E 63 AMG Estate has been dropped from the local range with the recent update, leaving the ground pretty much clear for the RS 6.

ON THE ROAD

But nowadays, with the highways limited to a maximum 130km/h, police out in numbers and grey nomads ever more prevalent, the desire -- let alone the opportunity -- to run at big speeds in the RS 6 was pretty much non-existent.

But even if we were transported back a few years in Stewie Griffin’s time machine, going flat-out would only tell us what we already knew about this car and this engine -- it behaves a lot like the ones that came before it. Well, in the sense that straight line performance is not and never has been an issue for the RS 6.

The few times we did press the accelerator pedal with enthusiasm the response was voluminous. This car is still gathering significant momentum at a staggering pace long after most vehicles have hit their limit.

Lag? The only time this car doesn’t shove you into your seat is that milli-second at a stationary start between pressing the pedal to the floor and things starting to blur.

Not that the violence and capability was reflected in the sound, even though there is an exhaust flap that opens up to add character as revs rise. The massive Dunlop Sport Maxx rubber tended to drown out the engine’s metallic induction and brassy exhaust at speed on the coarse chip bitumen.

The tyres also dug through the road when the brakes were clamped on hard. It’s nice to have so much go under you’re right foot, but more important to know there’s so much whoa too.

One thing this road trip didn’t help us out with much was the chassis behaviour of the RS 6. Never regarded as a lithe handler -- sledgehammers are rarely delicate -- it was impossible to really pick up much suggestion of improvement on these wide open roads.

Our car was running the optional Dynamic package, which meant DRC and steel springs. As the various drive select modes were sampled it became obvious comfort was easily the most ‘comfortable’ setting (funny about that) while auto tended to firm things up as speeds got higher. Dynamic was simply too jarring at any speed.

So, immense, powerful and deeply impressive then? Yep, there’s no doubt Uluru is something special. The RS 6? That’s not too bad either.

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