Audi RS 6 Performance 2023 Review

Serving as a replacement for the ‘regular’ RS 6, the new 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is priced from $241,500 plus on-road costs.

The Performance moniker essentially adds about a $10,000 premium over the RS 6 Avant that it replaces.

The RS 6 is based on the Audi A6 wagon that isn’t sold in Australia.

As global markets become increasingly obsessed with SUVs, low-slung wagons of this type are becoming increasingly hard to find.

There’s the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo (from $223,200), and even the all-electric Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo (from $295,300 in Turbo guise), although perhaps the most obvious main rival is the incoming BMW M5 Touring – expected to be priced from around $260,000.

Let’s not forget the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S (from $270,469 plus ORCs), albeit in sedan form only Down Under.

The 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is loaded to the gills with standard kit – at least going some way in justifying its positioning as Audi’s passenger car flagship.

It gets 22-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, a panoramic glass sunroof, keyless entry/start, Matrix LED headlights, an Alcantara-clad steering wheel, Mercato blue stitching, blue seat belts, Dinamica microfibre trim, perforated Valcona leather upholstery, sport seats with three-stage heating and ventilation and ‘RS performance’ puddle lamps.

The RS 6 is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia, while service intervals are set at every 12 months/15,000km.

According to Audi, a five-year/75,000km servicing plan costs $4360 if paid up front.

Additionally, ownership also buys you access to Audi’s loyalty program, Audi Experience, which entails national events and experiences.

The 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is very safe, both in terms of its on-road electronics and its driver assist systems.

There’s all the usual safety acronyms (ESC, ABS, etc), plus quattro all-wheel drive smarts, as well as adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, side assist, attention assist, collision avoidance assist, Audi pre sense front and rear, and park assist with 360-degree camera and rear-view camera.

There are some missing items, however, including speed sign recognition – a reflection of the age of the RS 6 platform.

The RS 6 doesn’t have an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating, but the A6 on which it is based carries a maximum five-star rating dating back to 2018.

Infotainment on the 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance comprises two haptic 10.1-inch centre touch-screen displays – the top conveying important media and sat-nav, and the bottom handling climate control and driver settings.

Additionally, Audi’s longstanding virtual cockpit display resides in the instrument cluster and provides clear and concise readouts and adjustability.

In short, the infotainment works really well and largely avoids on-road distraction.

The 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance’s lauded bent-eight has been treated to a pair of new turbochargers that fillips maximum boost pressure from 35 to 38psi.

This has resulted in a 22kW/50Nm bump in output – to 463kW of power and 850Nm of torque.

Adding in a new launch control system means the Performance trims 0.2sec off the outgoing RS 6’s 0-100km/h time, stopping the clock in 3.4sec.

Once the big wagon is away, it’ll keep on pulling to an electronically governed top speed of 280km/h.

Elsewhere, 20kg of unsprung mass has been saved by the new 22-inch lightweight alloy wheels shod with a bespoke set of Continental SportContact 7 tyres.

The new rubber is said to improve the cornering and braking stability of the lardy performance models – and shave a couple of metres off the claimed 100-0km/h braking distance, regardless of the road conditions.

Complementing the higher output is a more aggressive mapping for the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which yields faster shifts as well as an updated centre differential that’s said to improve cornering dynamics and precision.

Helping owners enjoy the sound of the burly V8 is an 8kg reduction in sound-proofing from around the engine and exhaust system.

The RS 6 once again shuffles drive via Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with a self-locking differential, and is suspended by five-link axles and adaptive suspension front and rear.

Braking comprises mammoth 420mm discs up front and 370mm discs at the rear.

To be fair, the 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is probably thriftier than you’d give it credit for.

The official fuel consumption average is 11.8L/100km. In reality, we averaged 12.0L/100km on a 350km route, covering a mix of conditions.

The caveat is that you’re required to use top-shelf 98 RON fuel, and the consumption will spike pretty aggressively if you’re heavy on the right pedal.

The 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is a consummate point-and-shoot machine, and an autobahn blaster if ever there was one.

There is stability and predictability in spades, wrought from the clever quattro all-wheel drive system, adaptive suspension and electronics.

There is also, perhaps very unsurprisingly, no shortage of grunt. In fact, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is the unabashed star of the show here, offering a menacing and addictive sound, intoxicating acceleration and effortless go-forward all at once.

In everyday driving, the bent-eight offers a wonderfully accessible torque curve, peaking from just 2300rpm, and smooth shifts from the transmission to avoid any low-speed hesitation or binding from the all-wheel drive system.

From there, the engine segues gently through the rev range and gearbox ratios to provide a smoothness that smaller-capacity engines could only wish for.

Equally, there is power on demand should you need it. The engine responds effortlessly to overtakes and speed sign changes with ultimate poise and refinement.

The breadth of handling performance is likewise such that in gentle touring, the RS 6 never gets it wrong. There is simply so much grip and agility on offer, while the suspension washes off bumps confidently and provides a graceful setting for the sumptuous cabin.

Audi’s decision to remove sound proofing elicits a little more character from the V8 while also uncovering more unwanted road noise – it adds to the theatre in spirited driving but takes away from cabin ambience at other times.

We reckon there’s still room for a little more emotion, especially in Dynamic mode. But ultimately, the V8 is up against increasing noise and emissions standards, and the fact it still has a place in Audi’s line-up is something to celebrate.

On the right twisty road, the RS 6 Avant is certainly no slouch. Its controls sharpen quite a bit in Dynamic mode and elicit much more character and response from the drivetrain and suspension.

The caveat here is the steering, which remains quite light in its action and lacks the nuanced feeling and accuracy of a dedicated performance model.

There’s no escaping the RS 6 Avant’s portly circa-2200kg kerb weight either. Read our track test for a more definitive breakdown of performance, but on rough, winding country roads that are commonplace in Australia, it often feels like there’s a lot going on.

On rougher surfaces and on faster approach to sharper corners, patience is required in order for the RS 6 to settle and find its groove. But work to its strengths, and its surfeit of power under the bonnet, and it rewards as a rapid point-and-shoot machine.

And, more importantly, one that can carry a family of four in relative comfort.

It might have a strong performance bent, but the 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance feels properly luxe inside the cabin.

The interior bristles with lashings of Alcantara suede, Valcona leather and tasteful metallic highlights to impart a real feelgood factor.

Equally, the tech is cleverly integrated to make the presentation look swish, but also be inherently practical.

The RS 6 offers a nice, natural driving position, with the comfortable, well-bolstered driver’s pew set low in the cabin, cultivating feedback.

The outlook is a little obscured by the raked roofline and narrow wing mirrors, but it’s a small price to pay.

All the key controls are within reach and the finish of the cabin is Teutonic and impressive, as it would want to be for the price.

Less impressive is the lack of incidental storage, with two narrow cup holders, a shallow centre console and slim door pockets your only place for wallets and keys.

On a weekend road trip with coffees at the ready, your stuff is likely being stowed in the rear or in a bag.

The rear seat area definitely passes the family test, albeit without matching the ease of use in an SUV.

The door apertures are comparatively narrow, slightly impeding ingress and egress, while the rear seat space is plentiful with the exception of a bulky transmission tunnel.

Rear air vents, charging points and soft-touch materials all sweeten the space, while ISOFIX child seat attachment points on the outbound pews and three top tether strap points are standard.

Further back, the 548-litre boot space offers room for a designer pram and a couple of full-size suitcases. Broad and lowset with its opening, the space features tie-down points and quick-access levers to stow the rear seats.

There is no spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit.

That’s an easy one. If you have the means, yes.

The 2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance is perhaps the ultimate expression of a go-fast family car. It is imbued with presence, grace and speed in droves, and yet goes about its everyday business in such an understated fashion that it does without airs or graces.

It’s not an SUV, and its blistering V8 is likely to be one of the last of the breed.

About the only thing as eye-watering is price – though you could argue it’s a relatively small figure to pay for the speed and undeniable presence on demand.

2023 Audi RS 6 Avant Performance at a glance:
Price: $241,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 463kW/850Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 269g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested