Audi S6 and S7 2013 Review

There’s much that’s fresh here apart from the engine and the S7’s body. Just for starters, there’s a new underpinning platform sourced from the A6/A7 donor cars and a cheaper price (albeit still pretty exxy).

Through all that the S6 maintains it place within the burgeoning Audi range as a subtly steroidal A6, while the S7 provides a sexier and slightly more expensive alternative. Porn star duty is left to the imminent RS4 Avant and the RS6, which is currently between generations.

The high-end items include a powered bootlid, LED headlights with high beam assist, electric glass sunroof, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, head-up display, Bose 14-speaker audio which can pump out music via iPod, aux, MP3 or Bluetooth connection, sat-nav and digital TV reception, leather S-Sports seats front and rear in the S7 and up-front in the S6. More prosaically, you’ll find a space saver spare tyre in the boot.

Outside, the giveaway these are S not A models is in the details; aluminium mirror housings, platinum grey grille, 20-inch alloy wheels and the S6’s lip spoiler on the bootlid.

Inside there is an ambient lighting package, carbon-fibre inlays, leather trim for the sports seats including S6 or S7 embossing and a rather decadent looking pleat in the centres. The front seats are power adjustable with electric lumbar support, extendable thigh supports and memory function on the driver's side.

There are few options; both cars can add active lane, side and park assist and active cruise control. But only the A6 offers a 360 degree camera assisted parking system.

This the first time this new engine has been seen in an Audi, although the Bentley Continental GT V8 was the first Volkswagen Group car to debut it globally. Just 50cm long, it is a compact piece of engineering, sitting its twin scroll turbochargers and intercooler in the 90 degree vee of the double overhead cam 32-valve aluminium cylinder heads.

Outputs are 309kW at 5500-6400rpm and 550Nm at 1400-5200rpm. So power is down 11kW but torque is up 10Nm compared to the V10. The big news is a fuel consumption drop of 24 per cent to 9.6L/100km (9.7L/100km S7) and CO2 emissions down 25 per cent to 225 grams per kilometre.

Obviously, downsized displacement and swap from six-speed auto to seven-speed S tronic accounts for a significant amount of that fuel saving, while stop-start and direct injection also contribute. But this engine also features cylinder deactivation (or cylinder-on-demand in Audi-speak), which means it runs only four cylinders when cruising.

There are various parameters that have to be ticked off for the system to work, including a minimum speed of 25km/h and being in third gear or higher, but Audi does claim COD alone contributes a five per cent fuel saving. It also contributes a gruffer, rougher engine note and extra vibration when operating.

But Audi has countered that with active engine mounts and Active Noise Control. The latter issues noise from the audio system speakers to negate the intruding engine note. It works the same way as noise cancelling headphones. Infiniti deploys a similar system in its M sedan.

Both cars ride on adjustable sport-tuned air suspension and 20-inch alloys encased in Pirelli PZero rubber. The S7’s wheels are 0.5 inches wider (9.0 v 8.5) and its tyres 10mm wider (265/35 v 255/35), but the S6’s ride height drops 20mm versus 10mm for the S7.

Suspension behaviour can be modified via Audi Drive Select, which also influences the performance parameters of the steering, gearshift and throttle.

The quattro system’s self-locking centre differential nominally splits drive 60:40 for rear-biased handling, but can transmit as much as 80 per cent to the rear, or 70 per cent to the front.

The S6 weighs in at a mammoth 1970kg, albeit 50kg lighter than the S7. Audi claims 20 per cent of the componentry is aluminium, including the various hinged panels (doors etc).

Two adults will have sprawling room in the rear seat of either car, while the S6’s middle-rear passenger’s legroom is compromised by the transmission tunnel.

Both boots are wide, deep and long at 535 litres for the S7 and 530 litres for the S6. But access to the hatch is easier and it expands to 1390 litres with the rear seats folded, versus the 995 litres of the S6.

Up-front the driver and front passenger are ensconced in deep and supportive sports seats. The steering column is power adjustable and there is a large left footrest. Almost anyone should be able to make themselves comfortable.

As seems to be the Audi way, there is a plethora of information contained in the instrument pod, apart from the large and clear speedo and tacho dials. There are also rollers on the steering wheel controlling various functions. Then you can cast your eyes down to the dashboard and centre console to inspect the MMI controller and attendant buttons as well as the climate controls.

And just when you think you’re getting the hang of it all, an eight-inch media screen comes gliding out of the dashboard. Or the head-up display adds to the information overload...

There’s so much to learn the glovebox is pretty much taken up by the instruction manuals!

But you will still find room for your 21st century attachments like smartphones, tablets, drinks and the like, as there are adequate storage bins and containers spread throughout the cabin.

BMW jumps straight from 5 and 6 series to M5 and M6, Benz from E-class and CLS to their AMG derivatives. As a result the S6 and S7 sit quite comfortably in a tiny little niche of their own.

The engine is an undoubted highlight. It revs freely and easily, its turbo lag reduced to the bare minimum. It has a great sense of flexibility and when given some throttle it really can fly. No hill will be too steep to conquer, no 18-wheeler should be a challenge to pass. With the aid of launch control, Audi claims a 4.6 sec 0-100km/h time (4.7 S7) and it certainly seems achievable.

The only drama is the engine just doesn’t sound as good as it feels. There is a distant induction roar and an even less obvious exhaust burble. It would be nice to hear such a great piece of engineering and technology at work as well as sense it.

The same could be said of S tronic, which shifts surreptitiously and incredibly quickly in manual (via paddles or lever) or auto mode. The only time it becomes obvious is via some driveline shunt at speeds of around 30km/h or slower.

Even mild tyre roar off the coarse chip bitumen surfaces of our south-east Queensland test roads drowned out any driveline noise.

Perhaps surprisingly, those choppy roads didn’t upset the ride quality of either S much at all. Even on the most aggressive dynamic setting, the air suspension coped with all but the most evil of corrugations and potholes without jarring.

The steering, however, couldn’t quite rise to the same high standard. While improved from A6 systems of yore, it insisted on initial deadness before weighing up a few degrees off-centre. But it never managed to convey true feel or conviction for the task at hand.

The same could be said of the handling and body control, which was quite acceptable, but prone to initial push and roll when turning into a corner with some enthusiasm. This was slightly more noticeable in the 6 than 7.

No doubt quattro played a role in creating that initial push but also helped quell it by juggling drive to the appropriate wheels.

But the beauty of the S6 and S7 is that in a more relaxed drive such as the urban commute, they remain entirely comfortable and competent - unlike a vehicle with a more intense sports focus.

And perhaps that ultimately is the S6 and S7’s finest achievement; an all-round capability that allows it handles a variety of roles comfortably and entertainingly.

Now you just have to figure out which one to buy...

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