Audi RS 6 Avant Makes A Comeback With More Power And Features

• Exterior highlights include R8-inspired front end, Matrix LED headlights, dual exhaust tips and a sporty black diffuser.
• It features updated interiors that include the latest version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit all-digital instrument cluster.
• It gets a beefier 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mild-hybrid petrol motor with a 600PS and 800Nm; top speed limited to 250kmph.
• The new RS6 Avant is expected to be launched in 2020; likely to be launched in India too.
• When launched, the Audi RS6 Avant will rival the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon/Estate.

The Audi RS6 Avant is renowned the world over for blending the practicality of an estate with supercar-levels of performance. However, since 2017, the RS6 Avant’s stature as the top dog in the performance-oriented station wagon segment has been under threat thanks to the arrival of the Mercedes-AMG E63S wagon/estate. Audi seems to have finally come up with an answer in the form of the fourth-gen RS6 Avant. This next-gen RS6 Avant not only packs a more powerful heart, but it also gets an aggressive makeover to kick off a new chapter in the performance wagon’s lineage.

Starting with the exterior, the RS6 Avant adapts the design of the A6 and gives it a beefier look. At the front, the wagon features the slimmer front headlight design from the A7 but it also gets an optional Matrix LED headlamp setup. Other frontal highlights include a three-dimensional honeycomb grille, revised bonnet and a new aggressive bumper design with massive side air intakes on either side. This design takes inspiration from the current-gen R8 supercar.

At the rear, the tailgate is carried forward from the A6, but a dual exhaust tip setup, black diffuser and a silver trim around it makes it stand out from its tamer sibling. Other highlights include 21-inch aluminium wheels that get a 10-spoke star design alongside an optional RS-specific 22-inch 5-V-spoke trapezoid design that’s offered with the optional Vorsprung specification. 

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Inside, the RS6 Avant features a plethora of features. It gets the latest version of Audi's Virtual Cockpit all-digital instrument cluster. This includes a MMI touchscreen interface and a head-up display. The RS specific additions include a G-force meter, temperature sensors for various components as well as torque, power and boost pressure readouts. It also gets safety features like Adaptive Driving Assistant and ESC which has a more lenient Sport mode or can be completely turned off. Other highlights include six distinctive drive modes: Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Efficiency, and configurable RS modes – RS1 and RS2 – located on the steering wheel. Each of these modes adjust throttle response, steering input, and suspension stiffness according to the setting.

However, the main highlight of the fourth-gen RS6 Avant is the fact that it is the most powerful iteration of the performance wagon to date. It is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 TFSI petrol motor alongside a 48V mild-hybrid system. It produces 600PS of power and 800Nm of torque to propel the wagon from 0-100kmph in 3.6 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph. The engine is mated to a 8-speed Tiptronic transmission with  quattro all-wheel-drive. An interesting feature is the cylinder on demand (COD) system, which at low to intermediate speeds deactivates cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 in the high gears by switching off injection and ignition and closing the intake and exhaust valves to aid fuel efficiency.

The RS6 Avant employs adaptive air suspension that reduces the ride height by 10mm at speeds above 120kmph. The optional RS Sports Suspension Plus comes with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). This setup gets new steel springs and three-stage adjustable dampers to help reinforce the ride and reduce body roll. 

The Audi RS 6 Avant gets a paint range of thirteen colours, including two RS-specific colours called Nardo Grey and Sebring Black, along with a choice of five matte effect paint finishes. Prices haven’t been released yet, but we expect the new Audi RS 6 Avant to go on sale around the first quarter of 2020. There is no word yet on whether it will make it to Indian shores, but we expect to get a clearer picture once the performance wagon goes on sale in 2020.