2015 Audi RS6 Test Drive Review

I must confess my love for the station wagon before I go any further with this review. I love how practical they are and how they are the ideal family car that still has a hint of awesomeness (especially if it packs anything with a V8 or with a pair of turbos) while still maintaining a low profile. In fact, all Marvel superhero’s with hidden identities should leave the supercars for Ironman and drive a station wagon. India though is not very kind to this bodystyle. In fact, we have had less wagons introduced to the in India than one can count on one hand. This one though is special. This one, if I could describe in just one word, is Crazy.

Exterior styling  rating_4.5_rating

The Audi RS6 is purely understated for something that packs that much power. In fact, the only reason people turn around and look at it twice is because the car we were driving was in a shade of bright red. There are of course tell tale signs of how much power there is under the hood though starting off with the stance the RS6 brings to the streets. Then of course you get the sporty bumpers with the carbon fibre vents and the wide wheel arches combined with the tasty 20 inch wheels. Our favorite styling feature though as to be the rear bumper with the carbon diffuser and the two huge oval exhausts.

You also get a very subtle roof spoiler and a set of pronounced side skirts that help the overall look of the car. Other than that, the RS6 is basically the Audi A6 in station wagon form and displays a level of crisp and clean design that the German manufacturer is so known for. Being a wagon though does add a considerable amount of mass to the aft section of the car but the RS6 does seem to mask all the extra mass quite well. We also like the subtle details that the RS6 incorporates, like the blacked out grille with the ‘QUATTRO’ logo underneath the registration plates. Of course, everything that can be carbon fibre was optioned out on the car we drove, including the door mirrors and he front splitter. The RS6 also comes with a glass panoramic roof and sunroof combination that adds to the car’s overall drama.

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Interior & space  rating_4.0_rating

If understated was the theme you were going for, this interior would be the dictionary definition. Of course, all the possible carbon fibre trim options gave been selected on this particular car, but if you really wanted to go completely stealth, you could just have the plain black version instead as well. That said, personally, we would have liked to see atleast a bit of red thrown around the car to add some sort of drama to the overall scheme of things. All said and done though, the kind of quality that the RS6 showcases is second to none. And so are the absolutely phenomenal race derived sports seats that you get. As they the most comfortable or the most aggressive seats that we have plonked our butts in? No. but they certainly are one of the best compromises between those two spectrums.

And there is also enough space in the back for three to sit comfortably. Which in our opinion just raises the appeal of this car. Why would you not want to scare the living daylights out of four close friends while they get fooled into thinking this is just another luxury Audi. And the RS6 is perfectly capable of just that, while still carrying your weekend getaway luggage or your doggies in the boot. On the whole then, with the exception of a rather plain design that we have become used to in Audi’s of this segment, the RS6 is a wonderful place to be in.

Features & Equipment  rating_4.0_rating

The RS6 is not just a stationwagon that is meant to carry your shopping though. It is the alpha male of the wagon world. And with this title, comes a whole host of luxuries that are expected. And of course, it delivers. The RS6 comes crammed loaded with everything you would need from a car including satellite navigation, a good multi media interface and even a touch sensitive pad to ‘write’ your commands into. You also get dual zone climate control, rear air conditioning and electric seats all around. We are also impressed by smaller things like the boot cover which retracts on its own when the boot is opened and then shuts automatically when you close the boot.

Of course, you also get Audi’s lovely drive select option that really lets you set the car up exactly the way you would want it to be. You can choose between the preset comfort and dynamic modes of course of choose a more personal touch with the customized option. Want a comfortable ride with the engine and gearbox turned up to max? You could do that. Want everything to be soft and comfortable with the sports exhaust activated so you could wake the neighbors up every morning? You could do that too. Essentially, you could very well sell your house and live inside an RS6 if you wanted to.

Engines & performance  rating_5.0_rating

As I have mentioned time and again, automotive journalists love being surprised. And we love a powerful engine that pushes us back into our seats and have the wind knock out of us. And the RS6 does both, with grace. Under the hood is a monster of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine that makes a staggering 568PS of peak power and an equally staggering 700Nm of peak torque. Push the start button and the RS6 comes to life with a grown and a burble that would make every single petrol head in the world grin ear to ear.

Floor the throttle pedal and the RS6 shakes like a 60s American muscle car hinting at the kind of performance you can expect. We cant help but mention again how absolutely sublime both the engine and the exhaust note are though with its well timed crackles and grunts. So how is it to drive? Well, potter around town in full comfort mode and it feels as comfortable and quiet as any other large Audi does. In fact, the engine actually cuts off four of the eight cylinders if it feels that the car does not really need that level of performance, which results in a surprisingly easy to drive experience in the city in start-stop traffic.

The gearbox too is crisp and great and has no lag at all when you tug on the aluminum paddle shifters. Of course, on a slightly wet surface, the RS6 can be quite the handful to drive with the traction control and the Quattro system working in overdrive mode but it still manages to feel controlled at all times if you ignore the torque steer that does creep in sometimes. All said and done, the RS6 is one of those performance cars that most forgiving and can be driven briskly in any condition.

Ride and ease of driving  rating_4.5_rating

As we mentioned earlier, the RS6 is comfortable when driven sedately. This is accentuated even further with how well it rides, especially in the Drive Select Comfort mode. There is just a hint of stiffness that underpins the RS6 but all that stiffness does come out to play when the car is set up in dynamic mode. You do have to be careful though of the low profile tyres and the huge 20-inch wheels as our roads are not really conducive to them.

The RS6 though is easy to drive as it isn’t as low as you might expect and doesn’t scrape on even the most ridiculous speed humps. In fact, even the front bumper with its carbon lip is high enough to access inclines and parking lots and the inbuilt diffuser helps the long rear overhang clear obstacles without much fuss. The RS6 though is a tad bit longer than its sedan brethren and is slightly inconvenient to drive around the city in but if you are used to a large luxury car already, it seems pretty normal then.

Handling & braking  rating_4.5_rating

Lets get one thing straight. The RS6 edges more towards the point straight and shoot or muscle car way of driven things instead of the corner carving properties of a sports car. With a kerb weight of 1950kgs, the weight you lug around is immediately obvious. Throw it into a corner hard and it does tend to showcase some understeer until the Audi Quattro all-wheel-drive kicks in and starts correcting you. But as we mentioned earlier, the RS6 is extremely forgiving due to its all wheel drive. And all said and done, it isn’t as much of a handful as some of the Super-Sport utility vehicles we have driven recently either. And then there are the brakes. The Jupiter sized ventilated and cross drilled discs combined with huge calipers makes this behemoth stop better than most cars on the road today.

Price and Fuel efficiency  rating_3.0_rating

Priced at a staggering Rs 1.35 crore (ex-showroom) before the options kick in, the RS6 will not find many takers in India. But the people who are mental enough to buy something like this will most likely be keeping it doe a long long time coming. In fact, in our opinion, this is the ideal car for someone who wants a low profile but seriously quick car that is extremely utilitarian but still sounds great. Of course, you will get huge fuel bills if you have a heavy foot. That said, use the RS6 gently and you could get up to 10.42kmpl (as per ARAI figures).

Verdict  rating_4.5_rating

As I mentioned earlier, I personally love the idea of a station wagon. Five of your favorite people with the doggies sitting comfortable in the back while still having enough space for a bunch of luggage is ideal. The RS6 is undoubtedly a great car but in a country like India where people who buy something like this want a flashy car the likes of the RS7 is more interesting. That said, the RS6 is an all-rounder like nothing else. It does not have vague handling characteristics like an SUV does and still has the same space and practicality while having the kind of performance that could shame supercars which makes it a lovely package. Personally, if there is only one car you could have for the rest of your life, the RS6 could be it.