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Audi RS6 2024 review: Performance

Want sedan performance with SUV practicality? Audi might have exactly the right car for you.

STOP! Don’t buy the performance SUV you were looking at! There’s a better way.

It’s the car we’re looking at for this review, Audi’s latest RS6 Performance. Freshly updated for the 2024 model year, this is the ultimate wagon, and possibly, the ultimate car which many overlook.

Is there a catch? And what has Audi changed for the 2024 model year? Read on to find out.

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Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

Let’s start with the bad news. Most people can’t afford one of these. The RS6, in all of its muscular glory, is more expensive than ever before. Now wearing a before-on-roads price-tag of $241,500, it’s hardly your average mum and dad family hauler. But then, there’s nothing average about the RS6.

It’s so well regarded amongst enthusiasts for multiple reasons. It’s the biggest meanest wagon you can buy, and somehow Audi has managed to make this version more powerful and even faster than before.

In fact, it’s one of the few normal looking combustion cars out there which can still hold a candle to many electric cars, with its whomping V8 helping it warp from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

  • The RS6 Performance wears a before-on-roads price-tag of $241,500. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 Performance wears a before-on-roads price-tag of $241,500. (Image: Tom White)
  • The RS6 Performance's V8 engine gets it from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 Performance's V8 engine gets it from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds. (Image: Tom White)

More on those performance specs later. If you’re wondering what else you get for your near-quarter-of-a-mill it’s pretty much every spec item Audi currently offers.

There are now lighter 22-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, a high-performance braking system, an RS-specific exhaust system, matrix LED headlights with adaptive high beams, a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with navigation and wireless phone mirroring and one of the best digital instrument clusters on the market.

It also features Valcona leather interior trim, sporty bucket seats with perforated trim, honeycomb stitching, as well as ventilation and heating, additional cabin trim in synthetic suede (comprised of 45 per cent recycled fibres), ambient interior lighting and a panoramic sunroof.

It’s a lot of stuff, but one thing you get a little less of is sound insulation. Audi has chosen to remove some of it this time around so you can hear the V8 better from behind the wheel.

Upfront of the RS6 is a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with navigation. (Image: Tom White) Upfront of the RS6 is a 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with navigation. (Image: Tom White)

Design - Is there anything interesting about its design?

At a distance the RS6 is just an unassuming station wagon, but the closer you get, the more apparent it becomes how mean it is. It’s wide, it’s chiselled, it’s not just good looking, it’s iconically Audi.

The stance is so wide, its ride height so low, and its wheels are so massive that any keen eye will be able to spot where the difference is between this and any old family hauler.

Wagons may not be trendy, but there’s something undeniably cool about having the hauling capacity of an SUV at the ride height of a sedan.

  • The RS6 is wide, it’s chiselled, it’s not just good looking, it’s iconically Audi. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 is wide, it’s chiselled, it’s not just good looking, it’s iconically Audi. (Image: Tom White)
  • At a distance the RS6 is just an unassuming station wagon. (Image: Tom White) At a distance the RS6 is just an unassuming station wagon. (Image: Tom White)

Of course, if you want to look even more svelte and don’t need the boot space, the RS7 is always lurking around at a slight price premium.

Inside, the RS6 has all the modern amenities of the Audi range. Expect the usual sharp screens, lovely sports seats, and a tasteful application of textures throughout.

There’s a blend of carbon-look finishes, chrome, leather and gloss black. Perhaps a little too much gloss black to keep clean, but the aesthetic is suitably upmarket. 

Audi's ‘Virtual Cockpit’ is still one of the most aesthetically pleasing and customisable digital instrument systems on the market. (Image: Tom White) Audi's ‘Virtual Cockpit’ is still one of the most aesthetically pleasing and customisable digital instrument systems on the market. (Image: Tom White)

You can go to town on customisation, and the car we primarily tested had stitching and colour in the carbon patterns to match its 'Ascari Blue' exterior, but you can pick whatever shade or combination of colours your budget allows.

Audi’s software is pretty good these days, with an attractive theme and fast hardware to back it, and the brand’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ is still one of the most aesthetically pleasing and customisable digital instrument systems on the market, despite being one of the first.

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

Okay, I promised a car with the practicality of an equivalent SUV, but it’s not quite there. The trade-off is still worth it, I promise, but there are a few areas where the RS6 isn’t as practical as you think it’s going to be, particularly for front occupants.

Yes, it’s a big wide car, with large but supportive seats and plenty of headroom, but the issue for those travelling in the front two seats is the surprisingly limited amount of storage.

Yes, there are two bottle holders in the centre console with a folding tray lid to hide them away, but they aren’t huge. Bigger bottles would have to go in the door bins, but even then they’re a bit height-constrained.

  • The RS6 is a big wide car, with large but supportive seats and plenty of headroom. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 is a big wide car, with large but supportive seats and plenty of headroom. (Image: Tom White)
  • Where the RS6 shines is in the back seat. (Image: Tom White) Where the RS6 shines is in the back seat. (Image: Tom White)

There’s a decent glove box on the passenger side, but even the centre console box is very shallow, with more than half of it taken up by a wireless phone charger.

The touch panel for the climate unit looks impressive but still can’t match having physical dials. It has clicky haptic feedback to your individual presses, and all the functions are permanently accessible instead of hidden in sub-menus, so if you’re going to make climate a touch-based interface, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Where the RS6 shines is in the back seat. Despite those big bucket front seats, I had heaps of room behind my own seating position (at 182cm tall), with lots of headroom and sufficient width in the cabin to spread out.

If you’re going to make climate a touch-based interface, it doesn’t get much better than this. (Image: Tom White) If you’re going to make climate a touch-based interface, it doesn’t get much better than this. (Image: Tom White)

You sink into the rear seats, which are heavily contoured so riding in the back is a pretty good experience even on the track.

Rear passengers get four adjustable air vents in both the B pillars and in the centre, as well as their own touch panel for the rear climate zone.

USB power outlets are also available, and there are netted pockets on the front of both back seats, with a further two bottle holders in the drop-down armrest.

The RS6's boot is fairly large at 548 litres. (Image: Tom White) The RS6's boot is fairly large at 548 litres. (Image: Tom White)

The centre seat is probably only good for kids, because there’s a very tall raise in the centre required for the driveshaft, eating all the legroom.

The boot is fairly large at 548 litres which is in mid-size SUV territory, although I will admit some performance SUV rivals offer closer to 600L.

Space expands to 1658L with the second row folded flat.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

The RS6 is still packing eight cylinders in 2023, producing a massive 463kW/850Nm, somehow an increase (+22kW/50Nm) over the previous iteration.

Audi’s signature ‘Quattro’ all-wheel drive system is present alongside a limited-slip differential and four-wheel steering.

Air suspension and performance brakes and exhaust also feature, alongside an aggressive Continental SportContact 7 tyre package.

The 0-100km/h sprint time is now just 3.4 seconds, allowing you to show up even some electric cars, and the RS6 features 48-volt mild hybrid technology with a cylinder-on-demand system which can shut half the block down for more efficient coasting.

The transmission is an eight-speed torque converter unit which is smooth and effortless.

  • The RS6 V8 engine produces a massive 463kW/850Nm. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 V8 engine produces a massive 463kW/850Nm. (Image: Tom White)
  • Performance brakes feature alongside an aggressive Continental SportContact 7 tyre package. (Image: Tom White) Performance brakes feature alongside an aggressive Continental SportContact 7 tyre package. (Image: Tom White)
  • The RS6 features Audi’s signature ‘Quattro’ all-wheel drive system. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 features Audi’s signature ‘Quattro’ all-wheel drive system. (Image: Tom White)

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

Officially, the RS6 and its eight cylinders drink a combined 11.8L/100km, although even with its fancy hybrid system and cylinder deactivation, my time with the car saw 15.0L/100km. The RS6 has a 72-litre fuel tank and takes only the finest 98RON unleaded fuel.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

As you might have guessed from its impressive engine and performance equipment, the RS6 is a certified weapon on road and track.

On the road you can expect a quiet, refined cabin, superbly balanced steering for low and high speeds and a gentle ride quality courtesy of the pricey air set-up.

It’s as noisy or as quiet as you want it to be, with the cylinder deactivation toning things down at low speeds, and the engine roaring to life under heavy acceleration, or when the 'Dynamic' drive mode is selected.

It can at times be alarming how much the RS6 leaps to life, as it feels so cushy in a city, its width and cabin giving the feel of a luxury car rather than a performance one.

The RS6 is a certified weapon on road and track. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 is a certified weapon on road and track. (Image: Tom White)

Make no mistake, though, the RS6 is properly quick, and when you give it a kick, it’s the roaring, aggressive machine the spec sheet suggests.

The best place for this? The track, of course. The big V8 and the capability of the all-wheel drive system are truly best explored at velocities impossible to legally achieve on the road.

Once you get past the bark and snarl of this wagon’s eight-cylinders at full force, and the lightning-fast shifts of its eight-speed automatic, you’ll have a moment to appreciate the way it simply holds to the tarmac when you tilt it into the corners, providing a balance when loaded up which only air suspension can provide.

The steering is awesome, communicating the texture of the road nicely to the driver, and requiring just the right amount of force to keep the car pointing where it needs to go.

  • On the road you can expect a quiet, refined cabin. (Image: Tom White) On the road you can expect a quiet, refined cabin. (Image: Tom White)
  • The steering is awesome, communicating the texture of the road nicely to the driver. (Image: Tom White) The steering is awesome, communicating the texture of the road nicely to the driver. (Image: Tom White)

The grip level is astounding with the huge tyres and the four-wheel steer system lets this hefty wagon take corners at a tighter angle than your brain initially allows.

Thankfully, the four-wheel steer system isn’t weird, either. While it can have a strange effect on some cars, in the RS6 it only bends your mind slightly when you tip it into a hairpin. Otherwise it feels pretty normal.

When everything is warmed up, it can let its guard down slightly and allows the driver to eke out a slide at the rear here and there for extra fun-factor

Jeez. What a machine. I guess this is what a quarter of a million dollars buys. A car that can do it all. Take the kids to the school in comfort and tear it up on the track like few other passenger cars on the same day.

It can at times be alarming how much the RS6 leaps to life. (Image: Tom White) It can at times be alarming how much the RS6 leaps to life. (Image: Tom White)

There’s a caveat, though. A small one which looks like it will turn into a big one for cars like this in the near future.

I had the opportunity to drive the RS e-tron GT around the same circuit and it was better. Much better.

It was faster, more accurate, more composed. It was so effortless, I didn’t realise exactly how much quicker than the RS6 it was until I drove them back-to-back.

It’s a good sign for the future, but also a reminder a V8 like this isn’t the performance pinnacle it once was.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

Like its standard cabin equipment, the RS6 has had the entire catalogue thrown at it for active safety gear. Included is freeway-speed auto emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and intersection detection, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, an exit warning system, and adaptve cruise control with traffic jam assist.

Elsewhere the RS6 gets dual front, dual side, and head curtain airbags, with ISOFIX points on the outer two rear seats as well as three top-tethers across the rear row.

The RS6 is not safety rated by ANCAP, but the rest of the A6 range was awarded a maximum five stars in 2018. 

The RS6 has had the entire catalogue thrown at it for active safety gear. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 has had the entire catalogue thrown at it for active safety gear. (Image: Tom White)

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

Five years and unlimited kilometres is the warranty length, and Audi’s ownership program includes invites to events like the one we were able to experience for the launch of this car. A track-test of the RS6 and the RS e-tron GT.

If you own one, I recommend them, you’ll learn a thing or two about the car and possibly yourself while you’re at it.

Servicing is required once every 12 months or 15,000km, and a service pack covering the first five years or 75,000km can be purchased alongside the car at a cost of $4360.

It works out at $872 per year, which isn't economy car cheap, but with such a complex drivetrain, what did you expect?

The RS6 is covered by an industry standard five year and unlimited kilometre warranty. (Image: Tom White) The RS6 is covered by an industry standard five year and unlimited kilometre warranty. (Image: Tom White)


The Wrap

To me at least, the RS6 is pretty much the ultimate fast and practical car. One which is just as comfortable plodding around town as it is tearing it up on the track. Keep in mind, too, this may be one of your last chances to have a car which looks like this, equipped with a V8 engine. So, have I convinced you? Would you consider one of these over a performance SUV? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Likes

Pure performance
Almost SUV practicality
One of the most iconic Audi designs

Dislikes

It's a quarter of a million bucks
The RS e-tron GT costs the same and is faster
I wasn't allowed to keep it

Scores

Tom:

4

The Kids:

4

$241,500

Based on new car retail price


Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.