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Audi RS6 Avant car review: furiously fast load lugger

Big efficiency improvements and a 100kg weight saving add up to a quicker and far more economical package.
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28 May 2013

Audi RS6 Avant
Faster, and more economical than its predecessor – helped by a 100kg saving in weight

What is it?

The Audi RS6 Avant is the latest in a long line of RS-badged performance Audis, and it’s the most technically advanced yet.

Efficiency improvements mean that this RS6 is faster but also more economical than its predecessor – and of course, no performance Audi would be complete without an all-wheel drive quattro drivetrain to tame all that power.

Audi RS6 Avant
Cylinder shut down adds to efficiency – you’re hardly going to miss a few

Without chipping away too much at the exclusivity of the RS line, Audi has gradually been raising its profile.

Previously, only one or two RS models were offered at a time, and usually only towards the end of the life-cycle of the mainstream Audis on which they were based.

Now, though, Audi has extended the RS treatment to more of its cars than ever before, and the RS versions are appearing much earlier in the model cycle as well. The current A6, the basis of the latest RS6, has plenty of years of life left in it.

Perhaps unusually, the RS6 is only available with an Avant estate body shell, but that fits right in with the tradition of the RS line – the original 1994 RS2, a sporty version of the Audi 80, was an Avant-only affair too.

 

Audi A6 Avant
0-62mph time drops from 4.6 to 3.9 seconds – we’re into supercar territory.

What’s hot

  • Very strong performance from a thrilling, free-revving bi-turbo V8 petrol engine, with acceleration from rest to 62mph improved from 4.6 seconds on the previous RS6 to 3.9 seconds
    Audi RS6 Avant
    Has this much luggage ever travelled quite so fast?
  • Greatly improved efficiency compared with the previous RS6, thanks in part to a 100kg weight saving resulting from the adoption of more aluminium components, and also Audi’s Cylinder Management System, which shuts down some of the engine’s cylinders when they aren’t needed; CO2 emissions fall from 333g/km to 229g/km, while combined fuel consumption improves from 20.2mpg to 28.8mpg
  • High levels of practicality for a car with such strong performance thanks to the Avant estate body shell
  • Advanced quattro all-wheel drive system incorporating an eight-speed self-shifting transmission
  • Adaptive air suspension system and ‘Audi Drive Select’ provide drivers with plenty of opportunities to tailor the set-up of the RS6 to their individual requirements (Sport, Comfort, Individual, etc).
  • The pedigree of the RS line and this car’s quattro badging allow it to out-rank just about anything it’s likely to encounter in most company car parks
    Audi A6 Avant
    Audi is quietly growing the RS profile but it retains that exclusive air inside and out

 

Audi RS6 Avant
No saloon version – but there’s always the RS7

What’s not

  • The Avant estate body may be practical but some buyers would probably still prefer to be able to opt for a saloon – although Audi points out that other models such as the RS7 still provide performance-orientated buyers with plenty of choice.
    Audi RS6 Avant
    Purists might yearn for a manual, but they’ll get over it once they’ve tried the 8-speed self shifter
  • Despite the enormous strides made in improving efficiency, the RS6 still isn’t an especially tax-friendly choice for the company car buyer or a business owner wanting to run one as their car of choice – although that has to be set against its very strong performance
  • Some buyers will regret that no manual gearbox is offered as it was on the last-generation RS4 – although most doubts will be banished when they sample the RS6 for themselves

 

Business Car Manager road test verdict

The technology-packed Audi RS6 is an immensely impressive achievement, although its price will put it beyond the reach of most company car buyers – unless you’re at high director level at an SME. And despite those huge efficiency gains, it still doesn’t have a particularly light tax foot-print either.

Audi RS6 Avant
An impressive technology packed achievement. Just don’t think of the costs

But we suspect most business owners will elect to fund this privately and then run it on the business to avoid the tax downside.

Perhaps the best argument against the RS6 is provided by the power and efficiency of Audi’s own rapid A6 bi-turbo diesel models, which probably aren’t much slower across the ground on crowded British roads but are a lot lighter on the wallet.

But none of that should detract from the quality of the work Audi has put in to produce a model that combines true super-car performance with estate practicality for those who can afford it.

For successful business owners, the RS6 looks a powerful business car proposition.

Audi RS6 Avant
Coveted quattro badge comes with a hefty price tag, however you choose to fund it

 

The Low Down…

Doors and body style  5-door estate
Engine/gearbox  4 litre petrol V8 bi-turbo/8-speed auto
CO2 Emissions  229g/km
Economy  28.8mpg
Power/torque 560HP/700Nm
0-62mph/top speed  3.9 seconds/155mph (limited)
Insurance group  N/A

…and what it costs

P11D Value  £76,090
Monthly business rental (ex VAT)  From £1255 (3yrs/30,000 miles)
Road tax (VED)  Band L (£840 1st year)
Company Car Tax Bands 2013/14 to 2015/16  35%, 35%, 37%
Benefit in kind 2013/14 to 2015/16  £26,632, £26,632, £28,153
Annual/Monthly fuel benefit (20%)  £1477/£123
Annual/Monthly fuel benefit (40%)  £2954/£246
Annual/monthly company car tax (20%) £5326/£444
Annual/monthly company car tax (40%)  £10,653/£888
Figures correct at time of posting 
For latest figures Use our company car tax calculator

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Matt Morton

Matt Morton

Matt Morton is an automotive content writer for Business Car Manager

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