Technically speaking, the 2014 Audi RS 6 Avant is a station wagon.  For a lot of folk, this sounds somewhat dull, suburban and ordinary.  However, the Audi RS 6 Avant is anything but dull, suburban and ordinary.  Words like “sleek”, “stylish” and “cutting-edge” are more the ones that spring to mind when you first get a glimpse of the Audi RS 6 Avant. This is what you would have to call a sports station wagon – no doubt about that!

The Audi RS 6 Avant is more than just a pretty face – and it certainly does have a pretty face (and body and…), what with the glittering LED headlights and daytime running lights, the host of sporty details, the massive 21-inch wheels, the deep air inlets, the oval tailpipe, the very discreet matte aluminium roof rails and the roof spoiler.  But handsome is as handsome does, as the old saying goes, so it’s pleasing to know that the Audi RS 6 Avant does, indeed, do handsomely.

One of the areas that the 2014 Audi RS 6 Avant does particularly handsomely is in the engine department. We wouldn’t expect anything less from Audi, after all.  The Audi RS 6 Avant has one of the larger and more powerful engines offered in the current line-up from this German manufacturer: a big 4.0 litre V8 with 412 kW of power in the 5700–6600 rpm range and an eye-popping 700 Nm of torque from 1750 rpm to 5500 rpm.  Coupled up with the 8-speed tiptronic transmission transferring the oomph of this engine to all four wheels (the Audi RS 6 Avant has the famous Quattro four-paw drivetrain), this means that the 0–100 km/h is rather spectacular: 3.9 seconds.  We did warn you that this was a sports car…  However, in line with recent trends from Audi and from many European manufacturers, the fuel consumption in the 2014 Audi RS 6 Avant is surprisingly low, considering the size and power of the engine: a combined figure of 9.8 L/100 km.  A lot of thought has gone into how to reduce fuel consumption without sacrificing any of the raw power, and some of the design features that have been added to achieve this include the lighter aluminium bodyshell, the use of LED lighting and the super-efficient TFSI on-demand technology in the engine.  For those of you wondering just how fast the Audi RS 6 Avant can go, it has been limited to 250 km/h for the Australian market. Otherwise, it could just about get airborne.

Needless to say, the brakes and the active safety features on the Audi RS 6 Avant also have to be pretty impressive to control all that power and torque on tap.  The brakes, which you can just catch a glimpse of through the five double-spokes of those great big wheels, are wave brake discs that combine a lower kerb weight with high precision for extra fuel efficiency and better handling (ceramic brakes are available as an optional extra).  These brakes are rigged out with ABS, brake assist and EBD, which are part of the stability package; other parts of the stability control include anti-slip regulation and electronic differential lock.  The brakes are also part of the fuel-saving energy recuperation system. The Audi RS 6 Avant also has some massive airbags all round the place just in case things do go completely to custard; hopefully, you will never get to see just how big they are.

Other driver aids inside the Audi RS 6 Avant are designed for use when things are a bit slower, such as the parking assistance with a 360° camera, the fuel-saving stop-start engine system and the automatically opening tailgate with “gesture control” (this latter feature makes you feel a bit like Gandalf or Harry Potter – simply wave your hands and the tailgate opens).  Others are for use at any speed, such as the cruise control, the drive style selector and the head-up display.

The level of comfort inside the 2014 Audi RS 6 Avant is something else that is done very handsomely indeed, starting with the the front sports seats upholstered in Valcona leather and fitted with electrically adjustable lumbar support and memory function – the front seats are heated, too. The rear seats are nicely roomy (this is certainly a car that the kids will be proud to be dropped at the school gates in) and have proper seat belts for all three passengers.  You can, as a no-cost option, get sports seats in the rear, but this will reduce seating capacity to four.  Other features to be appreciated in the interior of the Audi RS 6 Avant include the 14-speaker 12-channel BOSE sound system with surround sound (don’t be surprised if you find that this the best place to listen to music). You don’t just have digital radio reception; you also get digital TV reception (but not when you’re driving – please!)  The Audi RS 6 Avant comes fitted with Bluetooth preparation and a good hard-drive navigation system, which is displayed on the retractable 8-inch touch-sensitive colour screen. The four-zone automatic climate control will help stop any “I’m too cold – I’m too hot” squabbles.

In summary, the 2014 Audi RS 6 Avant is a very hot station wagon indeed!

Current model series include:

• Audi RS 6 Avant

For any more information on the Audi RS 6 Avant, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Audi dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!