Just for the fun of it, I did a little poll with a group of
friends to ask them what attributes come to mind when they think of Audi.
Answers included: sporty, sophisticated, sleek, fast, quattro, engaging,
progressive, classy, understated, refinement, trendy.
Indeed, these are the same words that I would use to
describe Audi cars. While some say that Audi’s designs are similar throughout
their entire range and borders on repetitive, I say why change something that
works?
The latest Audi that I test drove was the S6, but it isn’t
the first time I’m driving it. Lucky me got to try it on the Sepang International
Circuit last December as part of the Audi Driving Experience, along with the S7
Sportback and S8. It was a positively overwhelming experience getting to try so
many S models from Audi at a time and I’m not complaining!
The Audi S6 is a
relatively good looking car and the slight changes to the exterior all combine
to give it a sportier look without being too brash
Driving on the track allows one the opportunity to explore
the potential and limits of the car, but that event was under professional
guidance of course so it wasn’t like we could go wild with the triple S models.
While that was a day to remember, the need for a test drive in daily conditions
was necessary for practical reasons. I mean, how many actually take their cars
out to track?
Made up of the same stuff as the S7 Sport back –
twin-turbocharged four-litre 420bhp V8 – the S6 four-door sedan is more compact
than the S7’s body style of a hatch, hence it is lighter. Both the S6 and S7
Sport back have the same engine and same seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic
transmission. Pushing out 420bhp at 6,400rpm, both have awesome peak torque of
550Nm that kicks in from as low as 1,400rpm all the way to 5,200rpm through the
all-wheel drive.
Once you’re
inside, the Audi S6 starts to shine as it has one of the nicest, user-friendly
cabins in its class
Having rather big shoes to fill, the S6’s predecessor was a
naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 with 435bhp of power. That was one car that
could make your hairs stand on end from the thrill. This new twin-turbocharged
V8 version of the S6 is just as exhilarating but with a little less
intimidating exhaust note.
Twin-turbo V8s are the new fashion in this segment of luxury
performance sedans – we have the S6 (and the S7 Sport back), the M5, the
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and even the Bentley Continental GT. Of course, the S6 is
not positioned directly against the M5 and the E63 AMG – that is where the RS6
will come in.
Still, the S6 is a pretty mighty car that is not too much
for females. Its electromechanical power steering and torque-vectoring rear
differential helps to make the drive smooth. I enjoyed getting power on demand
without needing too much effort from the right foot and also, most importantly,
having enough stopping power.
The 4.0-litre V8
power plant allows the Audi S6 to finish the century sprint in a respectable
4.8 seconds
As usual, you get to adjust things like the suspension with
the Audi Drive Select’s modes of Comfort, Dynamic, Automatic or just customized
it yourself under Individual. That way, you can make the suspension firmer but
not have the throttle too sensitive or the steering too stiff.
How do you differentiate the S6 from its ordinary A6? There
is a platinum-coloured grille on the S6, horizontal elements in the front air
intakes, aluminium mirror cars, a rear lip spoiler and four exhaust outlets.
One easy way would be to see the brake calipers which have the S6 logo printed
on them.
The interior of the S6 is nothing less than expected and in
fact, the high build quality and design of the cabin are some of the salient
points for Audi when I did the simple poll. That’s how significant an
impression the inside of an Audi gives.
You can select a
suitable driving mode for an enjoyable drive
You know, it was four months since the first time I drove
the S6, but when I stepped on the accelerator of the S6 again for his test
drive, I felt the same surge of excitement and a huge smile spread across my
face. It brought back the memories from the drive at Sepang, but of course,
those thriller speeds stay there. Back on the streets of urban Singapore, the
S6 is the kind of car you will want to be in when you are stuck in a traffic
jam – comfortable and easy to drive!
