In practice, this means that roll is limited to a
greater extent than before and, even at exceptionally high speeds, the RS 6
Avant will remain quite flat on corners. It also means that, by choosing either
the Comfort, Automatic or Dynamic setting from the Drive Select system, the
driver can tailor the suspension of the car to bias it towards more comfort for
passengers or a much tauter feel when driving fast. In fact, we found that the
Comfort setting felt under-damped and the steering felt too loose,
and so we relied on the Auto setting most of the time. An alternative is to use
the individual setting to select your preferred levels for the suspension and
steering.
The Audi drive select
system on the Audi RS 6 Avant
changes the handling and response at the touch of a button
to suit how you want to drive
The RS 6 brakes are extremely powerful and, to begin
with, one has to get used to them in order to avoid bringing them on too
sharply. When you take into account the overall weight of the car, and the
speeds of which it is capable, it is easy to understand why they have to be so
powerful. The discs themselves are cross-drilled and have the wave
circumference, the front calipers having six pistons. Hill hold assist, which
will hold the car on a gradient when you release the electronic handbrake, is a
standard feature. For those who require even greater braking performance,
ceramic discs are available, an option which adds $14,384 to the price.
The standard wheels of the RS6 Avant measure 9 x
20-inches and carry 275/35 tyres, so that the
footprint is very large. The test car had one of the options: 9.5 x 20-inch
‘5-twin-spoke’wheels, with a titanium finish and shod with 285/30 tyres. This option costs $3,325. Pirellis P-Zero tyres were fitted to the test car, and no spare wheel and tyre is provided.
One never needs to worry about traction because the quattro four-wheel-drive system, with its crown wheel centre differential and 40:60 front to rear drive bias,
offers outstanding grip, however slippery the road surface. The RS 6 has an
additional feature: the sport rear differential, which can alter the torque
being delivered to each of the rear wheels. This means that, when you are
cornering, more torque is delivered to the rear wheel with the greatest grip
and, in practice, you can sense that it is like a
helping hand, pushing the car more effectively through the bend.
Quattro is Audi’s
renowned four-wheel-drive technology
From the outside, enthusiasts will quickly recognize
the RS 6 Avant by the swollen wheel arches, necessary because of the size of
the wheels and tyres. The front grille has honeycomb
mesh and the rear spoiler is extended above the rear screen. The exterior
mirrors, finished with a matt aluminium appearance,
have automatic dimming and folding and the nearside one automatically turns down to focus on the kerb
when you select reverse, a very useful feature if you want to preserve those
expensive wheels.
As you would expect, xenon discharge headlamps are a
standard fitting and they incorporate adaptive control, improving the way in
which the road is illuminated on corners. High-beam assist is also a standard
feature, dipping the lamps automatically when they might dazzle other road
users.
Xenon discharge
headlamps are a standard fitting
The RS 6 has the top-end MMI Navigation Plus, together
with MMI touch which allows you to ‘write’ addresses, MMI Radio Plus with DAB
reception, and a Bose system of speakers and amplifiers.
The RS 6 Avant is available in six standard colours and a further three crystal effect shades, costing
an additional $415, including the Estoril blue of the
test car. There is one further paint option, matt- finish Daytona gray, an
option costing a rather hefty $9,437.
