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The Audi RS6 Avant is a practical family estate car with supercar-rivalling performance.

The Audi RS6 Avant is a large, luxurious estate car that weighs almost two tonnes, yet it accelerates from 0 -60mph a second faster than a Porsche Cayman S.
The all-new RS6 Avant also gets two turbos but, in line with the continuing trend for downsizing, it gets a 4.0-litre V8. Peak power is down from its predecessor’s 571bhp to 552bhp but peak torque rises from 479lb ft to 516lb ft.

As with previous RS6 models, the latest version has permanent four-wheel drive as standard. A new (mechanical) centre differential gives a 40/60 front/rear torque split in “normal” driving, but it can send up to 70 per cent to the front wheels or 85 per cent to the rear wheels if necessary.

There’s also a differential that distributes torque between the rear wheels, and a torque vectoring system that can apply light braking pressure to any of the four wheels to maximise traction through corners. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard.
Wth a price and performance to match proper sports cars, it’s fitting that there’s litttle chance of mistaking the RS for cheaper A6 models, thanks to its wider wheelarches, bespoke bumpers, 20in alloy wheels and extra metallic trim.

Whichever setting you choose, the RS6 handles well and the suspension and electronics do a decent job of disguising its weight and size. Body movement is tightly controlled through corners, and the four-wheel drive system helps to provide formidable grip.

Push hard and the RS6 feels like it’s doing its best to defy the laws of physics – you can’t help but be aware of all that technology beavering away beneath you, forever fighting the immense momentum this car can create.

A new cylinder deactivation system shuts down four cylinders under light engine loads to save fuel.
This system, combined with changes such as a smaller engine and an overall weight reduction of about 90kg, means that the latest RS6’s fuel economy has improved by about 40 per cent over the previous models.

View all Inventory models available at Dupont Auto Centre today.