Say hello to…
…the Audi RS6 Performance, the final iteration of the latest generation of the premium brand’s A6-based ultra-rapid estate car. The Performance tag means that power jumps from 600hp to 630hp and shove, or torque, rises from 800Nm to 850Nm. The Performance version also gains a few other upgrades including upgraded interior and a revised exterior design package such as black badges and trim.
With the inevitable takeover by electric cars, the RS6 offers successful business owners one of the last chances to run what could be considered the ultimate estate car.
The RS6 Performance is available in three trim levels:
Equipment on the standard version includes 22-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, sports exhaust, leather upholstery, Apple CarPlay, Andriod Auto, satnav, infotainment touchscreen, climate control, cruise control, premium sound system, park assist, head-up display, 360deg camera and a host of safety systems.
Carbon Black trim level adds black styling trim and upgraded interior materials.
Carbon Vorsprung adds a panoramic sunroof, Tour pack and City Assist pack.
Is the Audi RS6 Performance suitable for my fleet
Yes it is in the top benefit-in-kind tax band (a cash allowance would get round that issue) and it’s pretty thirsty, but it’s also an all-wheel drive estate car which means it is more sensible than choosing a supercar with only two doors and two seats for similar money. Yet the performance is on a par with those cars; 0-60mph comes up in 3.4 seconds and the top speed is 174mph, although you can option an upgrade to 189mph.
And the RS6 is a very practical car with a 565 litre boot, plenty of room for the family and it’s very easy to drive on a day-to-day basis.
Leasing a Audi RS6 Performance
Running costs aren’t going to be small with a car that has a list price around the £120,000 mark. Gensen Reports predicts maintenance costs at £137 a month over three years 60,000 miles. Insurance is likely to be £40 a month. But it’s the Class 1A NIC that’s got a sting in the tail at £402 a month.
Driving a Audi RS6 Performance
At this price point, any car needs to be special. And the RS6 Performance is just that.
The exterior styling is spot-on for a car of this power and speed. They’re aggressive and purposeful, but they aren’t too in-your-face.
Step inside and the quality of the materials used in the cabin and their construction is exemplary. Being based on the A6 which has now been in production since 2018 means there are still the right number of buttons and while there is the usual Audi double-screen set-up in the centre of the dashboard, the most used controls are almost all still on physical buttons.
But it’s how the car drives, sounds and performs that really sells the car. It will do everything from relaxed and refined town or motorway driving up to (very) fast and fun A & B-road work with an amazing breadth of ability. In fact, given you expect the RS6 Performance to be excellent at the quicker stuff (which it is), it’s probably more impressive when it’s in everyday use. This is thanks to a ride comfort absorbs the all the imperfections yet still allows enough feel to enable the driver to know what’s going on. In turn this makes the car easy to position on the road – useful in a car that’s 5m long and nearly 2m wide.
As you’d expect from a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, there’s always enough power and, depending on the drive mode, this ranges in delivery from smooth and plentiful up to mind-scrambling and giggle-inducing.
If there’s any complaint about the way the car drives, it’s around the brakes. They’re great once they’ve got heat in them, but the initial bite and reassurance you’d want every time isn’t there if you’ve been driving at a constant speed (particularly in wet conditions) and then use the stop pedal. It is something you get used to and only happens rarely, but other performance cars handle this better.
The only other small negative is that while the standard front seats are exceedingly comfortable on a long journey they don’t quite offer the side-support you’d want when having a more fun drive with a greater emphasis on cornering.
While £120,000 is a lot of money for a new car, it could be argued that the RS6 Performance is actually very good value. The breadth of capability is stunning and against large high performance electric cars the up-front cost looks decidedly reasonable.
Verdict on the Audi RS6 Performance
If your job allows you a car of this magnitude, grab the opportunity with both hands while such a car is still offered new.
Audi RS6
- Model: RS6 Performance
- Power: 630hp
- Torque: 850Nm
- Max speed: 174mph
- 0-62mph: 3.4s
- Official mpg: 22.4mpg
- Test mpg: 21.6mpg
- CO2 emissions: 286g/km
- BIK tax band 2021/22: 37%
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