Audi’s RS fashions have lastly hit their stride lately. Not solely is the German carmaker constantly releasing new and thrilling automobiles just like the RS 3 Sedan, RS 6 Avant, and RS Q8, however it’s additionally updating long-lived fashions just like the RS 5 to make them aggressive as soon as extra. Nevertheless, whereas Audi’s flagships have improved considerably, so too have its midrange choices; you simply haven’t heard of them.
This newest S6 Sedan has rather a lot working in its favor. Its RS 5-sourced 444-horsepower twin-turbo V6 makes it sports activities automotive fast, whereas its adaptive air suspension permits it to retain glorious consolation. Inside, bucket seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and loads of sporty graphics make its cabin practically equivalent to the RS 6’s. And because of important styling updates launched for its fifth era, it’s trendy, too.
Why, then, would a seemingly well-rounded sports activities sedan nonetheless be so usually missed by fans?
One of many greatest hurdles the Audi S6 has to take care of is recognizability. If an RS 6 Avant flies by, it takes a fraction of a second to know you’re one thing particular. Its flared wheel arches, aggressive bumpers, and squatted stance are lifeless giveaways that it sits on the high of the RS meals chain. The S6, then again, might look sporty and stylish, however so does the usual A6 as of late.
Take the second and third-generation S6s as examples. They might have been completely linked to the bottom automotive, however gadgets comparable to their boxed fenders made it clear that they had been something however. In comparison with their pretty abnormal counterparts, they seemed as sporty as they drove, and fans beloved them.
Nevertheless, by the point the fourth-generation Audi S6 arrived, issues had modified as a result of the usual A6 had. The visible hole between the bottom automotive and its sporty sibling was not the chasm it as soon as was, with the pair trying eerily just like the untrained eye. The times of the A6 being an expensive however considerably conservatively styled sedan had been over, and the S6’s recognizability suffered.
A lot so {that a} fourth-gen Audi S6 is the present cross-country Cannonball run file holder, chosen for the gig due to how refined it appears regardless of housing a strong twin-turbocharged V8 beneath its hood. It will possibly cruise at triple-digit speeds with out attracting a lot consideration, which is nice for cannonballers however not a lot for its desirability.
The arrival of the present fifth-generation A6 complicates issues additional as a result of it’s by no means seemed higher. It’s styled elegantly, has killer proportions, and gives a large stance even in base kind because of a bigger footprint.
The S6, then again, positive aspects an prolonged diffuser with quad tailpipes, a trunk lid spoiler, a singular set of wheels, and darkened trim however not a definite aesthetic. Objects like its aggressive entrance and rear bumpers, upgraded LED headlights, and huge grille with horizontal slats are additionally out there for the A6 Premium Plus, making its nice appears removed from model-specific.
If for nothing else, the Audi S6 deserves its personal id and, thus, a spot in additional fans’ hearts due to how good of a luxurious sports activities sedan it’s. Though it’s not working on eight cylinders, its 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 is a killer powerplant in its personal proper. It produces 444 hp and 442 pound-feet of torque, sufficient to finish the run to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and high out at 155 mph. All of that are sports activities automotive figures from a sedan that weighs a minimum of 4,486 kilos.
The S6 will get a model-specific eight-speed automated transmission, a Quattro all-wheel drive system, and adaptive air suspension as customary. As outfitted on my tester, an elective $4,000 S Sport package deal provides all-wheel steering, a sports activities exhaust system, and an upgraded rear differential.
Whereas all of those parts sound undoubtedly sporty, Audi S6 is much from the agency canyon carver the RS 6 is, and it’s all the higher for it. Its straight-line acceleration could also be explosive because of the considerable low-end torque its V6 generates and quick-shifting transmission. Nevertheless, its suspension by no means actually corporations up, even in its most aggressive setting. Whereas this leads to loads of physique roll and even a good bit of understeer within the bends, it makes the S6 a greater luxurious sports activities sedan all over the place else.
Fairly than tackling a twisty highway, the S6 feels most at residence on the freeway, sat within the left lane, effortlessly cruising at triple-digit speeds. Regardless of providing straight-line efficiency comparable with a sports activities automotive’s, it glides over highway imperfections, providing a near-perfect mix of consolation and efficiency, precisely as a midpoint between the A6 and RS 6 ought to.
Its steering backs up this laid-back, nearly muscle automotive persona as a result of though it’s comparatively gentle and direct, it’s totally devoid of suggestions. It’s the same story with its brakes, which, though upgraded to deal with the S6’s added velocity, are simple to overwhelm as your tempo picks up. At on a regular basis speeds, nonetheless, they’re easy to modulate and make no undesirable noise.
Like its styling, the Audi S6 advantages from the numerous high quality and refinement enhancements launched for the A6. It’s as quiet as you’d ever count on a big luxurious sedan to be. Aided primarily by its adaptive air shocks and a set of sporty however plush entrance seats, its cabin is a superb place to spend a good period of time.
As a part of the $2,500 Design Version pack, my tester will get a black leather-based inside with contrasting purple stitching, a black roof, a heated flat-bottom steering wheel, and darkish chrome trim all through its cabin. Choices apart, different parts, comparable to its digital instrument cluster and twin dashboard-mounted central screens, carry over from the A6.
My 2023 Audi S6 tester begins at $74,795, together with a $1,095 vacation spot payment. Nevertheless, elective extras comparable to its $8,800 Status package deal, $4,000 S Sport package deal, and $2,500 Design Version package deal, its as-tested worth is $91,165. For context, that’s rather a lot lower than the $145,440 as-tested worth of final 12 months’s RS 6 Avant, regardless of providing comparable efficiency in most daily-driving situations.
The Audi S6 is a not-so-sporty sports activities sedan in the easiest way doable. Regardless of providing formidable straight-line efficiency, it doesn’t compromise on consolation or its luxurious roots. It’s the final word every day driver for these on the lookout for sports activities automotive feed with out the added firmness related to supercar hunters just like the RS 6 Avant.
The S6 is a automotive whose driving expertise delivers on its sports activities sedan intentions and yet one more product of Audi’s latest successful streak. Nevertheless, none of that issues if the fans who would purchase one wouldn’t think about it as a result of it’s virtually indistinguishable from a regular A6. The S6 is a superb automotive that’s a couple of visible upgrades away from being actually distinctive, and it definitely deserves them.
