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The Audi RS6 Avant’s entry into the United States market has defied odds. When enthusiasts get forbidden fruit after years of begging, the product usually flops because the beggars don’t actually put their money where their mouths are. This long-awaited wagon is different, arriving in 2020 to serious demand that Audi says is blossoming. While the company won’t release exact figures, it confirmed to Road & Track the RS6 has been outselling the RS7 fastback in the U.S. since its launch—an improbable feat considering the body style’s otherwise nonexistent demand in the States.
Audi is doubling down on the superwagon’s success with a new trim level called the RS6 Avant Performance. There are bigger turbos with more boost, adding 30 hp and 37 lb-ft of torque to the 4.0-liter V-8, for grand totals of 621 horses and 627 lb-ft. Newly developed Continental Contact Sport 7 tires are mounted on optional 22-inch wheels. The eight-speed automatic transmission has been retuned for quicker shifts, and there’s a new center self-locking differential that’s lighter and more compact than the standard version. The claimed 0-60 sprint has dropped to 3.3 seconds (from 3.5), while braking performance has improved. Audi says it also made improvements to target more “emotionality,” furthering the spread between the drive modes, changing the launch control graphics, and removing 17 pounds worth of insulation and sound-deadening material.
From the outside there are only a few small changes marking the RS6 Avant as a Performance trim. The easiest thing to look for are those optional forged 22s, which are 11 pounds lighter on each corner versus the old wheels. They fill out the arches nicely, complementing the car’s sleek, purposeful design. The Performance also gets a matte gray splitter, diffuser, mirror caps, bumper accents, side sill inserts, roof rails, and window trim. The car’s lines pop best in the matte Dew Silver you see here, a color Audi says is only available through its Exclusive program.
I feared the updates in the Performance model might undermine the RS6’s greatness, sacrificing usability by dipping too far into the realm of performance. The best part about the normal RS6 Avant is its ability to be a car. It’s the world’s most capable daily driver, able to pull off commutes, cargo-filled drives to the airport, and long road trips at supercar speeds better than anything else on sale right now. Thankfully the changes have upped dynamics without ruining what made the base car so good in the first place.
I won’t sit here and tell you this car is as satisfying as a CT5-V Blackwing or M5 CS. With two and a half tons to move around and a heavy engine sitting in front of the front axle, it’s not going to happen. But the Performance is a noticeable step up from last year’s model, with more straight-line acceleration and a pointier front end. In typical Audi fashion, the drivetrain feels like an anchor on the nose, but here it’s far more dialed to quick direction changes, meaning a more fulfilling drive when you’re not flying by traffic at triple-digit speeds.
Hustling the RS6 around tight corners is easy, despite the weight. Those grippy 285 section-width Continental summer tires, paired with Audi’s always-fantastic Sport-tuned Quattro all-wheel-drive system, means nearly infinite grip and endless poise. It’s impossible to get this car out of shape on the road, with enough performance to keep up with most modern supercars on your favorite twisties. The steering isn’t pulsing with feedback but it’s quick and light, so all you have to do is point and shoot, and the RS6 will go effortlessly.
A lot of that has to do with the newest version of Audi’s Dynamic Ride Control suspension setup. It’s a standalone option that replaces the standard air ride, using three-way adjustable dampers that are connected diagonally with hydraulic lines that go from the front to the back of the car, controlled by a central valve and paired to traditional steel springs. It’s able to react to lateral changes in real time, pressurizing each damper to best respond to the situation, eliminating most of the pitch and roll you’d expect from a car this heavy. Best of all, it doesn’t feel any less comfortable than the air suspension.
Audi remains at the top of its interior game with the RS6 Avant, giving the Performance model a few special touches to separate it from the standard car. There’s an available RS Design package splashing the cabin with the buyer's choice of gray, red, or blue accents. Going for the blue not only pays homage to the original RS2 Avant, but also comes with blue seatbelts and blue-accented carbon fiber dashboard trim. Everything else on the inside is the same as before, meaning lots of leather, Alcantara, and screens. There are no physical buttons for climate control, which is a bummer, and the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster can be over-cluttered at times. But overall, it’s a lovely place to spend time.
The 2024 RS6 Avant Performance manages to deliver a small but tangible improvement in dynamics over the normal RS6 without giving up any ground to the car’s main selling point: its usefulness as a daily driver. That’s a great thing, because no matter how much power that V-8 makes or how much lateral g’s those tires can generate, this car is still a wagon, which means it can’t be too tough to live with. With a starting price of $126,895, the RS6 Performance remains a fantastic choice for those who need one machine to do it all, and do it well.
Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' Lead Deputy Editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine, and still contributes regularly with car reviews, industry interviews, and more.
He also has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
