Audi RS6 2020 revealed: specs, prices and UK release

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An all-new version of the Audi RS6 Avant performance estate has appeared a few weeks before it makes its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The A6-based super estate has traditionally been one of the most powerful models in Audi’s range, second only to the V10-engined R8 supercar. The latest RS6 will be no different, blending high-octane thrills with all the practicality of a family estate.

The reveal comes just a week after a teaser image of the vehicle was leaked online, having been posted on a private Facebook page for the Audi Sport Drivers’ Club, a customer loyalty programme.

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Fans will get to see the car in the metal for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which runs from 12 to 22 September. For now, here’s what we know about the new RS6 Avant:

Price

Buyers will have to wait a little longer to find out the RS6 Avant’s official price tag.

The outgoing model, which is no longer on sale, cost from £79,545, according to Evo. The new car, therefore, is expected to enter the market at around the £80,000 mark.

Release

Audi will be showcasing the new RS6 Avant on its stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, before sales open in early 2020.

Design and interior

It may be based on the regular A6, but the new RS6 Avant is a very different beast. Audi Sport has made so many revisions, in fact, that only the roof, front doors and tailgate have been ported over from the standard model, according to Auto Express.

At the front sits a pair of ultra-thin headlights plucked from the A7 four-door coupe, as well as a “wider and flatter” grille, the magazine says. There’s also a new, more aggressive bumper with “massive air intakes” and a sculpted bonnet.

Towards the back, the RS6 Avant gets “RS-specific side sills” and a roof spoiler, says Autocar, along with a “bespoke rear end” that sports a “bold diffuser” and a pair of Audi Sport’s signature oval exhausts.

The cabin also gets a sporty makeover, too, including a performance steering wheel with aluminium gear shifters and a choice of leather or Alcantara-covered seats, the magazine adds.

Engine and performance

Powering the new RS6 Avant is a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 592bhp and 590lb-ft of torque. The overall power figure is “just shy” of the 597bhp output of the outgoing RS6 Performance, says Evo, as Audi engineers have tweaked the engine so that it’s compliant with the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) emissions rules.

Still, all that power, coupled to a four-wheel drive system and eight-speed gearbox, means the RS6 Avant can charge to 62mph from a standstill in 3.6 seconds before reaching a top speed that’s limited to 155mph, the motoring mag says. The top speed rises to 174mph and 190mph on models equipped with the optional Dynamic and Dynamic Plus packages respectively.