Audi of America announced today, the all-new high-performance wagon, the RS 6 Avant, is coming to the U.S. market. Representing the next chapter in the highly successful history of Audi Sport, the RS 6 Avant offers visceral design, exhilarating driving dynamics and everyday functionality for the driving enthusiast.
“Throughout our 25-year RS history, the Audi RS 6 Avant is one of our absolute icons with a large global fan base,” says Oliver Hoffmann, managing director of Audi Sport GmbH. “We will also be offering the RS 6 Avant in North America for the very first time. As such, we will be tapping into a new market with huge potential and generating further growth.”
Performance
The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine in the new Audi RS 6 Avant delivers 600 hp and 590 lb-ft) of torque. The RS 6 Avant sprints from 0-62.1 mph in 3.6 seconds and achieves a top track speed of 155.3 mph. U.S. power and performance specifications will become available closer to market introduction.
The standard eight-speed Tiptronic® transmission with optimized shift times and new launch control function transmits the power of the 4.0-liter engine to the quattro® permanent all-wheel drive. Wheel-selective torque control can help enhance handling by ensuring additional traction across each axle through individual-wheel braking application. The quattro® sport differential offers a dynamic driving experience and helps enhance cornering agility by actively splitting torque between each of the rear wheels, with the ability to direct nearly all torque to one wheel.
Suspension
The RS adaptive air suspension with controlled damping was tuned specifically for the RS 6 Avant. It can be set to several modes, including an automatic level control. The wide spread of the RS adaptive air suspension offers drivers a choice between long-distance comfort and high performance.
A RS sport suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, is also available. These single-tube dampers have a variable characteristic that the driver can adjust in three stages. Hydraulic lines and a central valve link the diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers. When cornering at speed, the valves regulate the oil flow in the shock absorber of the spring-deflected front wheel at the outside of the curve, which helps reduces pitch and roll movement, and improves handling.
Drivers can customize their driving experience through the standard Audi drive select system, which offers six drive modes: comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency and the individually configurable RS-specific RS1 and RS2 modes, which can be activated directly using the “RS MODE” steering wheel button. The Audi drive select setting influences the engine and transmission management, the power steering, the suspension, the dynamic all-wheel steering, the quattro® sport differential and the engine sound. The RS2 mode exists specifically to influence the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) directly at the push of a button.
The RS 6 Avant with progressive steering develops significantly higher return forces as steering angle increases, to provide precise steering feedback. Its newly developed power assist directly connects the driver and road. Dynamic all-wheel steering can provide increased handling and stability.
Exterior
The exterior design of the all-new RS 6 Avant is made solely of RS-specific parts. The body, which has been widened around 1.6 inches on each side with broad flared wheel arches, underscores the athleticism of the high-performance Avant. The RS 6 Avant features the new RS design language. The three-dimensional RS-specific honeycomb structure within the Singleframe grille is finished in gloss black. Below the LED headlights, side air inlets open on the striking new RS bumper and extend into the lower edge of the headlights.
The characteristic Avant silhouette dominates the side profile, elongated front section, long, straight roofline and flat D pillars. Dramatically flared fenders provide cues to the standard quattro® all-wheel drive. The rear of the vehicle consists of the roof edge spoiler and a RS-specific bumper with rear diffuser and design elements in gloss black. In hallmark RS style, the RS exhaust system flows on both sides into oval chrome-colored tailpipes.
Interior
The refined interior of the RS 6 Avant includes impressive RS accents and driver-focused technologies. The brand’s new MMI touch response® system, with its black-panel design, fuses together the interior architecture and user interface in a modern and sophisticated manner. In the Audi virtual cockpit, special RS displays provide information on tire pressure, torque, power output, engine oil temperature, boost pressure, lap times, acceleration measurements and g forces.
The highly anticipated Audi RS 6 Avant will arrive in the U.S. in 2020 and will be available for customer orders, subject to a later announcement.
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