Audi RS6 review

A few years ago, Audi decided all its ‘big stuff’ should have essentially the same interior. So that means you’ll struggle to tell the dashboard of an A6 or A7 from a Q7 or Q8. Or indeed an A8.

That might annoy if you’ve bought the big limousine, but for the RS6, it’s a win. This is a deeply expensive-feeling interior. The Virtual Cockpit dials are still among the best screen-based instrument interfaces, the central touchscreen is one of the least annoying, most logical on the market today, and the materials feel very high-quality. 

Yes, the smaller low-set screen for the climate control and heated seats is well out of your eyeline and a pain to use as a result. And you could argue it’s a bit dour, even with the RS6’s red stitching and flashes of Alcantara. But overall, it’s so fine aboard an RS6 you might baulk at letting the family join you at all.

What changes are there for the RS6?

Actually, not enough? A couple of different rev counter styles, classier paddles, and the RS button on the steering wheel for shortcutting to the RS mode when you want to drive like an RS-hole. 

Our main bugbear inside is the seats. They’re unsupportive and totally unbefitting of a car that costs £110,000 and offers supercar-baiting urge. Where are the gorgeous bucket chairs from the RS4 Performance? Bolting in what looks like the lacklustre perches from a boggo A6 just feels mean, Audi. 

And that all-important boot?

As for space, you’ve got 565 litres to play with seats up, and 1,680 litres seats down. Audi has worked on the loading width, adding 14mm of space compared to the previous model.

How does space compare with its competitors? Well, it’s more than the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, but the E63 still dominates with a whopping 640 litres seats down, and a cavernous 1,820 when the chairs are folded flat. But you can now spec a tow bar, so if you’re a horrendous over-packer, you can always bring a trailer.