The recent launch of the all-new Audi A6 and Audi S6 sees South African customers now able to get their hands on the latest offering in the A6/S6 range, after having had to wait for nearly two years. Thankfully, the firm has not disappointed and despite the declining sales of mid-size sedans locally, promises to be every bit the car that fanatics have come to love and adore.
Related: Audi presents its admirable A6! Virtual launch - 2020
While we wait for the fire-breathing RS6 to make an appearance, we look to the S6 to provide the power and performance that we crave. Here are three things that you should know about the recently released Audi S6.
1. Engine
The Audi S models have always been that one step ahead of their A counterparts. A single letter that denotes that the vehicle you're looking at is something special, something that was crafted with one goal in mind: performance. Things are no different and while the RS6 may be the pinnacle of performance in this range, there's no shortage of it in the Audi S6.
The S6 is powered by a 2.9-litre, twin-turbo TFSI V6 that produces 331 kW and 600 Nm torque, taking the S6 from a standstill to 100 km/h in only 4.5-seconds, thanks to the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The S6 will top out at an electronically limited 250 km/h.
For the first time, the S6 is a hybrid. It utilizes a 48 V mild-hybrid system that helps improve power delivery and bring the fuel consumption down by up to 0.7 l/100 km.
2. Tech
The Audi S6 is fitted with the latest MMI infotainment system that presents the culmination of years of research and development. The dual-screen layout now features a customizable layout that allows you to set up to 27 shortcuts on the lower screen and rearrange the icons, as you would on a smartphone, on the upper screen. This helps do away with many of the buttons that one would ordinarily find on the centre console of a vehicle.
The large screens provide haptic feedback that can be tailored to the individual's preferences with the 10.1-inch screen providing navigation and infotainment functions with the 8.6-inch screen below it housing the climate and vehicle settings as well as text input. These two screens tie into the large, 12.3-inch display ahead of the driver, better known as Virtual Cockpit.
3. Handling
Despite its large size of 4954 mm, the S6 is able to stop and turn like a car half its size. This is in part thanks to the revised front steering and inclusion of rear-wheel steering. By turning the rear wheels by as much as 5-degrees, the S6 this reduces the turning circle by up to 1-metre. This comes into effect at speeds up to 60 km/h where the rear wheels counter steer the front. At speeds above 60 km/h, the rears will turn in the same direction to provide high-speed stability.
Unique to the Audi S6, and not found on the A6, is the adaptive air suspension that provides continuously variable damping and unrivalled comfort levels.
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