Audi is inching closer and closer to its Avant station wagon revival in the U.S. The 2021 Audi RS6 Avant is leading the charge (it’ll be joined soon by the new A6 Allroad) and goes on sale this fall with with for the low, low price of—okay, it still is priced well into six figures. But that’s a deal!
How? At $109,995, the 591-hp RS6 Avant luxury performance wagon (yep, a thing) is $5,000 less than the seductive, identically powerful, slightly less usefully shaped RS7 Sportback. It also is significantly cheaper than its key competitor: the 2020 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Wagon, which starts at $112,745. Curious how these two über-wagons compare? So were we, so we stacked them up against one another because choosing between two six-figure, roughly 600-hp station wagons is serious work.
Like the RS7 hatchback, the RS6 Avant features a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, plus an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive. Buyers can choose between an adaptive air suspension and a sport suspension, as well as 21-inch or 22-inch wheels.
Standard interior features on the 2021 Audi RS 6 Avant include a 12.3-inch digital driver display, RS leather sport seats, and dual central touchscreens—one for infotainment and another for climate and comfort controls. As a bonus, Audi is offering an extremely limited edition package to celebrate 25 years since the first RS model was introduced. With just 25 copies being built, the 25th Anniversary Nogaro package features special 22-inch wheels, black trim accents, sport exhaust, and unique badging.
We hope to see more Avant wagons in the U.S. at a later date, but for now, we’re happy a true sport wagon such as the RS6 is coming our way. Beyond niche performance wagons, Audi Sport is continuing its aggressive global product rollout, with new models like the RS Q8 on the way, too.
