2019 Audi S6 Avant 3.0L TDI V6 8AT AWD (349 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Audi introduced the fifth generation of the A6, known as the C8 generation, in 2018 and reserved the unveiling of the S6 version for the following year, in the summer of 2019.

The S-branded products were sought after by the brand’s fans since they provided more power, more performance, and sportier styling. All of them shared some particular details that made them stand apart from the rest of the lineups to which they belonged.

Audi made the S6 available in two bodywork shapes: the S6 sedan and the S6 Avant, which was the carmaker’s name for station wagons. Strangely enough, the automaker chose to provide these sporty versions with completely different engines for the European market and for the North American one. While the folks from the Old Continent got a turbo diesel, U.S. customers received a turbocharged gasoline-powered V6 unit.

From the outside, the S6 Avant looked very similar to the rest of the A6 range, although it sported a few unique details that made it stand apart. At the front, it featured a lower apron adorned by a splitter and a pair of wide side scoops that cooled the front brakes.

The single-frame grille was silver and adorned by an S6 quattro badge. As an option, customers could order the car with a carbon fiber package that replaced the chromed elements and the silver door mirror caps with black ones. From its profile, a keen eye for detail could notice the lower ground clearance compared to the regular A6 Avant.

At the back, the automaker placed a massive diffuser and a pair of dual exhausts that flanked it, although, in the diesel version, those were fake. Atop the tailgate, Audi installed a roof spoiler that allegedly made the car more planted to the road at higher speeds since it improved airflow.

Inside, the automaker placed a set of sport bucket seats covered in leather and sporting the S6 logos on their tall seatbacks with integrated headrests. Fronting the driver was a flat-bottom steering wheel adorned with the same logo and the Audi Virtual Cockpit display for the instrument cluster. In addition, a second wide touchscreen filled the middle of the center stack.

The center console that separated the front occupants housed the gear selector, two cup holders, and a few buttons, including the one for adjusting the sound system’s volume. In the back, it was the same bench seat as in the regular A6 Avant, although covered in leather and sporting a unique, diamond-shaped pattern.

Under the hood, Europeans got a mild-hybrid system powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel that was helped by an electric compressor to achieve a maximum output of 349 PS (344 hp) and an excellent torque of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft.) that was sent in all corners via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Customers outside Europe were granted a twin-turbo 2.9-liter gasoline V6 engine that developed 450 PS (444 hp) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft.) of torque. This version could rocket the massive station wagon from naught to 60 miles per hour (0-97 kph) in 4.4 seconds.