Our test car also featured the eye-wateringly expensive £4,250 Carbon styling pack that adds a revised front grille emblazoned with a garish quattro logo. Other head-turning additions include our car’s £1,900 21-inch alloys, which replace the standard 20-inch rims.
The racy theme continues inside, with heavily bolstered, high-backed front seats, a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel and a smattering of RS6 logos. Elsewhere, the cabin is standard A6, which means slick design and first-rate fit and finish. There are plenty of soft-touch materials, the dashboard is attractively styled and intuitively laid-out, and the low-slung driving position feels sportier than the high-set Mercedes’.
You also get plenty of standard kit, including sat-nav, leather trim, a powerful Bose stereo and four-zone climate control. There’s no shortage of space, with rear occupants getting plenty of room to lounge around – although the transmission tunnel gets in the way for passengers sitting in the middle seat. A deep glovebox, large door bins and an array of useful cubbies boost the Audi’s family-friendly feel.
In isolation the RS6’s 565-litre boot looks roomy, but it trails the Mercedes’ spacious luggage area by a significant 130 litres. Folding the Audi’s rear bench flat liberates a healthy 1,680 litres – although this is still 265 litres shy of the E63’s. However, there is the option of a useful £160 load-securing system, plus a standard-fit powered tailgate and a handy netted storage bin. Yet while the Audi is knocked for six when it comes to practicality, it strikes back at the track. Not only does the RS6 boast more power than the E63, it also benefits from four-wheel-drive traction and a launch-control system.
