Road test: 2015 Audi S6

The latest rapid Audi is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The 2015 Audi S6 bridges the gap between the restrained A6 range and the beefed-up, top-of-the-range RS6 variant. Courtesy Audi

It might be underselling it just a tad to describe Audi’s latest S6 as a middle-of-the-road offering, but, in a sense, that’s exactly what it is – a go-faster sports saloon that occupies the niche between the restrained A6 range and the utterly bonkers RS6.

It’s a street sleeper all right, with the Clark Kent visual persona cloaking a genuinely rapid four-door that sprints to 100kph in 4.4 seconds and hits its electronically governed 250kph top end with ridiculous ease. Making all this possible is a 4.0L, twin-turbo V8 that kicks out 450hp, sent to all four wheels via Audi’s seamless seven-speed, S-tronic, ­dual-clutch sequential gearbox.

The 2015 model isn’t dramatically altered from its predecessor, but trainspotters and Audi anoraks may pick up on the new “Matrix” LED headlights, freshly designed wheels and minor interior upgrades. The smartened-up S6 is slated to reach Middle Eastern showrooms in the first quarter of next year, with pricing starting at Dh310,000, although ticking the option boxes will see that figure rapidly escalating.

The sonorous, turbine-smooth V8 was already a fine engine, but its latest guise scores an extra 30hp to edge its performance closer to the steroidal RS6. A few kilometres behind the wheel are adequate to discern the S6’s massive grunt and all-weather prowess, amply reflected by the fact that the beefy peak torque quota of 550Nm is on tap from just 1,400rpm. What this means is that you can stand on the gas in any gear – at any speed – and the car slingshots towards the horizon. It simply doesn’t seem congruous in an almost-two-tonne saloon that looks this low-key.

Yes, the delightful 19-inch five-spoke alloys and quartet of exhausts tell you that this is no ho-hum A6, but it’s still remarkably understated – albeit less so in the Misano-red paintwork that adorns the S6 fleet at its international launch in Dresden, Germany.

The brawny performance is effectively deployed by the quattro all-wheel-drive system. It sends the majority of drive to the rear wheels in normal conditions, but the torque split is instantaneously altered more towards the front axle if the rear rubber shows signs of slipping. Traction is further enhanced by a sport differential that juggles power between each individual rear wheel to maximise drive out of tight corners.

There’s no question that the S6 is a massively quick and grippy car on any roads – and in any weather short of a tornado or tsunami – despite tipping the scales at a rather hefty 1,960 kilograms. Yes, it’s eye-wateringly rapid, but it does lose out a touch to its BMW M and Mercedes AMG compatriots in tactility and feedback. The biggest culprit is the inert steering, which can’t compare with either an M5 or E63 AMG. Although more info about the interplay between the front rubber and the tarmac beneath it would be nice, at least the steering is precise, faithfully translating your twirling and tweaking into accurate direction changes.

The S6 also does a great job of making the reverse transition from Mr Hyde to Dr Jekyll, settling into a relaxed lope on motorways or country roads when you’re in the mood for merely schlepping from point A to B. Its refinement is enhanced by an active noise-cancellation device that nullifies mechanical clatter by pumping out anti-phase resonance through the speakers. The adaptive air suspension, which sees the S6 sitting 20 millimetres lower than its A6 siblings, also cancels out most road-surface imperfections, with only sharp corrugations making an impact on your derrière.

Although fast and weighty, the S6 isn’t a complete glutton at the pump (Audi quotes a consumption figure of 9.2L / 100km, but you’ll need to tread very lightly to match this), thanks to a standard start-stop system and cylinder-on-demand technology that shuts down four cylinders on light throttle loads.

Inside, you’ll find the familiar Audi touches, and there’s not much to fault in the ergonomics and fit/finish of the cabin. Among the new options for the 2015 model is a head-up display that shows your speed, satnav guidance and warning messages on the windscreen. It works well, enabling you to focus on the job at hand – namely keeping the car on the black stuff. The elaborately sculpted front seats with diamond-quilt stitching are also excellent, supporting your spine in all the right spots and keeping your internal organs in situ when you’re hurling the car across sinuous roads.

The sweet-sounding V8 is a delight, the chassis offers a nice blend of tautness and compliance, while the cabin is as good as you’ll find anywhere in this price segment. All told, the S6 stacks up as a fast, comfortable and refined super-saloon that manages to be both brutal and cosseting, depending on the ­occasion.

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