It is hard to talk about Audi wagons without mentioning the show-stopping RS2 Avant. First seeing light back in 1994, the RS2 was met with audiences that were still a tad sceptical about packing monstrous power into a benign-looking wagon.


The RS2 Avant was also the first car to dawn the 'RS' badge - such precedence has etched the significance of the avant body-style into the marque's heritage. And while the local motoring scene is still pre-packed with the more conventional sedans, there are signs of the wagons gaining acceptance. We find out if the deviated choice is a worthy bet.

Exterior

Despite gaining the rear-end bulk, Audi has somewhat managed to turn the avant into a flowing package - a distinguishing composition of style, poise, and purposefulness.

As the rarer sight on our local roads, the avant looks fresher, and certainly carries a greater presence than its booted brother - the A6 sedan. The dynamism of the design cues are best viewed from the front three-quarts, with the taut creases outlining the pronounced side-grilles, complete with an unobtrusive front spoiler.

Though much of the styling has been carried forward from the sedan variant, the rear end of the avant features subtle makeovers, such as a lowered boot-sill for ease of loading. It does take a keen eye to spot the differences, but by no means is the avant any less stylish.


Our test car also came with the five-spoke alloys in 20-inch applications, first seen on the RS6, sprucing up the sporty looks of the avant substantially.

Interior

The A6 Avant tested here carries a pale-yellow hue on its leather seats and side arm-rests. The colour does induce a brighter ambience in the cabin, but is certainly an acquired taste to some.

Starting up via the button atop the transmission tunnel reveals the avant's cinematics, including the rising tweeter drone from either sides of the front console, and a gliding centre infotainment screen, currently one of the largest of its kind. If the branding on the tweeter drone does nothing to remind you of the highly-potent sound system within, the actual experience sure does - especially when selecting a higher quality source such as Bluetooth streaming, or even better if via the 'conventional' Compact Disc.

Although the A6 Avant is based heavily on the sedan variant, it features a number of added functionality to further enhance its overall practicality as a people and load carrier. For instance, the rear seats offer 23mm more headroom. To allow for easier loading, the boot sill is 42mm closer to the ground than its sedan stablemate.


There is no surprise that the avant packs a hugely useful boot which would suffice for a variety of errands-running. When the occasion calls for it, the boot area can be further extended by folding down the 60/40 split rear seats, to a voluminous 1,680 litres. The slight hitch to this, however, is that the rear seats do not fold flat completely.

The Drive

As with the predecessors setting the benchmark for ergonomics and cabin fit and finish, the A6 Avant does not disappoint - it feels well-sheltered from the external elements, with little obtrusions from the outside world.

Negotiating its way through tight corners, the avant steers with great ease. However, with the light-weighted steering, piloting the Avant does without a substantial amount of feedbacks at higher speeds.

Off the line, the Avant feels nippy with generous amount of low-end torque to see to aspirated sprints. Do not be mistaken that the 3.0T is a fire-breathing beast similar to that found in the all-familiar 'RS' variant, the 3.0-litre supercharged powerplant is more impressive in the way the power is dispatched - absolutely fuss-free. Credit where it is due, the dual clutch gearbox does a handsome job of distributing the power via seven speeds, shifting almost imperceptibly.

Even when riding on 20" alloys clad with low profile tyres, the Avant is surprisingly poised for any imperfection on the tarmac. This especially so with the damping is put to the softest 'comfort' setting. For those feeling a wee-bit more adventurous, the air suspension system comes with two ride-height settings, which should come in handy when the situation calls for a few extra inches of ground clearance.

The car also packs an array of gadgetry delights, ranging from motion-sensing boot release, to lane assist. A clever parking assist feature will bound to be one of the favourites among local motorists. The system helps steer the wagon into a parallel parking lot, with the driver only having to control the gear selection, throttle and brakes.

Conclusion

There is no denying that the car packs handsome amount of practicality and style, hence more reasons to talk yourself into wanting one. Being the less conventional choice, the Avant is arguably more desirable than the sedan too.

What's worth mentioning is the hugely competent drivetrain, definitely a strong pulling factor in any consideration. Negating the fact that you might not need such voluminous boot to lug around town (rest assure that there are numerous other lone travellers commuting in MPVs), the Avant is pretty practical if family beach outings form the bulk of your weekend programs.

Now back to the debate - do you really need one, or is it merely a want?