New Grille for 2024 Audi A6 and S6, New Heights of Absurdity for RS 6 Avant

Audi’s A6 and S6 news for 2024 is little more involved than the updates the brand has rolled out across its model lineup: new tech, exterior enhancements and more power for the already crazy RS 6 Avant. The mid-cycle refresh also brings a new cost of admission, too: The A6 now starts at $58,395 (all prices include a $1,095 destination charge).

Related: 2021 Audi RS 6 Avant Quick Spin: Less Unicorn, More Pegasus

The A6 and S6 sedans, as well as the A6 Allroad station wagon, wear new grilles and standard LED headlights. They also get four new wheel designs, four new paint colors and two new interior options, and the A6 gets an updated rear diffuser. Premium Plus and Prestige trims get customizable ambient lighting as standard equipment, and the Prestige gets dual-pane acoustic glass and traffic sign recognition standard. All variants now feature Audi Connect app integration, which allows music, navigation, parking and other apps to be downloaded directly to the infotainment system, as well as remote starting through a paired phone.

Big Hero 6

The A6 model line’s 2024 development budget seems to have been primarily spent on halo polish. The positively insane RS 6 Avant needs a few more straps on its straitjacket now that bigger turbos put a tighter squeeze on the 4.0-liter V-8 engine that’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Output climbs 30 horsepower and 37 pounds-feet of torque, to totals of 621 and 627, respectively. That exactly matches the torque figure of the RS 6 Avant’s only natural predator, the Mercedes-AMG E63 wagon, and tops it by 18 hp. Audi claims its wagon is 0.2 second quicker to 60 mph than it was for 2022, which only matters on a racetrack — which is precisely where we hope to see these things. They’re calling this the RS 6 Avant Performance (as though previous RS 6s have not had performance).

Beyond the engine room, the RS 6 Avant’s center differential is lighter and more compact than before, and the transmission software is said to allow for quicker shifts. Optional 22-inch wheels are milled to shave 11 pounds per corner over the standard 21s. Engineers pulled an additional 17-plus pounds of sound-deadening material from the RS 6 Avant, which hardly matters on a car that still weighs nearly 5,000 pounds, but it should result in a more visceral ride even if drivers aren’t testing Audi’s claim of reduced understeer at the wagon’s handling limits.

Various exterior trim bits on the RS 6 Avant are now matte gray, and an available interior package trims the seat belts in gray or red, with matching stitching on the steering wheel, seats and front of the cabin. The same package in blue also includes blue-tinted carbon-fiber trim on the dash.

More From Cars.com:

• New Tech, New Packaging, New Pricing for 2023 Audi A6 Family
• 2020 Audi A6 Allroad: For Fans of Rugged Wagon, Allroad Leads Back to America
• Hey, Cool Dad! The Audi RS6 Avant Wagon Is Coming Stateside
• 2020 Audi S6 Returns to Spice Up A6 Sedan Lineup
• Which Cars Have Panoramic Moonroofs or Sunroofs?

First Place Bronze Medal

If you weren’t yet certain that bronze wheels are a trend, let the 2024 Audi RS 6 Avant serve as your notice. Limited to just 75 units, the Bronze Edition wears Sebring Black Crystal Effect paint over 22-inch “matte neodymium gold” (translated: bronze) wheels. It also includes black everything else, from the brake calipers to the roof rails, floormats to headliner — with bronze contrast stitching, of course. A 1,820 watt, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and a sport exhaust increase aural drama inside and out. The party is, however, governed at 174 mph.

Back to Reality

The moderate corners of the A6 family continue to employ inline-fours and V-6s. The A6 45 sedan is powered by a 261-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, while the A6 55 sedan and the Allroad use a 335-hp, turbo 3.0-liter V-6. All are paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Twin turbos help the S6’s 2.9-liter V-6 put out 444 hp, which it routes through an eight-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is standard across the lineup.

Pricing and Availability

The 2024 Audi A6 and S6 will be available later in the year, and the RS 6 Avant is on sale now. Full pricing is below:

• A6 45: $58,395
• A6 55: $62,895
• A6 Allroad: $69,595
• S6: $75,795
• RS 6 Avant: $126,895

Related Video:

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.