As you’d expect from a large, high performance premium German car, Audi RS6 Avant running costs aren’t going to be cheap. Audi claims it’s capable of returning 28.8mpg on the combined cycle, but in the real world we’d be surprised if it managed more than 20mpg.

Still, using the claimed figures, there’s a 42% improvement in fuel economy and a 31% reduction in CO2 emissions over the previous RS6 model.

Servicing isn’t going to be cheap either, although specifying the variable servicing package and driving your car carefully will cut down on your out-goings somewhat.

With just one engine available, Audi RS6 Avant emissions are pegged at 229g/km. That figure is down from 333g/km in the previous RS6 and means it now qualifies for road tax band L one band lower than before. The decrease in emissions comes thanks to clever tech such as cylinder-on-demand – which deactivates four of the eight cylinders in the engine under certain circumstances to save fuel.

You shouldn’t worry too much about Audi RS6 Avant reliability. The firm has a fantastic reputation for well-built and resilient cars which go on for many hundreds of thousands of miles. Many of the parts in the RS6 Avant are shared with other models in the range, which means they’re tried-and-tested.