► Audi’s new executive saloon is here…
► … and, cor blimey, it’s a good one
► Comfortable, clever MHEV system
Audi has made some interesting decisions over the past couple of years. Originally, the firm planned to replace the old A6 saloon with an EV but, after recognising the market’s apathy towards large electric cars, it revised its plans and launched this – a new combustion A6 to sit alongside the zero-emission model.
It’s a serious model change, too. The latest A6 is built on an all-new platform, fitted with an all-new infotainment system and powered by Audi’s all-new MHEV Plus system that aims to blend the functionality of a full hybrid with the simplicity and lightness of a mild hybrid. Oh, and the powertrain’s built around a diesel engine. Shock. Horror.
The sum of these parts is something quite special. In fact, I reckon the new Audi A6 might be the best all-round executive saloon on the market right now. It’s more comfortable than the BMW 5 Series and more dynamic than the Mercedes E-Class – and it feels more grown up than both. Maybe last mover’s advantage really does exist. Scroll down to find out.
At a glance
Pros: Clever mild hybrid system, comfortable ride (on air), surprisingly agile for its size.
Cons: Some electrical issues, sports suspension is harsh, fiddly climate controls
What’s new?
Everything. The A6 saloon is built on Audi’s shiny new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, which is the dinosaur-burning equivalent of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) underpinnings found beneath the A6 e-tron. For that reason, the two cars look quite similar on the inside.
You get the same 14.5-inch infotainment screen and 11.9-inch digital gauge display, along with the option to specify an extra touchscreen on the left-hand side of the dashboard to keep your passenger entertained. Sadly, you also get the same sea of smudge-prone piano black plastic, so you might want to keep a cloth in the glovebox.
On the upside, you can have the normal A6 with Audi’s clever MHEV Plus powertrain. It’s a more sophisticated take on the mild hybrid concept, sporting two electric motors and a 1.76kWh battery pack. Both are beefy enough to move the car around on their own, which saves on fuel and makes the system feel more like a self-charging hybrid. It also adds a bit more power and trims the amount of CO2 produced by the engine. So far, so good.
What are the specs?
The standard Audi A6 saloon is available as either a non-electrically assisted petrol or the diesel-backed MHEV Plus. Both features 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines and both produce 204hp. So, you’d think the two engines would perform similarly, right?
Wrong. The diesel has 295lb ft of torque compared to the petrol’s 251lb ft – and it also has all-wheel drive and some extra boost from its electric motors. That means it can dispatch the 0–62mph sprint in 6.9 seconds, while the petrol takes 8.2. The diesel’s a lot more efficient, too, returning up to 55mpg. The petrol can only average around 40mpg.
You can also have the A6 saloon with a 295bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain, which we’ll cover in a separate review.
How does it drive?
Good, although you need to splash some cash on a couple of options to get the best from it. I’ll start with the suspension, as I reckon it’s here that you’ll see the biggest difference for your money.
The standard suspension is a little sharp when dealing with potholes, while the lowered sports suspension on S line cars is always too unsettled – but Audi’s air suspension gives the A6 a far greater breadth of ability. It allows the car to float down the motorway like a magic carpet or flatten out like self-levelling concrete on a twisty road.
It isn’t quite as playful as the 5 Series, but it still puts on a good show – especially when it’s teamed with Audi’s rear-wheel steering tech. The upgrade makes this five-metre, two-tonne land yacht far nimbler than it should be, allowing it turn into corners with the same sort of eagerness as an A4. It also significantly reduces the A6’s turning circle, making it easier to thread the car through an awkward multi-storey car park.
But where Audi’s all-wheel steering tech really shines is on the motorway. All four wheels turn in the same direction, allowing the A6 to crab between lanes. That exerts less G-force on your passengers and makes for a more comfortable ride.
Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system makes a big difference, too. It’s ridiculously difficult to unstick and, even when you approach the limits of physics, the computers will shuffle the power around the chassis to bring your daftness to heel. If you live somewhere with slick, yumpy, off-cambered roads, you’ll appreciate the A6’s sure-footedness.
I’d like a little more power, though. The 204hp diesel is punchy off the mark, but it runs out of steam the harder you push it. At motorway speeds, it isn’t anywhere near as eager to accelerate as the 342bhp straight-six diesel you can have Mercedes E-Class, which means you need to plan overtakes a little more carefully. Even the 295bhp plug-in hybrid A6 feels slow compared to its electrified competitors.
I’d like to give the brakes some praise, though. The A6 diesel is technically just a mild hybrid, but it still has two electric motors that harvest energy when you slow down. Despite this, the brake pedal feels firm right at the top of its travel and progressive as you lay into it. You don’t need to dig through two inches of mush before the pads meet the discs.
What about the interior?
It’s comfortable and spacious. The A6’s wheelbase is only half a metre less than the entire length of the Fiat 500, which translates into loads of legroom for those sat on the outer rear seats, even behind tall drivers. The middle seat is less accommodating thanks to the wide tunnel required for the propshaft, but I doubt it’ll get used regularly anyway. Mercifully, headroom is no less generous than a 5 Series or E-Class.
I like the front seats. I’m a bit of a funny shape – my legs are long for the overall length of my body, so I find it quite difficult to find seats that offer enough support for my thighs. But the A6’s seat bases tilt a long way back and they have great base extenders, so I never felt like I was slipping off the seat and into the footwell.
Audi’s fabric seat upholstery helped with this. It might have the same colour scheme and texture as a drab business suit, but it offers much more grip than Audi’s leather seat trim, so I didn’t slide off the squab when driving spiritedly. It also wasn’t uncomfortably hot in the 30-degree-plus conditions I tested the car in.
I’m less enamoured by the infotainment. Granted, Audi’s touchscreen doesn’t look as chintzy as Mercedes’ Superscreen setup. The graphics are also just as sharp as BMW’s Curved Display – but the cabin relies far too much on it.
The climate controls are buried in a submenu that’s packed with tiny icons that are difficult to hit unless you divert all your attention away from the road and onto the screen. The menu in the top right is also obscured by the wheel. Traditional dials would have been better.
The steering wheel is equally disappointing. I thought Audi would have learned from Volkswagen’s mistakes and avoided haptic steering wheel buttons like the plague, but the A6’s wheel is covered in them. They’re naff, too. They’re made from cheap, flimsy plastic, they rattle on their mounts and they’re unpredictably sensitive.
If you accidentally brush your palm against the volume controls, the stereo will be silenced quicker than Yoko Ono when she appeared on stage with Chuck Berry. But, if you try to use the same controls to bump the volume back up again, it won’t work. That forces you to resort the volume knob on the centre console – which begs the question of why the haptic controls are there in the first place.
I also think the passenger screen is a bit of a gimmick. It houses the same functions as the central touchscreen, which isn’t exactly difficult for the front passenger to access. The main benefit of the screen is that, thanks to a polarising filter, it allows the passenger to watch a film as you drive along.
However, I’d like to bet the front passenger already has a device in their pocket that could perform the same function. It’s just tech for the sake of tech – but I can’t blame Audi for inflicting it upon us. The brand needs to offer it to compete in the technological arms race Mercedes sparked with the E-Class.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
Head to Audi’s configurator and you’ll have three specifications in which to trim your A6. They’re called Sport, S line and Edition 1. The cheapest Sport model is priced from £54,830 and comes with Matrix LED headlights, 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery and heated seats.
S line cars are price from £57,630. Upgrades include 19-inch alloy wheels, lowered sports suspension, front sports seats, privacy glass and a more aggressive body kit. The top-spec Edition 1 model starts from £62,530 and gains 20-inch alloys, black exterior trim, red brake calipers and the extra touchscreen for the front passenger.
But it gets more complicated than that because the A6 diesel I tested isn’t on Audi’s configurator. It was trimmed in a hidden fourth specification called ‘Launch Edition Plus’ – and it sports every optional extra the brand could cram into the car.
This includes adaptive air suspension, all-wheel steering, all-wheel drive, a Bang & Olufsen stereo and an electrochromic panoramic sunroof. It costs £67,325, which looks like good value when you compare it to the £65,000 you’ll spend on a similarly equipped rear-wheel drive BMW 520i.
I should also mention that our test cars haven’t been perfectly reliable. We tested a PHEV before this diesel and its electronically controlled right rear door wouldn’t latch closed. I had to lash it in place with a ratchet strap to stop it from flying open into passing traffic. This diesel also had an unbuckled phantom passenger on the rear seats that tripped the weight sensor and caused the dashboard to bong at me. I’m sure a software update would fix these issues, but it’s disappointing to see in such an expensive car.
Verdict
The Audi A6 is the last member of the ‘big three’ German executive saloons to be replaced – but I reckon last mover’s advantage might have worked in its favour. It’s more comfortable than the BMW 5 Series yet more dynamic than the Mercedes E-Class.
I also like how refined the A6’s MHEV Plus powertrain is, and Audi’s rear-wheel steering system makes this very large car feel incredibly manoeuvrable. And even though it’s flawed with fiddly infotainment icons and flimsy haptic steering wheel buttons, I reckon the A6’s interior is more approachable than its key rivals. It’s certainly less ostentatious.
Yes, the boot is smaller than both the 5 Series and the E-Class. Yes, its current engine range feels a little underpowered. And yes, I have already encountered electrical gremlins that required me to get medieval on the door mechanism. But I still like the car overall.
It’s good to drive on a twisty road, it’s still big enough for four passengers and all their luggage and, providing you spend the cash on Audi’s air suspension upgrade, it’ll whisk you to your destination in quiet, comfortable, efficient luxury. It’s a true jack of all trades.
Selfishly, I wish it had more poke, though. Roll on the launch of the S6.