Audi A6 review

Audi’s new A6 seems determined to put in a serious challenge to BMW’s big-selling 5 Series. To put that in perspective, it outsold the Toyota Yaris, the Skoda Octavia and even the Renault Clio and was only 177 sales short of matching the VW Passat. Clearly not everyone is living hand to mouth in recessionary Ireland.

And that’s where the A6 comes in. The bosses at Audi’s hometown of Ingolstadt are not going to let BMW run away with the premium market. And with this class of car now outselling many superminis, the A6 is arguably as important to the four-ringed brand as its supposed volume models, like the A3 and the A4.

The first notable feature about the new A6 is its styling. We never really rated its predecessor. It was something of a halfway house, neither as sporty as its Bavarian rival nor as prestigious as the E-Class, while the bulbous rear-end made it look slightly frumpy.


In contrast, the new nose gives the car a slightly menacing look, but the overall effect is far more impressive than with any of the previous generations. Another boon that it’s not simply a larger version of the A4, though to appreciate that you really need to see it in the metal. It’s also better looking than the firm’s new flagship A8.

Comparisons with the A8 don’t end there, for the interior is at a standard we’ve come to expect from this company. Audi has been steadily earning a reputation for the highest-quality interiors in the premium segment, and the new A6 maintains that lead. The quality of the switchgear surpasses all its German rivals’ and has a lot less bling than the Jaguar, for example. It’s subtle, measured and ultimately premium.

Up front is a range of revised and updated engines, the most important of which is the one we tested for most of the week: an updated 2-litre TDI diesel that’s based on the established power train well known in the Audi range but with a few tricks up its sleeve. For a start power output has been increased to 177bhp, but the real boon for Irish buyers is that it drops 10g/km in emissions, pushing its motor tax down to the second-lowest bracket, with a bill of just €156, the same as its equivalent BMW rival.

It’s a sweet, smooth power train that mixes comfort with ample power when you kick down on the throttle. Though not quite as powerful on paper as its BMW counterpart, it never feels the slightest bit tardy. It’s at its best in the mid-rev range, and plenty of power is on tap for overtaking. One gripe we would have is the engine noise from cold – not quite as sound-proofed as we would have hoped for – but it’s only really noticeable when outside the car and doesn’t intrude into the cabin.

The lower emissions are not simply down to engine developments, however. Much of this is directly related to weight-saving measures, particularly the large-scale use of aluminium. Once reserved for the A8, it’s now the metal of choice for the A6’s doors, bonnet, boot lid and wings, along with key underpinnings. The result is a sizeable drop in weight, thereby cutting emissions and fuel consumption.

It also helps with the car’s dynamics and should offer a sportier drive. However, the over-riding impression we got from the new A6 was one of comfort.

The handling characteristics are sharp, but its ethos seems to be about covering kilometres without asking much from the motorist. It can kick down and turn tight into corners, but arguably its strongest trait is getting you across country without leaving you feeling you’ve put in too much effort.

Although we were testing the manual version, an automatic with a CVT multitronic transmission, due in the next few months, will likely form the bulk of Irish sales. People here expect automatic in a car this size, though I would still suggest the manual version is not to be disregarded that easily. Admittedly, I have never been a fan of the multitronic transmission, so that might influence our view on the matter.