A little while ago, the Editorial Team had the pleasure of getting cosy with the crowned head of the Audi A6 family, the Audi RS6 Avant, which had been given a facelift along with the rest of its siblings.
Now in its fourth generation, the new A6 range remains as Audi's top-selling fleet of cars and was first introduced to us in Munich and at the Audi Driving Experience a couple of months ago.
Since the RS6 Avant has pretty much rocked our socks off, will its littlest brother impress? For starters, this 1.8 TFSI Ultra S-tronic comes with a new drivetrain and a suite of intelligent features that is a testament to the marque's ethos, Vorsprung durch Technik.
Up close and Personal
Styling changes on the A6 are subtle and may require an Audi connoisseur to pick out. To keep things looking sharp and fresh, the exterior of the car receives opulent changes to its Singleframe grille, head lights, air inlets, bumpers, side sills, rear lights and tailpipes. Along with Matrix LED technology in the head lights and dynamic turn signals that come standard across the range, the beautifully contoured A6 is more aggressively stanced and rid of the garden-variety, German executive sedan image. In doing so, Audi has added an air of snootiness to the A6, one that should keep the design teams of rival brands on their toes.
This crisp and clean design extends into the car's spacious and well-crafted interior that does not compromise on quality. Combined with a relatively narrow windscreen pillar design and sweeping dash, the cabin of the A6 strikes the perfect balance of elegance and practicality.
At a length of almost five metres, this is a fairly large car, with a plush and accommodating interior matched with an ample 530 litres of boot space.
And that's barely the tip of the iceberg. You will find that Audi's latest power-retractable 8.0-inch infotainment system is taking the fight to the Bavarians. The MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch is user-friendly and easily offers one of the best navigation experiences in the business.
The Drive
Behind the wheel, the A6 continues to impress. We had our initial doubts of the small capacity engine for a car its size but those worries were well out the window the moment we got to driving it.
Under the hood of this A6 is a turbocharged 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine that puts out a respectable 188bhp and 320Nm of torque.
Power to the front wheels is delivered via Audi's all new seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox that makes the car feel light on acceleration with shifts that are smooth and rapid.
According to Audi, the the 1.8-litre TFSI engine in this A6 is its most fuel efficient unit yet. In our three days of temporary ownership, the amazing drivetrain combination gave us a penny-pinching fuel consumption of 14km/L.
Behind the wheel, the A6 continues to impress. We had our initial doubts of the small capacity engine for a car its size but those worries were well out the window the moment we got to driving it.
Under the hood of this A6 is a turbocharged 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine that puts out a respectable 188bhp and 320Nm of torque.
Power to the front wheels is delivered via Audi's all new seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox that makes the car feel light on acceleration with shifts that are smooth and rapid.
According to Audi, the the 1.8-litre TFSI engine in this A6 is its most fuel efficient unit yet. In our three days of temporary ownership, the amazing drivetrain combination gave us a penny-pinching fuel consumption of 14km/L.
Many car manufacturers tiresomely strive to achieve the ethereal balance of ride comfort and sporty handling abilities and it's Audi that has done this exceptionally well with the A6.
Even with perpetual constructions on our roads, the well-cushioned A6 glides over the bumps and humps effortlessly, causing but a smidge of jolt through the chassis. On twistier roads, the well-weighted steering is responsive and enhances the sporty feel that the Ingolstadtians have set out to achieve.
Conclusion
The A6 1.8 TFSI Ultra S-tronic is an impressive car which performance surpasses its figures on paper. More importantly, it has the necessary luxuries and technologies to guarantee a pleasurable driving experience while making your friends go 'wow.'
