Audi A6 45 TFSI review: nice, different
Without China, making the A6 would hardly be worth the bother.
Early each year the world’s attention turns to a glamorous US event, anticipated for weeks, which gives Hollywood actors a few moments in the limelight before being replayed on YouTube by millions and endlessly dissected. Then a few weeks later, there’s the Oscars. Yes, I’m talking about the Super Bowl and especially the adverts, which repay their investment with eager audiences, many of whom would happily fast-forward through the sport.
Car-makers returned in force this year and strived to outdo each other with lavish productions. Movie references are de rigueur – one of the favourites was a Jeep ad in which Bill Murray reprises his role in Groundhog Day. Electric vehicles featured, with a Porsche Taycan car chase and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) singing a number from Disney’s Frozen to spruik Audi’s E-tron (winter is coming – get it?).
How appropriate. The car industry is certainly experiencing a cold snap with sales down and pretty much everything going wrong that can go wrong. But Audi is betting batteries will warm it up, in the long run at least. Its US electrification chief reckons global output will triple by 2050 on the strength of electric car demand.
As they make the transition, car-makers are engaged in a risky juggling act. They know, for example, that to have any chance of avoiding emissions penalties in Europe this year they need to sell boatloads of battery cars. Which means an electric car delivered in Europe is worth more than one in the US. But you can’t brand yourself a technology leader and withhold innovations from such an important market – hence Audi’s Super Bowl ad.
A version of this dilemma occurs right across a car-maker’s operations as they try to design and develop battery and petrol models at the same time. Today’s subject, the Audi A6, epitomises this problem.
This traditional large sedan is the sort of car that has been punished severely by the trend to SUVs. At least, that’s true in the US and Europe. But in China, it became hugely popular with government officials a few years ago and sells in big numbers. Audi even makes a long-wheelbase version. It’s a vehicular Mao suit with a Hugo Boss label.
Without China, making the A6 would hardly be worth the bother. In Australia, it competes against the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series but comes a distant third. Together with its sleeker twin, the A7, it attracts just a few hundred buyers a year.
For its “completely redesigned” fifth generation, it feels like the trad A6 has moved closer to the A7 in approach. This is a crisper design, slightly longer, which somehow feels closer to the ground. Perhaps that’s because inside you sit low, framed by an angled metallic dash that widens to house three black panels. These come to life as satnav and aircon touchscreens, plus virtual dials. Car-makers never tire of updating control systems these days, and the A6 debuts Audi’s newest. As with phones, every “improvement” means it now takes three button presses to achieve what used to take two.
With S Line trim on the test car (which adds almost $10k to the entry price), the seats are huggy units in creamy leather, the sills illuminate and a head-up display is a welcome addition to the equipment list. There’s enough room in the rear, and enough boot space, to justify the car’s near 5m length. Once you move beyond the cabin highlights there’s less to love, with hard plastics below the eye-line and “stitching” embossed into the faux leather dash top and door caps.
With S Line trim comes adaptive suspension and 20-inch wheels, which deliver a refined and quietly comfortable ride. There’s a bit more body roll than expected, even in Dynamic mode, and some rumble and thump from the tyres, but overall it’s an accomplished cruiser that will lap up miles.
The driveline adds to the impression. Unlike last time, there’s no diesel engine and no front-wheel drive – just a petrol four (entry-level or S Line) plus a V6. They get power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and employ mild hybrid technology.
The unsampled V6 brings 250kW and a 48-volt boost; the four uses a 12-volt system and achieves 180kW. It’s half a second quicker to 100km/h than the previous 2.0-litre petrol and surprisingly willing given the size of the car. Flying solo, it was smooth and responsive, with drama-free traction. Easy on the ear, too. Heavier demands might test the friendship – and I certainly wouldn’t try towing – but in the inoffensive manner of modern cars, it’s a win.
Aside from a persistent rattle from under the dash, it felt well put together. It’s a less exciting car than its looks suggest, but seems the result of a solid development effort.
In the West, the A6 has become a sideshow to the main game but remains on prime time as long as Chinese buyers keep coming.
Audi A6 45 TFSI
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder (180kW/370Nm)
Average fuel: 6.4-6.8 litres per 100km
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive
Price: From $95,500
Rating: ★★★½
