2019 Audi A6 Road Test and Review

2019 Audi A6 Light Grey Parked Front Quarter ・ Photo by Audi

The 2019 Audi A6 is newly redesigned, and the brand has put a great deal of its emphasis (and its R&D dollars) on tech features. The mid-level five-passenger luxury sedan offers an all-new smartphone-like MMI touch-response system and natural-language voice control that Audi says, “turns the A6 into a more intelligent travel assistant.” A wide range of vehicle functions — from picking a song to play, to choosing a destination, to setting the cabin temperature — can be controlled simply by talking to the car.

Personalization is one of the A6's watchwords. As many as seven drivers can store their personal preferences for everything from radio station presets to the position of the exterior mirrors. An impressive array of standard and available driver assistance systems is so smart that it can even warn you when it isn’t safe to get out of the car. Oh, and then there’s the actual driving experience.

An Exterior That Audi Fans Will Enjoy

While the 2019 Audi A6 is leading-edge in terms of the driver-machine interface, its exterior face is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Yes, the gaping Audi “Singleframe” grille remains — but in this iteration, it has been cleaned up and toned down, while the large air inlets to its sides have gained greater emphasis. The designers endeavored to give the new sedan a lower, wider look. The roof begins to taper sharply from above the b-pillars, yet the car retains good rear headroom. The roof transitions to a very short decklid that is topped with a demure spoiler. The dramatic wheel arches help recall the sedan’s Quattro rally-car DNA.

In a trend that Audi started, headlights have become a major design battleground, and Audi is not about to back off with its new A6. The model offers three different headlight treatments: LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, matrix-design LED headlights with high-beam assist, and HD matrix-design LED headlights with dynamic indicators and high-beam assist.

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Glitzier Interior Design

In the past decade, Audi took over the mantle as the brand with the best, most intuitive interior design. The new A6 carries on with the tradition. That said, we are a bit fearful that Audi will fall so in love with digitalization that it will walk away from conventional buttons and knobs that can be identified and used without taking your eyes off the road.

On the dash, two large, high-resolution touch displays replace the previous A6’s rotary controller, buttons, and knobs. Frankly, this has pluses and minuses. One plus: The user can arrange the location of vehicle functions using a drag-and-drop technique like a smartphone, and 32 shortcuts can be stored. We just wonder how many American drivers will store them. Aesthetically, the interior of the 2019 A6 isn’t as restrained as the previous model, with the twin screens surrounded by gloss black trim and bright metal accents. The good news is the seats are more comfortable than ever.

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Deluge of Infotainment

As mentioned earlier, Audi has pushed all its chips into the table, betting on big display screens. The base Premium model has an 8.8-inch horizontally oriented upper screen, while the two other trim levels feature a 10.1-inch display. The system allows drivers to customize their preferences for things like radio stations, contacts or favorite apps. A lower 8.6-inch display is used for climate control and other comfort and convenience functions. Sadly, it gathers fingerprints at a rapid rate.

Interestingly, this screen is also designed for handwriting input with whole-word recognition. You can write a word, phrase, or short novel with your finger, and MMI can identify each letter. The A6 processes questions and commands through onboard stored data and information from the cloud. Two audio systems are offered on the A6: a Bang & Olufsen Premium 3D sound system and an up-level Bang & Olufsen 3D Advanced sound system, which delivers surround sound through 19 speakers.

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Single Powertrain at Launch

The 2019 Audi A6 will launch with just one powertrain, but it’s a good one. This newly developed 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine generates 335 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. It’s lighter than the previous V6 and offers more power and peak torque. Instead of supercharging, the new engine features a twin-scroll turbocharger. But that is not all; it is also a mild hybrid, although you might say very mild. Power supplied from a 10Ah battery to a belt alternator starter helps take the jerkiness out of the standard start/stop system. A conventional starter is used for cold starts only.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission delivers torque to a Quattro all-wheel drive system. The system's "ultra" technology enables intelligent control of the all-wheel drive to modify torque application predictively to respond to driver demands.

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High Level of Driving Enjoyment

Despite the fact the A6 is nearly buried in high tech — so much there isn’t room here to describe it all — the sedan offers a high level of driving enjoyment. Acceleration is good, exemplified by the fact the A6 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. There is a hint of turbo lag, depending a bit on how aggressively you hit the throttle, but there is virtually no engine noise even on hard acceleration.

Handling is sport-sedan-sharp with good, not stellar, ride quality. Steering feel is excellent, and the brakes are easy to modulate. Because of that, the A6 is one of the most fun-to-drive vehicles in its segment. We like the second-generation Audi virtual cockpit, featuring a 12.3-inch screen in place of traditional gauges. Prestige models supplement it with a full-color head-up display that projects information in the driver’s field of vision.

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Leading-Edge Safety and Driver's Aids

The A6 is brimming with available driver-assistance tech. Standard "pre sense city" is designed to detect vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists in the car’s path at speeds of up to 52 mph. It can (and probably will) initiate braking when a potential collision is detected. The top-view camera system with virtual 360-degree surround view uses the input from four wide-angle cameras to project a real-time three-dimensional model of the A6 to facilitate maneuvering in tight spaces. The available adaptive cruise assist is a “hands-on” system (in other words it won’t steer for you) that maintains speed and following distance by braking and accelerating autonomously.

Available intersection assist monitors cross traffic when pulling through an intersection or crossing lanes. It can help notify the driver of a potentially hazardous situation and apply the brakes at speeds of up to 6.2 mph. Pre sense rear helps monitor traffic following the vehicle and can close the windows and sunroof and tension the seatbelts in the case of an impending rear-end collision. A vehicle exit warning can help prevent incidents when moving objects are approaching from behind as the car doors are about to be opened.

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Interior Space, Cargo, and Fuel Economy

The A6 isn’t a big car in overall terms, but it is larger than the outgoing model with more headroom and shoulder room both the front and rear. It offers an ample amount of passenger space for five adults. Rear passengers are treated to comprehensive rear controls. The sizable and easily accessible trunk can be opened with an available hands-free release using a simple kicking motion under the rear of the vehicle.

A four-cylinder-powered version of the A6 will be available later, but as the vehicle is introduced, it will be available with a 3.0-liter V6. Fuel economy for the all-wheel-drive A6 is 22 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. We expect the four-cylinder version to offer better fuel economy.

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Trio of Trim Levels

The A6 is offered in three different trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. All three come equipped with the 3.0-liter V6 engine and Quattro all-wheel-drive. The Premium is the base model, but it is well-equipped. However, if you are seeking the broadest array of safety, drive-assistance, and convenience options, you’ll need to go to the Premium Plus or Prestige trims.

Audi side assist and Audi pre sense rear are standard on Premium Plus and Prestige trims. The Premium Plus level lets you choose your options individually, while the Prestige model incorporates more features as standard equipment. Key among these are appearance items. For example, HD matrix-design LED headlights with dynamic indicators and high-beam assist are standard on the Prestige model. Lesser models have lesser lights.

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Pricing and Value

The Audi A6 is an important vehicle for the brand worldwide, and it indicates Audi’s belief that in-car technology is an important differentiator. With a multiplicity of electronic displays, the new-for-2019 A6 shows where computer-style graphics and information tech are taking the driving experience.

The A6 Premium starts at $58,900, the Premium Plus has a base price of $62,700, and the Prestige has a starting price of $67,100, plus $995 destination charge. We believe that when a four-cylinder A6 is introduced, it will be priced in the low-$50,000 range. The luxury sedan market isn’t what it used to be, as buyers continue to defect to crossovers, but the A6 proves that Audi is still willing to invest significantly in its sedans.

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