2019 Audi A6

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. – Audi calls its latest party trick the "digital awakening." In markets outside of the U.S., top-of-the-line 2019 Audi A6 and A7 models get special LED head and taillights that perform a miniature light show when you unlock the car. It's like the sequential turn signals found on some Audi cars, but with a lot more choreography. And it's the perfect metaphor for Audi's latest generation of plush C-segment sedans. Both the A6 and A7 share the same drivetrain, chassis and interior, with slightly different bodies, and enter a new age of what Audi calls "future premium." In the years to come, the automaker predicts, luxury will be less about how it makes you look or feel, and more about what conveniences the car can offer. That philosophy is blatantly clear as soon as you slip into Audi's beautiful redesigned cabin. Plunk down in its 18-way massaging leather seats and you'll immediately notice three large LED screens dominating the interior. Gone are traditional dial instruments, replaced by animations on a massive 12.3-inch IP-spanning full-color display. The center stack, too, is all screen, seemingly inspired by Tesla but with a 10.1-inch upper and 8.6-inch lower screen rather than one that covers the entire console. These two touchscreens, Audi says, replaced a whopping 43 buttons in the previous generation A6 and A7. Audi clearly put a lot of thought into the MMI to make it as user friendly as possible. Color-keyed icons brighten at the mere hover of a finger so you can see them out of the corner of your eye (at least when it's dark). The screen understands handwriting, and you can even write one letter on top of the next, no need to put one after another, then swipe to delete. Menus have been reorganized into fewer levels. Seven user profiles and 32 shortcuts are available for customization. Pinch to zoom and spread to expand a super-detailed nav map that renders buildings and landscape in 3D. Slide to adjust the climate control. Hold and drag icons like on your smartphone. It's all incredibly snazzy, but the interfaces ultimately lack the intuitiveness or ease of use of good ol' buttons. This proves especially true when the car and your fingertips are oscillating at different rates over road imperfections. To its credit, though, Audi includes audio clicks and haptic feedback to mimic the auditory and sensory feedback of pushing a button, and it works decently enough. But it also raises the question, why not just have buttons? The brand's third-gen Audi Connect service seamlessly integrates your smartphone and your car. It remembers where you parked, the location of the next appointment on your calendar, and Yelp-curated highlights along the way. In theory, your phone can guide you from your office to your parking space to your meeting, with directions moving from your car to your phone and back seamlessly, all while recommending a good sushi joint along the way. Almost everything in the car has been digitized. The …
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