Introduction

The Audi A6 is a mid-size luxury sedan with a supple ride, plenty of power from its upgrade V-6 engine, a refined interior, impressive technology, standard all-wheel drive, and familiar styling. For 2020 it gets more standard features: Along with automatic emergency braking, the A6 now offers lane-departure warnings and automatic high-beam headlights. 

The A6 is built for comfort, however there's an available smart adaptive chassis system, or sport suspension, to go with its responsive steering to make it even more compliant. The cavernous cabin coddles four adults. 

The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbo-4 making 248 horsepower, the same engine as in the lesser Audi A3, A4 and A5; it's a new addition to the A6 for 2020, put there for its fuel economy. The turbocharged V-6 making 335 horsepower is much more exciting, with smooth power and potent passing. 

For high performance, there is the 444-hp S6 sedan, capable of 0-60 mph sprints in 4.1 seconds. Later in 2020 Audi will bring into the lineup an A6 Allroad wagon and RS6 Avant wagon. 

The base turbo-4 A6 returns an impressive 24 mpg city, 32 highway, 27 combined, while the V-6 model makes only 22/29/24 mpg. The latter includes a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that makes the stop/start system smoother. Premium fuel is required in both engines. 

The IIHS gives the 2020 A6 its top 'Good'? scores in every crash test, with 'Superior for the automatic emergency braking system but only 'Acceptable'? for the base headlights. The A6 warrants its Top Safety Pick+ award. 

Higher-trim models are available with a more advanced braking system, full-speed adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera system, traffic sign recognition, intersection assist, active lane control, and more. 

Lineup

The A6 is available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. The Premium starts at $55,895 for the turbo-4, however the turbo V-6 is available. Standard equipment includes a 7.0-inch driver information display, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen with smartphone connectivity, an 8.6-inch climate control screen, automatic emergency braking, 19-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights with high-beam assist, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, heated 8-way power front seats, and wood trim. A sport suspension package is available and adds 20-inch wheels, while a convenience package includes keyless start and trunk release, a heated steering wheel, and rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking. 

The $59,595 Premium Plus adds Audi's excellent 12.3-inch digital gauge display, a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, Bang & Olufsen 16-speaker audio, LED-matrix headlights, and the Convenience Package features from the Premium trim. There are more packages available on this trim as well, such as an executive seat package with advanced climate control and cooled front seats. 

The Prestige trim costs $70,695, but includes as standard equipment virtually every feature in the book. A few packages are available, but the contents are mostly cosmetic, including larger wheels and finer leather. Adaptive or sport suspension systems are also available. 

Walkaround

The A6 looks familiar. Its design language is subtle and sophisticated. There is a wide octagonal grille and cutting-edge optional LED lights front and rear that manage to grab some attention. The stance is low and wide, with sharp character lines. The A6 is enhanced by big 21-inch wheels and metallic touches. 

Interior

The interior is a triumph, one of the most inviting cabins of any luxury sedan, with the optional wood, leather, metal, contrast stitching, and materials whose quality exceeds that of the prior version. 

To some, the A6's main selling point might be its cabin technology. Three touchscreens are well-integrated in a cohesive dashboard design. If three sounds a bit much, it might help to say they are simple. Still, climate control would be simpler if managed by dials and knobs, and not a separate touchscreen. 

The available Virtual Cockpit digital gauge display is especially impressive, with Google Maps and satellite images to provide a seemingly real-time view of your surroundings. Apple's CarPlay system works well here too, limiting the 'dead space'? seen on other infotainment systems that include the functionality. 

Interior options include cooled massaging seats and an executive package for the rear. It's great as long as there are only two executives back there, not a third in the middle. 

And those executives better not have much luggage, as the trunk is 13.7 cubic feet, smaller than some compact sedans. That might be its main non-selling point, compared to the Audi Q5 crossover. 

Driving Impression

The 2.0-liter turbo-4 is new to the A6 this year, and we haven't driven one yet in the A6. However we've felt the engine many times in other Audis, so we can say its 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque will be plenty. All-wheel drive is standard, along with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. 

The optional 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 makes a respectable solid 335 hp and potent 369 lb-ft of torque, pushing the A6 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. It's smooth, powerful, and befitting of a luxury sedan. 

The standard suspension is taut and comfortable, although those optional 21-inch wheels that enhance the appearance also stiffen the ride. The A6 gets better with either an optional adaptive damping system for maximum smoothness, or a sport suspension for better handling response. The adaptive dampers make the A6 nearly unmatched in comfort by other luxury sedans; the sport suspension isn't as dynamic as other luxury sedans. 

Summary

The 2020 Audi A6 feels best in base trim; the 2.0-liter turbo-4 is that good. The 3.0-liter turbo-V-6 is better but gets 3 less mpg. The 7-speed transmission is also good, as is the ride and handling. The quality of the cabin may be the best feature-aside from all those bright, high-resolution displays. 

 

-by Sam Moses, with driving impressions from The Car Connection.