First Drive Review
When we first saw pictures of the face-lifted 2016 Audi A6, we weren't immediately thrilled. One of the brand's more conservative designs looked to have received a lukewarm makeover to the styling it has worn since the current generation arrived as a 2012 model. Yes, the A6’s flowing lines are popular with customers, but to our eyes they always lacked tension, falling just short of Audi’s standards. There was little elegance in the details; its LED headlights were somewhat crude, the overbite of the taillights downright strange.
Audi has cleaned up these details, added rectangular exhaust outlets, and left the rest alone. Now having seen the revised car in person, we are pleasantly surprised. The inner workings of the headlights are subtly handsome, the lower front air intakes look better resolved, and the taillights are more tidily integrated. Audi also added several new, more appealing wheel styles. Without touching the sheetmetal, the designers made a somewhat stale shape more elegant. More importantly, this midterm update goes deeper, improving one of our favorite sedans (it has notched three 10Best appearances and two recent comparison-test victories) in significant ways.
Our first drive in Germany showed that, dynamically, the A6 remains much as it was, a finely hewn road machine that can reward a driver on his favorite back lanes or carry company out for a night on the town in style and comfort. It’s the powertrain upgrades that raise the car’s game to match the crisper appearance.
As before, the A6 will offer three engine choices in the United States: a 2.0-liter turbo four-banger, a 3.0-liter V-6 TDI, and a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. The TDI, introduced to this market for 2014, is the only one that carries over unchanged; the 240-hp oil-burner continues to drive all wheels through an eight-speed, torque-converter-style automatic. This stout TDI with its robust 428 lb-ft of torque is the powertrain of choice for those who wish to enjoy hybridlike efficiency without the extra weight and complexity. (An A6 hybrid, never exported to the U.S., has just been killed off due to extremely poor sales.)
The entry-level 2.0-liter model receives a major hardware upgrade. Formerly rated at 220 horsepower and initially made available as a front-driver only, it came with a CVT dubbed “Multitronic.” Now, it gets a boost to 252 horsepower and the addition of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for front-drive models. We wholeheartedly applaud this move; we'll take the crisp shifts of a dual-clutch ’box or even a proper automatic over a CVT's rubber-band effect any day. The power gain also benefits buyers who choose the Quattro all-wheel-drive option, in which case the 2.0T hitches to an eight-speed automatic as it has since Audi added it to the range in 2012.
While the four now offers sufficient power for most settings this side of a racetrack, the silky 3.0-liter V-6 is more fun. This powerplant gains 20 horsepower and is now up to 330. It drives all wheels and employs the same eight-speed automatic as the TDI. The supercharger provides instant boost but is so quiet that its presence is virtually undetectable, except for it generating thrust all out of proportion to what you’d expect. We think that Jaguar—one of the few other carmakers that still swear by superchargers—might wish to take a lesson from Audi's book of quality, comfort, and noise control.
Even Jaguar—in addition to any other automaker—would be well advised to examine the A6's interior. It remains one of the finest and best-executed cabins in the industry. The similarity to the A7's dashboard (with which it shares the majority of parts) is cleverly masked by the different décor. We have only one significant gripe with this interior: The clumsy dash-top integration of the optional head-up system looks atrocious. We’re assured that the tumorlike lump will be fixed for future model generations, but it should have been done right the first time.
While we’re at it, may we ask Audi to own up to another mistake? Please bring back the Avant wagon model to the States. Especially the RS6 Avant, the mid-size wagon with 560 horsepower and a 190-mph top speed. Audi already sends us the drivetrain in the RS7, so let’s have none of those parts-supply or federalization excuses. Just do it. Meanwhile, good job on the basic sedans. It was time.
