Audi A6 45TFSI Quattro S-Line – ToyBox

By: Mark Higgins, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 19.06.2020

There are plenty of delights behind the wheel of this modern executive

THANK GOODNESS Audi still believes there are enough buyers out there that still want a large premium sedan.

Seven days with Audi’s latest A6 quattro S line branded with a 45 TFSI badge (denoting a four-cylinder turbo engine), proved the perfect way of transporting three of us in unbridled comfort and style from Melbourne to Warnambool for the annual Sprintcar Classic and return. A round trip of 850kms on a single tank of fuel. Impressive.

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What’s more the new A6 is packed to the rafters with standard kit including the latest in safety, entertainment and driver assist tech and though this ‘entry’ model runs a two-litre turbo four, there are plenty of delights behind the wheel for a sticker price of $105,200.

But as brilliant as the Audi A6 is I fear it will struggle to fulfil its true sales potential with Aussie buyers shunning cars like this for SUVs. Pity.

Call me a traditionalist but I’ll take a premium passenger car and all its refinement, comfort, looks, and dynamic superiority over an SUV anytime.

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The turbocharged 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder TFSI engine cops a dose of hybrid technology by way of a 12-volt motor making the A6 45TFSI both economical and energetic. On numerous occasions when swift overtaking moves were in order a flick into ‘S’ mode in the 7-speed auto sent the head up digital speedo rapidly into three digits. And off the line it’s no slouch bringing up 100km/h from rest in 6 seconds.

Standard kit sees you riding in a leather-trimmed cabin with comfy and supportive front sports seats ans acres of room in both rows. All A6 models come standard with Audi’s all-wheel-drive quattro system and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit Plus display, heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charging, loose wheel detection and illuminated seatbelt buckles. For a further $9800 the S line we were aboard scores a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, upspec HD Matrix LED headlights, a sunroof, privacy glass, a choice of 30 interior hues, electric boot opening and steering column adjustment and S line garnish inside and out and 21-inch five-twin spoke design alloy wheels on low profile tyres.

Audi continues to deliver world-leading interiors and this latest A6 is all class with real timber and aluminium touches. Long horizontal lines, another Audi interior trademark, give the cabin a large open feel and the Virtual Cockpit is simply the best dash layout one could ask for with its outstanding clarity, colours and ease of use. What also grabs you is the isolation from road and car noise. It is unbelievably quiet inside.

Giving the interior a clean uncluttered look, the centre dash is devoid of knobs and switch gear. Also deleted is the centre console infotainment controller knob from the previous model. All have been replaced by two touchscreens (10.1and 8.6-inch) integrated in the dashboard.

When not operating, the screens take on a piano black appearance but when they come to life the resolution is crystal clear. Keep a cloth in the car though as after a couple of days and many fingerprints daubbed on them, the screens look grubby. That aside there is plenty of information at your fingertips. At first the screens were a bit of a distraction and the haptic buttons a tad slow to react, but I soon learnt to operate the system ‘blind’ and it wasn’t a drama. I often used the voice recognition button on the D-shaped multi-function sports steering wheel that operates just about everything you’ll need on the go.

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Safety technology has gone ahead in leaps and bounds this latest A6 boasts autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, front and rear parking sensors, lane assist, rear cross-traffic alert and a 360-degree camera. Cyclists are protected by ‘exit warning’ systems that identify passing cyclists or overtaking cars and warns the driver before opening the door.

All A6s have Audi’s drive-select modes - efficiency, comfort, auto, dynamic and individual that sharpens up throttle response, steering weight, gearshifts, even the way the adaptive cruise control operates. Quattro, or all-wheel drive is the default setting, but it automatically switches to front-wheel drive, for better fuel efficiency but only if it senses plenty of grip.

With Auto mode engaged the ride is limousine like and the A6 did a super job of wafting over road blemishes without even being noticed in the cabin. 

A swift run on some coastal roads using dynamic and individual modes showcased the well sorted chassis, excellent body control, tauter suspension and well-weighted and precise steering, allowing a good deal of enthusiasm behind the wheel.

Head to your local Audi shop and take the latest A6 45 TFSI S line for a spin, or better still an extended drive. 

Its deep well of style, comfort, technology, space and superb dynamics may well convince you to forget any SUV notions and park one of these in your shed instead. A wise choice me thinks.

Specs:

ENGINE: Two litre turbocharged four-cylinder

POWER: 180kW@5000rpm

TORQUE: 370Nm@1600rpm

0-100KM/H: 6 seconds

GEARBOX: Seven speed dual clutch auto

BRAKES: Disc front & rear

WHEELS: 21-inch alloys

From Unique Cars #440, May 2020

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