Audi has spent the last few years trying to make its model naming system sound clever, which is usually the first sign that things are about to get confusing.
The plan was simple enough: even numbers for electric cars, odd numbers for combustion-engined ones. This is why the new A5 became the replacement for the old A4, even though the A5 used to be the swoopy coupe-ish thing.
Then Audi realised, perhaps after several thousand customers and dealers gently banged their heads against showroom desks, that this was not its finest hour.
So now, sanity has returned. This is the new Audi A6. Not the A7. Not the A6-but-only-if-it-has-a-plug. Just the A6. Thank heavens for small mercies.
This looks familiar…
Visually, it rocks all of the familiar design traits Audi is famed for. Clean lines, measured proportions, and just enough visual drama to tell your neighbours you have done well, without suggesting you have become unbearable at dinner parties.
The A6 borrows some of its elements from the current-generation A5, such as the customisable slim front light signatures. Around the back, it opts for a more subtle rear light bar instead, with aggressive taillight clusters flanking either side.
Stealth wealth is the name of the game here, and the A6 always carried itself with a certain unflustered confidence.
Sadly, Singapore buyers do not get access to the Avant, which does appear better-looking and is predictably the more useful of the two body styles.
Promptly in the 21st century
The cabin of the A6 immediately reminds you that Audi has fully embraced the screen age. Ahead of the driver is an 11.9-inch digital display that is clear enough, though not quite as charming or customisable as the old Virtual Cockpit.
Should you find all of that a bit too much, a heads-up display is also on hand for easy speed legibility.
The large 14.5-inch central touchscreen dominates the dashboard, angled towards the driver like an eager waiter taking your order.
It all looks sharp and expensive, but more worryingly, proper physical controls are thin on the ground. Climate functions live on the screen, which is never ideal, though Audi does at least provide shortcuts for disabling some of the more vocal safety systems. Small victories, as they say.
Away from the screens, the cabin is much easier to like. The seats are excellent, the driving position is low and snug, and rear space is generous thanks to this generation being 60mm longer than before. Materials are suitably plush, with leather trim as standard and soft-touch surfaces in most of the places your fingers are likely to wander.
Practicality is strong, with 492 litres of cargo utility available. The space is low and long too, which is great for squarer objects such as suitcases.
Keep it sane, and it is serene
On the road, the A6 is at its best when it is doing what big Audis have long done well: covering distance calmly and quietly.
The 2-litre petrol engine in this is smooth enough at lower revs, but does feel a little stretched when the car is fully loaded or when pushed to its limit.
201bhp and 340Nm is fed to the 7-speed automatic gearbox, and the DSG is predictably smooth as butter. However, the absence of a larger six-cylinder engine is felt. We miss those old torque-rich motors that made long-distance cruising feel effortless, as though the car had simply decided to relocate continents without troubling you.
Still, efficiency remains a strength. Audi’s MHEV Plus mild-hybrid system uses a 1.7kWh battery and two electric motors to allow the engine to switch off while coasting or moving slowly.
It works impressively seamlessly, and if you cruise effectively, you can easily see numbers in the 17-19km/litre range.
With 19-inch rims and cushy tyres, ride comfort is outstanding in the A6, with the suspension absorbing big bumps while keeping the body nicely controlled. It settles nicely on expressways, where the A6 returns to its natural habitat as a relaxed long-distance cruiser.
Dynamically, the A6 is competent rather than captivating. The steering is accurate but light on feel, even in sportier settings. If you are after driver engagement, the BMW 5 Series remains the sharper tool. The Audi is not trying to be that car. It is happier being composed, stable and authoritative.
Sensible is sweet
And perhaps that is the A6’s true appeal. It is not a car that dazzles with personality. It does not bristle with sporting intent or attempt to reinvent the executive saloon. Instead, it focuses on being polished, spacious, comfortable and easy to live with.
Keep things calm, choose sensibly, and the A6 remains a deeply capable executive cruiser.
Technical Specifications
Audi A6 2026
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, Front Wheel Drive
Power: 201 bhp (Combined)
Torque: 340 Nm
Gearbox: 7-Speed DSG (A)
Top Speed: 244 km/h
Fuel Tank Capacity: 56 Litres
Fuel Economy: 13.0 km/litre (claimed)
Price: $393,999 with COE
Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)
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