Step into the rear of the A6 and you’ll question the logic of spending more money on any full-size luxury car. It’s simply huge, with ample legroom and headroom for even the tallest rear-seat passengers. Unfortunately, it’s no more able to transport five people in comfort than a Ford Mondeo, thanks to the unforgiving middle seat-back, formed from the fold-down centre armrest.
It’s as capacious up front, but more noticeable is the switch to a driver-focused set-up. All controls are now angled toward the driver, but the result isn’t as attractive as the A8’s cabin, and not every front-seat passenger will like the barren expanse of dashboard facing them.
The quality of the interior trim is first class: every switch moves like a precision instrument, every surface is pleasing to the eye and to the touch. Audi’s iDrive-besting MMI (multi-media interface) is standard on all A6s, and controls ventilation, navigation and hi-fi functions. Other goodies on the test car included keyless entry and ignition – useful, but pricey at £800.
Previous A6s earned a reputation for swallowing luggage and the new car continues that tradition. There are 546 litres of space, and the load bay is sensibly shaped and deep. If a can of soup rolls to the front after a trip to the supermarket, you may need to send out a search party.
It’s becoming harder to make a rational case for a petrol-powered exec when there’s an oil-burning equivalent that’s as quick and refined, yet costs far less to fuel, insure and run. The noise and revvy nature of a petrol engine will always appeal to the enthusiast though, and this unit’s FSI direct-injection technology should help balance out those sums. That’s the theory; in practice the middle-sitting petrol A6 averages 24.1mpg, falls into the top company car tax bracket, and is likely to be worth just half of what you paid for it in three years’ time. A BMW 530i is likely to be worth 60 per cent and a Mercedes-Benz E320 64 per cent.