2024 Audi A6: The art of balance
What makes driving the 2024 Audi A6 a rather enjoyable experience is the suspension. It neither makes you feel like you are floating like ultra luxurious executives, nor does it feel like a sports car. It’s just perfect
European cars, in retrospect, have always been straightforward. You pay a chunk of your income to a company for personal transport and you get your money's worth — most of the time.
The Audi A6, for example, has been one of the more prominent luxury models from Deutschland that has left a defining mark from the early 2000s. Because of its subdued styling and driving dynamics, once experienced, it is hard to switch from the 'rings'.
This latest edition is no exception, and from the likes of the Mercedes E Class and the BMW 5 series, which are more about innovation, Audi took the route to refinement, as nothing feels like a gimmick.
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The styling of the new A6 remains much the same from when the C8 generation was first introduced in 2018. For the 2024 model, it receives a restyled grill and headlamps, instituting much aggression from earlier models, yet remaining rather simple and muted. The body still remains the same streamlined chunk of metal with smooth flowy lines not contouring much. It is a car which sits very easy in the eyes of the beholder.
Some might call it boring, I call it mature. It does not try to be a sports car, nor does it try to look bigger than it actually is. The rear taillights of the A6, with the iconic sequential indicators define the whole rear fascia, as the body remains simple. The A6 is like clear soup — the vegetables give it colour and texture, and once you taste it, the surprise makes you go for another spoonful.
The interior of the Audi A6 is perhaps my favourite from the 'big three' of this generation, because the simplicity does not end. It is solid, and the use of top of the line materials give it the bass in the song it sings. Nothing squeaks, rattles or does what is not meant to do.
The leather used in the ventilated bolstered seats are soft and extremely comfortable, including the leather in the hand rests and interaction points. Tastefully placed nickel on the door handles and centre console, and the use of rich, textured wood makes the interior warm and comfortable, which is what a daily drive car needs.
The infotainment is high quality and responsive — as soon as you start the car up, it redirects you to the Bluetooth settings, a feature which honestly deserves more appreciation since rummaging through 10 different menus to find phone connectivity is annoying.
The sound system is nothing fancy and gets the job well done, The optional Bang and Olufsen, which our car did not have, should be worth it. Also, it supports Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto.
One thing that might not go with your tastes in the interior is the absence of knobs and buttons for climate control; it is done with a screen, but it was responsive and easy to get used to.
Driving the A6 was a chef's kiss. The leather lined steering wheel is comfortable and the steering response, although a bit on the floatier side, goes where you want to go.
But what makes driving a rather enjoyable experience is the suspension. It neither makes you feel like you are floating like ultra luxurious executives, nor does it feel like a sports car. It's just perfect. It takes bumps with ease and gives you enough response where you would be aware of the bump being there, which you might need to avoid if you use the same road again.
The variant we tested was the 40TSFI which comes with a 2000cc turbo four cylinder paired with a crispy 8-speed transmission. While you might think 201 bhp and 320 Nm of torque is a bit lacking, where you are sort of right, it seemed adequate torque to swift through Dhaka gridlocks, as the gas pedal is responsive.
If you do opt for the 45TSFI, which also comes with the same engine and AWD, that could be a better buy, but if you plan on getting this model, nothing feels sluggish or lacking.
The Audi A6 remains the modest sibling among the Mercedes Benz E Class and the BMW 5 Series, but I strongly felt the A6 is a better all rounder than both of the models. It is rather the anti-hero ethos that drives me towards the A6.
With subtle styling and super refined dynamics, it is a rather good formula for a car which you will be sitting in daily. Priced at about Tk1.75 crore, far less than the competition, it is a lot of car for the money, and you will not be disappointed with it.
Specifications:
Engine: 2000cc turbo four cylinder
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Max Power: 201 bhp at 5,000 rpm
Max Torque: 320 Nm at 1,600 rpm
Price: Tk1.75 crore
