Are you looking for the perfect German sport sedan? Many buyers may immediately think of BMW as the answer, but Audi has been amping up its number of sporty models lately, with models like the RS6 Avant and RS7. But what we have here is the 2020 Audi S6, which is a true sport sedan, that also finds a nice balance of comfort and luxury.
The 2020 S6 is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that’s mated to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The powertrain generates 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. All that power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. That’s enough power to accelerate the S6 from 0 to 60 mph in a nice 4.4 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 155 mph. Thanks to the mild-hybrid system and an electric compressor turbo lag is almost non existent.
The V6 picks up speed fast when you push the pedal to the floor, but at the same time it’s also fine with less fun activities, like a quick run to the neighborhood grocery store. There’s also power when you want it, like you’d expect from a true sport sedan. The only gripe we have is that we wish the sound of the V6 had a bit more meat to it.
While the engine does a great job of bringing the sport to the S6, you don’t have to worry that it’s suspension will beat you up. The S6’s ride quality is great. The air suspension soaks up the road’s imperfections and there’s no extra body roll. It’s smooth sailing in the S6. If you to tighten things up a bit, you can also select the Dynamic mode which firms up the suspension, but without making it too stiff.
Once you reach the twisties, the S6’s steering and brakes are ready to play. The steering is perfectly weighted and quick, while the brakes are strong. On our jaunt through the hills of Angeles Crest, in Los Angeles, the S6 performed flawlessly.
With 444 horsepower on tap, you’d be quick to assume that the S6 will drink fuel like a fish. But instead it gets respectable numbers at 18 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.
Inside the S6 continues to shine with one of the best interiors you’ll find in this class. We’re not too surprised here, since Audi has continued to lead the pack with its interior design. The S6’s interior isn’t too different from the standard S6, but it’s wrapped in leather, open-pore wood and aluminum.
There’s also plenty of tech features, like the Audi’s Virtual Cockpit with its reconfigurable displays. The system can switch between showing you gauges, a full navigation screen or even what song is playing on the audio system. In the center stack there’s a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 8.6-inch screen below it for the climate controls. Both screens are easy to use and respond to inputs fast.
On the safety front, the base S6 ($74,895, including the destination fee) doesn’t come standard a lot of driver assistance tech features. Instead you have to add the $2,250 Driver Assistance package that adds adaptive cruise control, side assist, rear cross-traffic alert, a lane-keeping system and traffic sign recognition. If you opt for the S6 Prestige ($80,595) you get the driver assistance features, plus a head-up display, power trunk and matrix-design LED headlights.
At the end of the day it’s hard to find any big faults with the 2020 Audi S6. It’s a a great midsize luxury sport sedan that finds the near perfect balance between sport and comfort.
