First Drive: 2026 Audi A6

March 12, 2026

Roberto Baldwin

The 2026 Audi A6 brings style, fun, and refreshing restraint to the market. (Audi)

Audi has streamlined the A6 lineup. The automaker announced this past summer that the fancier-looking A7 (which was essentially an A6 glow up) was being pulled from the North American market. Now it's reduced the engine offerings from three to one.

After a recent drive of the 2026 model, what's left under the hood was the best choice. But you might want to wait a few months if you're interested in the vehicle.

One Engine

The 2026 Audi A6 is available with the turbocharged 3.0-L 6-cyl. engine mated with the automaker's 7-speed S tronic transmission. That's it. The updated A6 no longer offers multiple engine options, and based on my drive of the 2026, Audi kept the right engine. The updated powertrain even comes with a little boost. Horsepower is increased by 27 hp (20 kW) to 362 hp (270 kW) while torque gets a bump of 37 ft-lb (50 Nm) to 406 lb-ft (550 Nm). The extra power helps push the sedan from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. Audi claims a top speed of 130 mph. (209 kp/h).

Audi continues to deliver interesting lights and lighting signatures. (Audi)

During my drive, I never got close to that number. What I did experience was a refreshing sports sedan that doesn't try to impress by placing more power in the hands of drivers than will ever be used. Instead, the Audi A6 is a balanced driving experience. As part of the VW group, Audi needs to find a spot between Volkswagen and Porsche. Luxury sportiness without being too aggressive. The A6 pulls this off with an engaging powerplant that delivers the appropriate amount of power.

At home in town and twisties

The engine and transmission were paired with a suspension and chassis that understood the assignment. In Comfort mode, it's an air-suspension powered GT that soaks up aberrations in the pavement. Around Palm Springs, California, the A6 felt composed and comfortable. The steering is light yet responsive.

Don't get too comfortable with that steering wheel, it's going away soon. (Audi)

Once we hit the hills above and around Palm Springs, Sport mode unleashed the refined fun of the A6. The steering tightened up, although not as much as more aggressive sport sedans on the market. Reducing the twitchiness of the driving experience is a good thing for this vehicle. The A6 handled tight switchbacks and long sweepers with ease, and the lack of twitchy steering did not take away from the fun of being behind the wheel. The Quattro all-wheel drive system and optional rear-wheel steering (up to five degrees) help. Like most all-wheel drive systems on sports vehicles, engaging all four wheels out of corners creates an experience of confidence. Audi says that while driving out of a corner, the power distribution is biased to the rear wheels at around 30:70.

Styling

The interior is comfortable, luxurious, and creates an engaging driver's cockpit. (Audi)

The sedan, with a drag coefficient of 0.31, gets an updated exterior that blends the lineage of Audi with a few new – and not challenging on the eye –upgrades. The front grill is just a skosh too large, but is slightly offset by the larger air intakes on either side. The lights and light signatures are traditional Audi. The rear of the vehicle feels a little too bulbous around the bottom half, but the new lights are eye-catching. [this seems contradictory]

These pieces should add up to an awkward-looking sedan, but somehow, taken as a whole, it all works. It's an inoffensive and sometimes bland vehicle compared to some of the more aggressively styled vehicles on the road.

Evolving insides

Inside is where things get odd. The infotainment system is not the final infotainment system. The steering wheel is also not final. First off, the A6 ships with an 11.9-in driver display and a 14.5-in infotainment display. If you opt for a top trim, you can also get a 10.9-in passenger display. The infotainment system is new and modern, and it works, but it is also going to be replaced soon via an update. The design will be different, and Audi says it will include more functionality. I have not used this new infotainment system, so I can't say it'll be good, bad, or something else.

It's an odd situation made weirder in that the steering wheel will also be replaced after the vehicle has been on the market for a few months. I drove the steering wheel with the squared off top and bottom. That's going away at some point and will be replaced with a round steering wheel. I have no issue with the current steering wheel and making it more circular will not do much to change the driving dynamic. What is does it give potential owners the ability to make a choice between buying now for the current steering wheel or waiting until the new one is added to the vehicle.

Again, it's a weird situation.

As for the rest of the interior, Audi has done a great job creating a luxury cockpit for drivers and passengers. The seats are comfortable, and the materials exude sport luxury. You're not going to find any cheap plastic, but you will encounter the world of piano black on the center console, so keep a cloth handy to wipe away all the fingerprints.

The rear seats do feel a little tight for a vehicle of this size. Tall adults will be less-inclined to road trip for more than a few hours. Still, the rear seats are comfortable, and there's plenty of headroom.

The trunk feels cavernous with 13.5 ft3 of space. The middle of the rear seat does come down for longer pieces of cargo. Unfortunately, I didn't have any skis, snowboards, or long pieces of lumber to test the additional bit of space.

What Audi has done is create a sensible yet engaging A6 that's going to get an upgrade in a few months, a quirk that may make most potential buyers take pause and wait. With a starting price of $65,395, including a $1,295 destination fee 2026 Audi A6 is available now, or later with a different steering wheel.