New Car Preview: 2026 Audi A6 Turns Up the Luxury Tech and Speed

Audi’s mid-size staple is back with a full redesign, and the 2026 A6 wastes no time reminding everyone why this badge carries so much weight. The ninth-generation sedan arrives with more power, richer refinement, and a serious tech glow up, all wrapped in a body that leans sleek and purposeful.

Under the hood sits a thoroughly reworked 3.0 liter turbocharged V6 paired with a 7 speed S tronic dual clutch and standard quattro all wheel drive. Output climbs to 362 horsepower and 406 lb ft of torque, good for a claimed 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited 130 mph top speed. The punchier powertrain is backed by a quieter, calmer cabin thanks to new engine and transmission mounts, optimized gear tooth profiles inside the dual clutch, and even foam rings inside the tires to cut vibration.

Ride and handling options have broadened in all the right ways. Prestige trims now include adaptive air suspension with electronically controlled damping. For drivers who want sharper reflexes, the new Sport plus package adds all wheel steering, a quattro sport rear differential, steel sport suspension lowered 20 mm, and 21 inch Multispoke twist wheels wrapped in summer performance rubber. Red calipers complete the look and the hardware delivers the turn in and traction you expect in a sport tuned luxury sedan.

Audi also went hard at noise control. Front acoustic glass is standard and Prestige buyers can extend acoustic glazing to the rear windows. Door seals and aeroacoustics were reworked, contributing to up to a 30 percent improvement in sound insulation versus the prior generation. The result is a cabin that isolates the chaos of the outside world while still letting you hear the good stuff from the sound system.

Design wise, the A6 stays familiar but cleaner. A low Singleframe grille, crisp headlights, and pronounced shoulder blisters give it presence without trying too hard. Out back, a full width light bar ties in sleek taillamps and a tidy diffuser with functional exhaust finishers. Wheel choices span from standard 19 inch 5 double spoke alloys to the 21 inch setup included with Sport plus. Paint choices run deep with eleven colors, including a new Midnight Green, while the S line black optic package brings darker trim, unique 20 inch wheels, and anthracite rings for extra attitude.

Lighting and screens step into the spotlight. Premium Plus and Prestige models get digital LED daytime running lights with seven selectable front light signatures, and Prestige adds second generation digital OLED rear lamps with seven signatures and 198 individually controlled segments per side. Inside, Audi’s new digital stage anchors the cockpit with an 11.9 inch virtual cockpit and a 14.5 inch MMI touch display. Prestige trims add a 10.9 inch passenger display with privacy shielding so the driver is not distracted. A new configurable head up display can now be used to control certain vehicle and infotainment functions through steering wheel buttons, and its image area is more than 85 percent larger than before.

The A6 still nails the business lounge brief. Materials include leatherette or optional Dinamica micro suede on touch points, soft ambient lighting that traces the dash and doors, and available backlit logos in the Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System grilles. Audi says the top setup delivers either 16 or 20 speakers and up to 810 watts, and Prestige adds headrest speakers that can direct phone calls and navigation prompts precisely to the driver. Three zone climate control is standard with four zone on Premium Plus and Prestige, plus heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Soft close doors are standard on Prestige.

Space and usability get thoughtful touches. A new six segment switchable panoramic glass roof known as the digital curtain opens up the cabin with more front headroom and variable shading patterns. The trunk holds up to 13.5 cubic feet and spans 41.3 inches between the wells, with 40:20:40 folding rear seats for longer cargo. A power trunk is standard.

Chassis tuning hits a wider spread. The A6 rides on five link aluminum suspensions front and rear, with three setups available. The standard suspension is more compliant than before, the Sport suspension lowers ride height by 20 mm, and the adaptive air suspension on Prestige can raise or lower the car for comfort, efficiency, or dynamic driving. In dynamic mode the body drops an additional 10 mm for a hunkered stance, while a lift function now operates up to 53 mph for extra clearance on rough roads. Audi drive select broadens the gap between modes and, for the first time in an A6, you can ask the car to raise or lower itself using simple voice commands.

quattro with ultra technology is standard and can decouple the rear axle under light loads to save fuel, then reengage seamlessly when traction or performance demands it. Under heavy throttle out of a corner the bias moves rearward, approximately 30:70 front to rear. Brake torque vectoring trims understeer by lightly braking the inside wheels, and the revised progressive steering builds in a stiffer, more direct connection for better road feel. With Sport plus, all wheel steering cuts the turning circle by up to a meter to 11.3 meters at low speeds, while same direction rear steering at higher speeds brings rock steady lane changes.

Driver assistance coverage is generous. Every A6 includes adaptive cruise control, lane and side assists, rear cross traffic assist, parking system plus, traffic sign recognition, proactive occupant protection, emergency brake assistant, and a rearview camera. Premium Plus and Prestige add Park assist plus, Adaptive cruise assist, and a Top view camera system.

Audi did not forget the style crowd either. An available Audi exclusive design package on Prestige turns the cabin into a showpiece with Neodymium gold and Baikal blue leather, matching contrast stitching and piping, Baikal blue Dinamica on the dash, and poplar natural silver brown inlays. It pairs beautifully with the Sport plus seats that add heating, ventilation, massage, and pneumatic bolsters to keep you locked in without sacrificing comfort.

Pricing starts at $64,100 for Premium, $67,500 for Premium Plus, and $71,400 for Prestige, plus $1,295 destination and delivery. The 2026 Audi A6 reaches U.S. dealers in the fourth quarter of 2025. On paper it reads like a classic A6 formula turned up just right. In practice it should bring the kind of quiet speed and daily polish that define a proper luxury sport sedan.

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