Best Luxury Car

It took something special for a newcomer to upstage three-time consecutive champion Lexus GS 450h, but the new Audi A6 3.0 TFSi Quattro did just that, outpointing or matching the luxury hybrid in a number of criteria.

Tickle the throttle and the supercharged V6 responds with an enthusiastic surge and, unlike some turbocharged units, there’s no hint of lag. The powerplant has an able partner in the slick and smooth six-speed DSG transmission.

Putting such accomplished driveability to the ground in all conditions is Audi’s lauded Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Add this to its long safety inventory and little wonder the A6 gets a maximum safety rating.

The A6 falls down a little in quality of ride, as it lacks consistency of smoothness over the patchwork quilt that is the fabric of Australian roads.

Audi interiors are something of a benchmark and the A6 maintains the standard, excelling in seating comfort and spaciousness, intelligent but understandable dash and switchgear, and general ambience.

Size does count when it comes to boot space, and with a capacity of 546 litres, the A6 has one of the biggest in class, despite fitting in a full-sized alloy spare.

And if a diesel rather than petrol engine is your thing, there’s the 3.0-litre TDI A6 (for $4000 less) that finished just six points behind its sibling.