Audi A6 vs Genesis G80

What's the difference?

I was thoroughly impressed by the Audi A6 Allroad 45 TDI quattro 2020 model. It is excellent on road, resolved and comfortable on unsealed surfaces, and very well packaged for family touring.

I’d personally have it in a heartbeat over a Q7 or any SUV, for that matter. I can understand why some buyers wouldn’t consider it, but if you’re someone who likes to think outside of the boxy SUV, then be sure to take a look at the Audi A6 Allroad.

The Genesis Electrified G80 Luxury is feature-laden and comes with fantastic ongoing costs. This thing handles superbly, has enough power to satisfy and the cabin space feels luxurious. It’s a bit smaller in the cabin and boot than its size suggests, so will suit a small family best, but it's a damn fine example of what a luxury EV sedan can be.

My kid didn't want to give this one back and there was a risk of tears with the loss of the screens in the back and the power he had (mwah ha ha).

If this isn’t the best looking genre of car, I must have been blindfolded since birth. You might think differently - be sure to let me know in the comments section below.

But for me, I just love the idea of a station wagon that is beefed up with SUV styling cues, and the Audi Allroad formula has been en pointe for generations now. This latest A6 Allroad doesn’t disappoint, either, with all the elements you’d expect.

Things like the bulging contrasting wheel-arch liners, the rugged underbody protection bash plates, and even the silver roof rails and silver metallic side sill protectors with ‘quattro’ emblazoned upon them - it just all works. 

And being an Audi A6 wagon underneath the glittery bits, it’s a sizeable vehicle. The dimensions read like so: length - 4951mm; wheelbase - 2925mm; width - 1902mm; height - 1458mm, though that depends on the height of the air suspension. 

The A6 Allroad sits about 45 millimetres higher than the standard A6 Avant wagon (not sold in Australia). And the ground clearance also varies depending on the air suspension height setting, but it is officially recorded at 139mm - which isn’t very high at all, but that’s for the regular driving setup. In its raised height, that jumps by 45mm to 184mm. Nowhere near an off-road Toyota, but still high enough to stop the belly from scraping.

And there are other hardware bits to help you out if the going gets tough - out of sight is Audi’s ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system with a self-locking centre differential that the brand says provides “superior traction and its high level of safety and agile handling”. There is hill descent control, and the infotainment screen can display the location, elevation, compass and driving angles, too.

As for the design of the interior? It’s high-tech Audi opulence and comfort at its best. Check out the interior pictures to see what I mean.

With its rounded nose and solid body, this four-door leans more towards the ‘luxury saloon’ aesthetic than a sports car vibe.

However, some elements hint at this car's powerful prowess, such as the turbine-like 19-inch alloys, quad LED lights at the front and rear and the swoopy roofline.

The interior is handsome and the quilted tan Nappa-leather seats are naturally dyed, which is a cool feature. The suede-look headliner and two-tone door trims are all various shades of brown, which I’m not usually a fan of, but it creates an aura of old-world glamour inside.

However, while the chrome accents enhance that effect, the forged wood panels look out of place. They don’t look like wood, more like that rainbow pattern you can get when you mix oil on water.

While it might not be as sexy as the Audi or Beemer, I’d argue it looks statelier and more refined. It drew looks wherever I went and I especially adore the 'Matira Blue' paintwork.

It’s designed to resemble the colour variations found at Matira Beach on Bora-Bora, French Polynesia, and it’s just gorgeous.

Technical. Practical. Glorious. Three words I’d use to describe the cabin of the Audi A6 Allroad. 

The cockpit isn’t anything out of the ordinary for an Audi of the modern era, and as such it will feel familiar to you if you’ve been in or around any of its more recent stablemates. It also means that you’ll find yourself in a high-end, high-tech and highly pleasant interior. The materials used are beautiful and of a high standard. They look very nice and it is an extremely pleasant place to be. And you can hate on me if you want, but I’m sold on brown leather. Yummo!

It will take some time for you to get to grips with the dual-touchscreen layout of the cabin, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.

The media screen is very easy to use, the menus are simple to learn, and over my week there were absolutely no issues with Apple CarPlay - either when connected via USB, or when used wirelessly.

The second screen below controls a lot of the main functions of the air conditioning system, and while I’m not a huge fan of using a screen to touch through temperature and fan controls, this one has haptic feedback and is well positioned - it’s not as much of a glance away from the road as in, say, a Land Rover or Range Rover. There’s also a volume knob which is good, and quick buttons for Drive Select and demister for front and rear windscreens.

In terms of the practicalities, there are bottle holders in the doors, a pair of cup holders between the front seats, a covered centre console bin with Qi wireless phone charging (remember not to leave your phone in there!) and there are two USB ports in there, plus a SIM card slot and SD card slot as well.   

The seat comfort is very good - there’s electric adjustment on both seats with lumbar adjustment, and the driver’s seat gets memory settings as well. The electric steering wheel adjust is a nice touch as well, and there’s a remote boot release trigger, too.

There are twin sunroofs, and the front one can tilt and slide while the rear one is fixed. It helps lighten things up a bit if you have the optional dark headlining, which I personally wouldn’t choose.

Rear seat space is excellent. Sitting behind my own 182cm driver’s seat position, I had easily enough legroom, headroom and shoulder room - in fact, the rear pew is so accommodating, it could easily fit three of me across - but foot space is a little tight due to the large transmission tunnel. 

Those in the back are well catered for – there are 2x USB ports, a pair of large door pockets with bottle holders, twin mesh map pockets, a flip down armrest with storage and cupholders, and our car had quad zone climate control (as part of the optional Premium Plus package - standard is three-zone climate), plus there are centrally mounted directional air vents and in the door pillars at face height. Our tester also had those optional manual sunblinds, which would certainly help those in the back get some shut-eye on longer trips. 

The centre section of the rear seat can be split folded down on its own as well – so you have 40:20:40 rear seat folding, which is great for skis or snowboards. Plus there are two ISOFIX child seat attachments and three top-tether points available for baby seats. And one of the most excellent additions to any car ever – illuminated seat belt buckle receivers. It just makes it that much easier to see at night.

If you need to fold down those rear seats, there are boot-mounted triggers. That’ll help expand the luggage capacity from the standard 565 litres (VDA) to an expansive 1680L (VDA). The cargo hold easily fit the three CarsGuide suitcases (124L, 95L and 36L) with room to spare.

There is no Audi Allroad seven seater, though. And that’s potentially where something like a Q7 makes more sense, depending on your intent. 

It’s a low car to get in and out of, so I really like the comfort access function, where the seat slides back for easier access.

Once you’re in, you have plenty of head, leg and elbow room in both rows. Although, I did notice the sun visor felt very close to my head from my driving position. And if you sit closer to the wheel, you’ll be ducking your head to even pull it down.

The comfort factors up front cannot be downplayed – this has a sense of luxury from every angle. The seats are beautiful to sit in on a long trip and I especially like the massage function on the driver’s side. You also enjoy heat and ventilation functions plus a heated steering wheel.

Individual storage options are good up front with two cupholders, a drink bottle holder in each door, glove box and a middle console.

There is also a narrow utility tray that has the wireless phone charging pad, two USB-A ports and a 12-volt socket but I was hoping for the faster USB-C ports at this price point.

The rear seats are also well-cushioned but the space is narrower than at the front. The curved C-pillar makes you feel like you’re being tucked in and that makes it more like a four-seater than a five-seater for passenger comfort. This is further highlighted by the cockpit-like controls in the fold-down middle armrest.

These controls are a similar set up to the front multimedia system and are connected to two 9.2-inch touchscreens on the backs of the seats.

Annoyingly, back seaters can also access (and control) the front audio and climate controls. I didn’t find a way to disconnect this access and my six-year old was pleased as punch.

They also control the heat function on the outboard seats and the retractable rear window sun-blind. In the armrest’s middle console, you get a single USB-A port and two 'aux' inputs to hook up a couple of headphone sets.

I loved being able to entertain my son on our road trip but you can’t just hook up a phone and play Netflix or Disney. It has to be a video file on some sort of hard drive.

The multimedia system is simple enough and it uses a combination of touch and a rotary dial to operate.

The 12.0-inch coloured head-up display is clear and the 3D 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is cool but it did take my eyes a bit to get used to it as it can look like a hologram at times.

Surprisingly, this car only features wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The built-in satellite navigation is probably the fiddliest to use out of all of the systems because it flips between three functions – rotary dial, press-buttons and a touchpad but the option of ‘writing’ your address is cool.

The boot is an interesting one as it’s small for this class at 354L. To accommodate the electrics, the shape is stepped and it makes for an awkward space for bigger items like luggage.

I had plenty of room for my bits and groceries, though, and I enjoyed the powered tailgate with proximity opening feature.

There’s only one model for the electric G80, the ‘Luxury’, and it will cost $145,675, before on-road costs.

Worth noting that's around $30K more than the equivalent combustion-only model. And with a price tag like that, it’s in good company with the Mercedes-Benz EQE350 4Matic at $144,900 and BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport at $155,900. However, Audi’s e-tron GT beats them all at $178,875!

Being the only model available and having luxury in its name should indicate how well-specified the G80 is.

For appointments, you’ll enjoy heated and ventilated front seats, electric front seats with memory function for the driver, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and even a massage function on the driver’s seat (which I was very sad to part with at the end of my week).

It also features soft-close doors, which is a nice touch.

There are some great practical features as well, like a powered tailgate with proximity opening function, laminated front windows that muffle external noise and insulate the interior, solar panels (genius!) and retractable sunblinds on the rear doors and back window.

Other standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, three-zone climate control, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in satellite navigation and a massive 14.5-inch multimedia system.

Back seat passengers also enjoy two 9.2-inch digital touchscreens on the backs of the front seats that hook into the front sound system and allow you to play videos and music. 

Under the bonnet of the Audi A6 Allroad is what Audi labels the ‘45 TDI’ - a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine that produces 183kW of power (from 2750-4500rpm) and 600Nm of torque (from 1500-3000rpm).

The engine is only available mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and Audi’s renowned ‘quattro’ all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. 

Audi claims this 1980kg wagon can run from 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. It is a hummer of an engine - more on that in the driving section below.

Towing capacity is pegged at 750kg for an unbraked trailer, and maxes out at 2500kg for a braked trailer.

Should Aussies feel short changed when it comes to the engine options here? Arguably, yes - and that’s despite the powertrain offered here still being a stormer. 

There’s only one spec available Down Under, and even it doesn’t get the most up-to-date emissions tech. There isn’t AdBlue urea treatment (meaning this is a Euro 5 engine), and our cars have essentially been de-specced to miss out on the latest 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, which is standard on all grades of the A6 Allroad in Europe. Maybe that is part of the reason the cost is down, this time around. 

And while the outputs of the 45 TDI in Australia are pretty decent, other markets have the A6 Allroad offered in 50 TDI (210kW/620Nm) and 55 TDI (257kW/700Nm) trims. Remember, though - this is a very niche player here. 

The Electrified G80 has a fully electric powertrain and a big lithium-ion battery with an 87.2kWh capacity. There are two electric motors – one on each axle. It’s an all-wheel-drive with a combined power output of 272kW and 700Nm.

Yep, this baby has the goods and it delivers them beautifully on the road. It can go from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.

Audi claims the 45 TDI powertrain in the A6 Allroad will use 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s the official Australia fuel consumption figure on the combined-cycle test. CO2 emissions are claimed at 174g/km.

During my time in the Audi A6 Allroad I saw an average fuel use return of 7.4L/100km - which was taken over highways, back roads, unsealed roads and twisty bits. There was even some urban stop-start in there, too. I think that’s pretty darn good for a car of this size.

Fuel tank capacity is 63 litres, meaning a real-world range of 851km based on my fuel consumption.

As mentioned above, the A6 Allroad is a mild hybrid model in other markets, but not in Australia. We don’t even get the Euro 6-compliant version here, as there’s no incentive for it to be offered locally - as in, there’s not even AdBlue treatment. 

There’s no electric version (though you might want to look at the all-new Audi e-tron)  or plug in hybrid, and no petrol model either.

The G80 has a great driving range of up to 520km, although the top km range I saw was 510km. The official combined cycle power consumption figure is 19.1kWh/100km but my average usage was around 17.2kWh.

That's pretty good considering how much open-road driving I did this week.

The regen braking has four levels, with the highest enabling one-pedal driving. The regen braking feels on the right side of firm and you’ll gain battery percentage going down a mountain.

This has a Type 2 charging port with a CCS DC connector, meaning you can hook it up to a fast charger. It can also accept the speeds from an ultra-fast 350kW charger and you can get from 10 to 80 per cent in just 22 minutes!

If you get on an 11kW charger, you’d expect that time to creep up closer to eight hours.

The Electrified G80 also has a vehicle to load function, so you can charge up devices using the car’s power while on the road.

Another cool feature is a solar panel in the roof for passive battery charging while parked and on the go!

Here’s where the A6 Allroad separates itself from, say, an Audi Q5 or Q7. It’s a low-slung wagon, made for touring on country roads, doubling down on dirt backtracks and cruising comfortably on the freeway.

It’s not as upright as a Q5 or Q7, and that means it has a lower centre of gravity - so it feels more hunkered down, more settled into the surface below.  

And in the case of the A6 Allroad, there’s adaptive air suspension all around to cushion the car from what lies beneath. For the most part, that air suspension is superb - it absorbs big bumps and lumps very well, though the oversized 21-inch optional wheels can’t disguise sharp edges from those in the cabin. 

The general compliance is very good, and as I found out first hand, you can easily soak up hundreds of kilometres without feeling the affects of the road underneath you - even over bumpy country back roads and lumpy dirt sections.

The steering could be better; it’s a little bit vague and heavy on centre at higher pace, but at lower speeds it is light and amicable. Very easy to park despite its size, and easy to manoeuvre around town, too.

The engine builds pace with superb linearity, and it’s very quiet and refined as well. There is a tiny bit of turbo lag at lower speeds or from a standstill – but it is completely manageable and never feels like it’s sluggish at all. The 0-100km/h claim of 6.5 seconds seems achievable, too. 

The eight-speed automatic transmission was mostly very smart and well sorted - although in other VAG models with this engine family/eight-speed auto, the transmission never felt quite as busy at higher speeds. I noticed it shuffling between seventh and eighth gears more than I was expecting, given how much torque the engine has. It’s not annoying at all, and nor is it unrefined, and could well have something to do with attempting to save fuel rather than leaving it in top gear.

During night driving, the optional HD Matrix LED headlights were exceptional - among the best headlight technology that I’ve ever encountered. The ‘matrix’ technology means they can blank out oncoming traffic or cars in front of you while keeping the high-beam on in other areas. The auto headlights with auto high beam worked very well, too.

The plan was never to do a serious off road review, but I did do some driving on unsealed roads and found the Allroad to be excellent. 

Through slippery unsealed corners it exhibited excellent traction, though you can feel the weight of the car shifting from side to side when you pivot through corners. There was a touch of skittishness over mid-corner bumps, but again that could be more to do with the big wheels than anything else.

I came away thinking that if you had your eyes closed, you wouldn’t even know that you were on dirt or gravel. It really is an exceptional car across sealed and unsealed roads. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed driving this car. It has heaps of power and even with the firm regen braking, it never feels jolty or jarring. The power distribution is well-balanced.

The handling is superb because it manages to feel both graceful and fun. The steering is tight, which gives a sportier performance than I was expecting.

The adaptive suspension also makes this feel like it’s connected to the road when you hit corners.

The ride comfort is up there with the best and I’ve enjoyed how quiet the cabin is, too. There's very little wind or road noise, even at higher speeds.

No issues with parking because of the top-notch 360-degree view camera system but you feel its 5.0m length when you’re trying to navigate one of those skinny car park ramps.

I like the remote parking feature on the key fob, too. Great for a tight car spot!

The G80 comes filled to the brim with safety features and like its stablemates, I like the blind-spot view monitor that pops a video feed of your blind spot onto the instrument panel.

I also like the 'Safe Exit Assist' feature (when a passenger opens a door to exit the car and an approaching vehicle is detected arriving from behind the system sounds a warning). Great for the city.

The G80 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021. It also has a whopping 10 airbags, including a front centre airbag and side-chest airbags on both rows (not just the front).

Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree view reversing camera, reversing light guidelines, traffic sign recognition, driver attention monitor, and adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality.

The automatic emergency braking has car, pedestrian, and cyclist detection and is operational from 5.0-200km/h.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tethers, but you wouldn’t bother trying to get three kids back there. This isn’t that sort of family car.

You do have plenty of room, though, if you need to install a 0-4 rearward facing child seat.

Audi offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is as good as BMW, but not as good as Lexus (four years/100,000km) or Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Genesis (five years/unlimited kilometres). It’s falling behind in the luxury sphere.

The company offers reasonably priced capped price ownership plans for maintenance. Purchasers can roll in the cost of either a three-year service plan ($2170) or a five-year plan ($3300). That covers off the usual service items due every 12 months/15,000km.

Roadside assist is included for the period of the new car warranty.

With the G80 you’ll enjoy a five-year/unlimited km warranty and an eight-year warranty on the battery. Plus, you get complimentary servicing for up to five years or 75,000km, whichever occurs first.

It's usual to see longer servicing intervals on EVs but hey, free is free.

You can choose to have an at-home wall charger installed or a ChargeFox subscription that gives you free charging for up to five years.

Genesis is leading the market with its customer-first ownership approach. Very few luxury brands include complimentary anything, so this is lovely to see.