To be a player in the midsize luxury segment you have to be bold. You have to present a vehicle that has the looks, luxury and performance that exists throughout this segment.

My tester for the week was fresh off a makeover — the 2012 Audi A6. Previous A6 models had been considered by some to be average and vanilla.

Completely redesigned for 2012, there was nothing vanilla about this A6. My tester was the A6 3.0 TFSI quattro, which has you everything you could want from a luxury sedan — a supercharged, 8-speed transmission and all-wheel drive.

On looks alone, the A6 has a handsome, audacious posture. The front grille is large with curved LED headlights. As good as they look in the daylight, they are even more impressive at night.

The wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer, but that extra bulk is well-concealed. It’s the interior that takes advantage, as legroom is ample, especially in the backseat where three passengers can fit comfortably.

Comfortable leather seats are soft and hugging. I sat in other Audi models and found those seats to be too firm. Not so with this A6. Consider it the Goldilocks version, as it was just right. Heated and cooled seats make them even better.

A Bose surround system really added to the entertainment system, which, like many of its other German competitors, I found to be cumbersome and difficult to manage. The one feature that was simply amazing was the Google-based navigation system. Using Google Earth images, you not only receive turn-by-turn directions, but could see your exact destination and all your surroundings.

Hands-down it was the best navigation system I’ve seen in any vehicle.

Regardless of where you were navigating, the A6’s 3.0-liter V6 supercharged engine was up for the task. With 310 horsepower, the A6 is plenty fast. There is absolutely no lag in the turbo and the 8-speed automatic transmission is a perfect complement to the high performance of the engine. The brakes of the A6 were flawless, giving the perfect amount of grip without being too firm or too mushy.

Audi’s quattro, permanent all-wheel drive system adds further grip. A jaunt through the twists and turns of a park provided an exhilirating driving experience. The rear torque bias offers up sporty handling.

Fuel economy of this new A6 is improved due in part to a decrease in body weight (down 78 pounds). Audi accomplishes this by using more aluminum in the body structure. This gives it a lighter, smoother driving experience, but also helps take the fuel economy up a bit to 19 MPG city and 28 MPG highway.

In a week’s worth of heavy-footed, “fun” driving, I averaged 22 MPG, which I found to be quite acceptable, considering.

A smaller 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder base model starts at $41,000. The V6 A6, with quattro, would be the prefered model and has a base price of $49,900. My tester, with the added Prestige and Sport packages, had a final price of $63,555.

When compared to its competition, the A6 should now be considered a major player in the midsize luxury segment. With new looks, luxurious amenities and high performance, its makeover can be considered a huge success.

Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor