Contemplating the arrival of this fleet-targeted variant of Ingolstadt's executive saloon stalwart, I fully anticipated the old ennui to ensue. I certainly didn't expect to get such a kick out of it. Unless you're something of a puzzle book champion, you'd struggle to spot the difference with this facelifted A6, which is nevertheless as elegant and desirable as ever. The family snout has been enlarged, various lines sharpened, new alloys offered, mesmerising and gorgeous scrolling LED lights incorporated, it sits a little lower and S-Line models have a subtle bodykit.

Audi interiors are among the finest and the A6 Ultra felt exquisitely crafted. The Lunar Silver Valcona leather seats would be arduous to keep clean but were beautifully soft and comfortable, and all controls and surfaces felt robust and reservedly classy. The logically-controlled pop-up infotainment screen and clever MMI Touch system are now yesterday's news but still induce a smile and the sat nav and audio systems proved brilliantly effective. Crystal clear instruments completed the special feel. Space was impressive front and rear, abundant for four tall adults, only the bulky transmission tunnel limiting the car's suitability to accommodate five. Scraping the barrel to fault the near-perfect interior, the boot felt a tad limp and I prefer conventional seatback pockets to netted ones. With a 530-litre boot, increasing to just shy of 1,000 litres with the rear seats folded, the A6 Ultra saloon is on a par with the 5 Series, E Class and XF.

Middle and senior management still gravitate towards German two-litre diesels, which are hence indefatigably fettled to remain fresh, competitive and green. My preconception of Audi's ruthlessly efficient 2.0 TDI as unremarkable was instantly blown to smithereens. In fact, it's an absolute peach and I was utterly bowled over by its refinement. Even on bitterly cold mornings there was barely a hint of startup clatter and from henceforth I could hardly tell it was running.

Cocooned from the outside world by luxury and with 190PS and 400Nm poured onto the road like double cream by Audi's new 7-speed, dual-clutch S tronic transmission, refinement bizarrely bordered on hybrid territory. Kicking the gearbox down from stationery, the Ultra sometimes felt ponderous to get off the line and oddly sounded like a CVT on occasion, but with smooth driver inputs, the end result was stress-reducing serenity on tap.

The front-wheel drive A6 Ultra will prove brisk enough for most drivers with a 0-62mph time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 144mph. On the motorway it was utterly effortless, well-suited to business drivers who daily cover hundreds of miles. Venturing onto B-roads, the 18" alloys and suspension setup coped well with dips and poor surfaces, but the Ultra felt incredibly light and somewhat detached, ultimately falling short of a 5 Series on steering feedback and overall sportiness.

Priced from £35,665 and costing £40,980 as tested, the business-oriented A6 Ultra makes resounding sense, its 73-litre fuel tank meaning an achievable 800 mile range when averaging 55mpg like I did. Nudge it closer to the published 67.3mpg and 1,000 miles is theoretically possible. It's a darling with emissions, too, at 110g/km in S Line guise with 18" alloys. Sitting in VED band B and with 18% BIK, fleet managers will love it as much as its drivers will. The A6 Ultra most definitely got under my skin.