Audi A6 review

lighter, more aerodynamic

A6 Resurfaces As Dynamic Driver’s Car
If You Think The Design Is Too Conservative, The A7 Is For You
**** out of 5

For – understated pinnacle of technology and luxury, great drive
Against – anonymous looking

“The new design certainly makes the A6 into a proper driver’s car which can compete head-on with class leaders like BMW and Jaguar”

Audi has redesigned its middle range A6, and the lighter, shorter, lower and more aerodynamic new model is on sale now across Europe. Prices start at £30,145 for the two litre diesel with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The A6 looks very similar to the outgoing model, although the company points out that its technology content makes it very different. Audi’s insistence on its new mainstream designs being evolutionary rather than revolutionary makes a lot more sense now that there are A5s and A7s as part of the model range. If buyers want a more eye-catching design, these odd numbered cars in the range certainly fill the bill. Those who want their upmarket company cars to be unobtrusive and modest looking will certainly prefer the latest iteration of the A6. And that’s the advantage when you have the scale of Audi, built on the resources of parent company Volkswagen. Think of the resources required for BMW to make a modest looking BMW 5 series, and a lairy one too.

Audi says it has cut a lot of weight using lightweight aluminium and steel hybrid body construction. Aluminium accounts for more than 20 per cent of the body panels. The 2.0 litre diesel version weighs 1,575 kg, that’s 15 per cent less than an all-steel equivalent, according to Audi, which sees this as a good basis to seek better fuel efficiency. Audi plans a hybrid version late this year, combining an electric motor with a 2.0 litre, 242 hp turbo-charged petrol engine. This will produce up to 45.6 mpg, according to Audi.

At launch in Britain you can chose from four engines – three diesels and one petrol. There’s a two litre, 175 hp diesel, a three litre, 202 hp diesel, a three litre 242 hp diesel and a three litre, 296 hp petrol. The last three are all V6s. All incorporate start-stop, energy recovery, and thermal management technology.

Discipline
“As a result, fuel economy has improved by up to 19 per cent compared with the previous model, pushing the A6 to the front of the cars in this discipline,” Audi says.

You can choose a manual six-speed gearbox, or a continuously variable multitronic CVT automatic, or a seven-speed twin clutch automatic if you opt for the four-wheel drive quattro.  The first A6 for the U.S. market will start with the 3.0 litre petrol V6 motor with an 8-speed tiptronic automatic, and there will also be a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo-charged engine. No doubt these versions will also be available in Europe later.

In Britain there will two specification levels – SE and S line – each including alloy wheels, leather upholstery, cruise control and front and rear parking controls, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, spilt/folding rear seats, light and rain sensors. S line models add larger wheels, xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, sports suspension, upgraded Valcona leather upholstery and a special exterior and interior styling.

When you climb into the driver’s seat, you’ll see the new cockpit-style wraparound dashboard.; very smart. Press the start button and the satellite navigation screen emerges from the dash and slides into an upright position. As you move away, the car feels sharper and more alive than the previous model. On the highways and back-roads the A6 is quiet and competent. The new design certainly makes the A6 into a proper driver’s car which can compete head-on with class leaders like BMW and Jaguar.

High tech options
Audi has plenty of high-tech options available on top. You can opt for a special high fallutin’ sound system, and adaptive cruise control. The satnav will not only seek out your route, it will also liaise with the headlights to allow them to penetrate further into the distance when it knows you are on a highway, or spread the beam lower in town. When you approach a crossroads, the lights will react accordingly. When another vehicle lurches into your blind-spots, the computer will alert you.

VW has tasked Audi with overtaking BMW as the biggest luxury carmaker in the world by 2015 when annual sales should hit 1.5 million. Audi sold about one million A6s over its seven year life, and aims to sell about one third more of the new version. Audi is thinking about building a plant in the U.S., and has set a deadline of 2015 to make up its mind. Meanwhile, VW’s new Chattanooga, Tenn., plant is about to produce its first cars, so speculation centres on this also being a likely location for Audi production.

Stay calm
A word of warning to those about to rush out and buy their new A6; you will need to be calm and restrained when the salesmen sits you down to make your final choices. The add-on options are attractive but pricey. Of the cars available at the press launch, the 2.0 litre TDI SE had a regular on the road price of £30,145, but ended up costing £37,885. The 3.0 litre TDI Quattro SE S tronic started at £38,300 and finished at £47,485, and one – the 3.0 litre TFSI Quattro SE S tronic began at £38,200 and soared on up to £57,770. The biggest item on the extras list was £2,600 for adaptive cruise control with stop-go, lane intrusion warning. That sounds impressive and useful, as does £1,930 for adaptive lighting and high-beam assist, but I’m not so sure about 20 inch 10 spoke anthracite partly polished alloy wheels – £2,500, or power operated boot lid – £545.

(Audi provided a hotel)

Neil Winton – April 15, 2011