This is the all-new Audi A6 which will go on sale in early 2011. The new Audi executive has become very similar to the A8 flagship, inside and out. That’s both good and bad. Good because it now feels more premium, and bad because if you buy it what you are saying about yourself is that you can’t afford an A8!
The car is 4.92 meters (16.14 ft) long and 1.87 meters (6.14 ft) wide, but just 1.46 meters (4.79 ft) high, and is ought to be the sporty choice in this segment. But again, there are more appealing options design wise..
The new Audi A6 looks cold, but it must be heart-warming to drive since it is very advanced technically. Much of the body of the new Audi A6 consists of aluminium and high-tech steels, rendering it exceedingly light, stiff and safe. That means the car’s responsive and corner well, and at the same time provides great comfort thanks to its systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings.
2012 Audi A6 also takes inspirations from its bigger brother, the A8, inside the cabin. The layout of the cabin with its driver-focused curved dash panel, high quality materials, and superb build quality make it a very nice place to be in.
Every detail of the interior is a testament to the care that Audi invests in car making. All materials, including an innovative layered-wood veneer, have been selected and crafted with the utmost care. As an option, the front seats can be equipped with ventilation and massage functions. Classy ambient lighting in the lighting package provides small points of light throughout the interior.
The car looks fine at front with those crazy LED headlights (optional) and the composition of the grille and air intakes. But as you walk toward the back of the car, it seems they didn’t bother and just used a ruler to draw some passionless lines! The new Audi A6 features the logical ergonomics concept that distinguishes all of the brand’s models. A highly efficient automatic air conditioning system and the latest-generation MMI radio operating system are standard; Audi also offers an optional head-up display, which projects important information onto the windshield. The MMI touch operating system is also available as an option. This enables much of the hard-drive MMI navigation plus system to be controlled by means of a touchpad.
The A6 also comes with lots of online services provided by Google! Once you got the car connected to the Internet via the Bluetooth car phone online, a UMTS module pulls images and information from Google Earth up on the monitor and integrates them with the navigation route. A WLAN hotspot provides contact to mobile terminals on board. The top of the hi-fi line is the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System.
The new Audi A6 will be available with 5 different engines, two gasoline engines and three TDI units, with power ranging from 130 kW (177 hp) and 220 kW (300 hp). All these engines come with modular efficiency platform – the start-stop system, the energy recovery system, and the innovative thermal management concept for better fuel efficiency.
The 2.0 TDI, as the most efficient engine in the range, requires on average just 4.9 litres of fuel per 100 km (48.00 US mpg) and emits only 129 g CO2 per km (207.61 g/mile). Then there’s the 2.8 FSI V6 with 150 kW (204 hp) and 280 Nm (206.52 lb-ft) of torque which does 7.4 litres per 100 km (31.79 US mpg), 172 g CO2 per km (276.81 g/mile).
Body
* Light, extremely stiff body, with a significant proportion of aluminium and high-strength steel
* 4.92 meters (16.14 ft) long, 2.91-meter (9.55 ft) wheelbase, 530-liter (18.72 cubic ft) trunk capacity
* Optional xenon plus and LED headlights with LED tail lights, as well as adaptive light with headlight range control
Interior
* Spacious interior offering an ambiance of luxury
* Standard MMI radio operating system, engine start-stop button, multifunction steering wheel, two screens, and high-efficiency two-zone automatic air conditioning system
* Head-up display and ambient lighting available as options
* Optional front seats with ventilation and massage function
Engines
* Wide selection of engines, two gasoline engines and three TDI units at launch
* Redeveloped 130 kW (177 hp) 2.0 TDI, emitting 129 g CO2 per km (207.61 g/mile)
* A6 hybrid with system performance of 180 kW (245 hp)
* Manual transmission, multitronic, or S-tronic for the drivetrain
* Four-cylinder with front-wheel drive, V6 with Quattro drive standard or optional
* Quattro drive with new crown-gear centre differential, optional sport differential
Chassis
* Sophisticated chassis design, wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches in diameter
* High-efficiency electromechanical power steering
* ESP with electronic limited-slip differential on front-wheel-drive models
* Selective torque vectoring with Quattro drive
* Audi drive select dynamic handling system standard
* Optional adaptive air suspension with controlled damping
Assistance and infotainment systems
* Optional MMI navigation plus with MMI touch and 8-inch display, Internet services by Google, and Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System
* Advanced safety and assistance systems such as Audi pre sense, control with stop & go function, Audi active lane assist, Audi side assist, night vision assistant with highlighting of detected pedestrians, speed limit display, and park assist.
