What is it?
This is the sixth generation of the sedan that launched in 1968 as the Audi 100. In overall length, the next A6 is a hair shorter than the 2011 model, but it's an inch wider. Its wheelbase has been stretched three inches, pushing the wheels further toward the corners and increasing interior volume. The new unibody has 20 percent more aluminum that its predecessor, and the finished car weighs about 80 pounds less, even though it comes standard with more stuff.
The least-expensive 2012 A6 in North America will be powered by Audi's ubiquitous 2.0-liter TFSI turbo, delivering 210 hp through a continuously variable automatic, front-drive only. The four-cylinder replaces Audi's previous-generation 3.2-liter V6. The upgrade engine--Audi's 3.0-liter supercharged V6--gets 10 more horsepower than 2011 models, with standard quattro AWD. U.S. customers will get an eight-speed torque-converter automatic with the 3.0 TFSI, rather than the seven-speed dual-clutch auto used in most markets. Audi's product planners in the United States insist that while the company's DSG automatic is popular in some models, A6 customers will prefer the smoother torque-converter trans.
Audi's 3.0 TDI turbodiesel is in the A6 product plan for North America, arriving sometime within the next two years but probably after the next S6. The company isn't saying much about the S6 powertrain, but we'd bet on the DSG and either Audi's V10 or a blown V8. The A6 hybrid introduced at this year's Detroit auto show, surprisingly, is not in the plan for North America. Neither is the A6 Avant.
As we'd expect, there's a ton of new technology in this car. Highlights include lane-departure control that nudges the car back between the stripes, self-parking electronics that work for both parallel and perpendicular spaces, an elaborate new head-up display, full high- and low-beam LED headlights and variable headlight-range control, which measures surroundings and oncoming traffic and projects light accordingly. The latest-gen Audi multimedia interface has a console-mounted touchpad that starts searches when letters are traced on its surface, and it can be equipped with a wireless LAN that will deliver Internet access to up to eight portable devices.
With the pending launch of the slightly larger A7, the A6's role in Audi's lineup changes a bit. The four-door A7 was created as the more emotional, design-driven car, in the fashion of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The A6 is supposed to be the more rational, function-first, down-to-business intermediate luxury sedan. That said, the A6 remains a truly handsome, lithely proportioned car, with short overhangs and a sleek profile.
The interior of the 2012 Audi A6 includes a touchpad to enter info into the navigation system.
What is it like to drive?
It drives quite well, we'd predict, because we didn't actually drive a combination that will be available for purchase in the United States. The base 2.0-liter TFSI four isn't offered in Europe (it's a diesel there), and the Euro-spec test cars with the 3.0 TFSI V6 had Audi's seven-speed DSG automatic and an optional air suspension that won't be available in North America.
The 3.0 TFSI is stout, engaging and generally satisfying, with even torque delivery and decent breathing at the high end. We'd project 0-to-60-mph times in the mid-five-second range, even with the torque-converter gearbox. In relaxed driving, the DSG transmission only rarely comes across as anything but smooth, and only by way of a mild lurching feel during coast-down stops. It's more efficient and a tick quicker accelerating than the torque-converter auto. Audi presumably knows its customers but at this point, we're not sure we see the wisdom in offering the conventional automatic rather than the DSG in the United States.
We also tried the 3.0 TDI diesel and it's still a bit rougher and louder than the gasoline V6. But it's also a torque monster and surprisingly free-breathing, with full throttle shifts at 5,000 rpm. More to the point, the TDI car had the steel-spring suspension with sport-package settings and it's the preferred choice.
The air suspension North Americans won't get is exceedingly competent but at best indifferent and at worst blasé. The steel spring/sport package with optional 20-inch wheels is more likely to get a committed sport-sedan driver's attention. Variable-damping shocks will be standard on all A6s, with adjustment through Audi's driver-select system, and it's hard to find a better balance between handling response and ride quality. The 2012 A6 will also be the first Audi with rack-mounted electric steering assist, and it debuts in fine order. It's not up to the absolute best hydraulic systems in feel, but it's at least as good as Audi's previous-generation variable-rate steering, which can feel a bit strange in cars such as the S4.
Inside, the next A6 is quieter than current car and its interior is even more appealing. It delivers the same high-quality materials, with a range of choice in fabric, hard trim and leather quality, but the design is a bit more pleasing or at least more inviting. We'd call the A6's cabin cleaner and more appealing than the surroundings in many competitors, and the latest MMI point-and-click control system moves man-machine interface in the right direction. Generally, the techno gizmos seem less onerous in the A6 than they do in some prominent competitors. In the A6, it's easier to find or embrace the dynamic goodness underneath, and that's what drives us to luxury/performance brands in the first place.
All in all, the A6 with 3.0 TFSI and the sport-suspension upgrade should make an exceedingly livable, reasonably economical daily package, with more than enough gumption to stir the soul when opportunity presents--assuming the automatic is up to the job.
Do I want it?
The A6 demonstrates conclusively that Audi has long since moved beyond seeking parity with Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Now it's working hard to assert its superiority. Anyone shopping for a mid-range luxury sedan should be looking at this car.
If you need to wear your chic taste more prominently on your sleeve, you might prefer the new coupelike A7. But you won't get a better car in the functional sense, and you'll pay substantially more.
2012 Audi A6
Price: 45,000-$62,000 (projection)
Available: September 2011
Layout: five-passenger, front- or all-wheel-drive sedan
Drivetrain: 210-hp, 2.0-liter inline turbocharged four, continuously variable transmission; 310-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6, eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
Weight: 3,836 pounds
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.4 sec; 155 mph top speed; 19 mpg city, 28 highway (V6, manufacturer)
This is the sixth generation of the sedan that launched in 1968 as the Audi 100. In overall length, the next A6 is a hair shorter than the 2011 model, but it's an inch wider. Its wheelbase has been stretched three inches, pushing the wheels further toward the corners and increasing interior volume. The new unibody has 20 percent more aluminum that its predecessor, and the finished car weighs about 80 pounds less, even though it comes standard with more stuff.
The least-expensive 2012 A6 in North America will be powered by Audi's ubiquitous 2.0-liter TFSI turbo, delivering 210 hp through a continuously variable automatic, front-drive only. The four-cylinder replaces Audi's previous-generation 3.2-liter V6. The upgrade engine--Audi's 3.0-liter supercharged V6--gets 10 more horsepower than 2011 models, with standard quattro AWD. U.S. customers will get an eight-speed torque-converter automatic with the 3.0 TFSI, rather than the seven-speed dual-clutch auto used in most markets. Audi's product planners in the United States insist that while the company's DSG automatic is popular in some models, A6 customers will prefer the smoother torque-converter trans.
Audi's 3.0 TDI turbodiesel is in the A6 product plan for North America, arriving sometime within the next two years but probably after the next S6. The company isn't saying much about the S6 powertrain, but we'd bet on the DSG and either Audi's V10 or a blown V8. The A6 hybrid introduced at this year's Detroit auto show, surprisingly, is not in the plan for North America. Neither is the A6 Avant.
As we'd expect, there's a ton of new technology in this car. Highlights include lane-departure control that nudges the car back between the stripes, self-parking electronics that work for both parallel and perpendicular spaces, an elaborate new head-up display, full high- and low-beam LED headlights and variable headlight-range control, which measures surroundings and oncoming traffic and projects light accordingly. The latest-gen Audi multimedia interface has a console-mounted touchpad that starts searches when letters are traced on its surface, and it can be equipped with a wireless LAN that will deliver Internet access to up to eight portable devices.
With the pending launch of the slightly larger A7, the A6's role in Audi's lineup changes a bit. The four-door A7 was created as the more emotional, design-driven car, in the fashion of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The A6 is supposed to be the more rational, function-first, down-to-business intermediate luxury sedan. That said, the A6 remains a truly handsome, lithely proportioned car, with short overhangs and a sleek profile.
The interior of the 2012 Audi A6 includes a touchpad to enter info into the navigation system.
What is it like to drive?
It drives quite well, we'd predict, because we didn't actually drive a combination that will be available for purchase in the United States. The base 2.0-liter TFSI four isn't offered in Europe (it's a diesel there), and the Euro-spec test cars with the 3.0 TFSI V6 had Audi's seven-speed DSG automatic and an optional air suspension that won't be available in North America.
The 3.0 TFSI is stout, engaging and generally satisfying, with even torque delivery and decent breathing at the high end. We'd project 0-to-60-mph times in the mid-five-second range, even with the torque-converter gearbox. In relaxed driving, the DSG transmission only rarely comes across as anything but smooth, and only by way of a mild lurching feel during coast-down stops. It's more efficient and a tick quicker accelerating than the torque-converter auto. Audi presumably knows its customers but at this point, we're not sure we see the wisdom in offering the conventional automatic rather than the DSG in the United States.
We also tried the 3.0 TDI diesel and it's still a bit rougher and louder than the gasoline V6. But it's also a torque monster and surprisingly free-breathing, with full throttle shifts at 5,000 rpm. More to the point, the TDI car had the steel-spring suspension with sport-package settings and it's the preferred choice.
The air suspension North Americans won't get is exceedingly competent but at best indifferent and at worst blasé. The steel spring/sport package with optional 20-inch wheels is more likely to get a committed sport-sedan driver's attention. Variable-damping shocks will be standard on all A6s, with adjustment through Audi's driver-select system, and it's hard to find a better balance between handling response and ride quality. The 2012 A6 will also be the first Audi with rack-mounted electric steering assist, and it debuts in fine order. It's not up to the absolute best hydraulic systems in feel, but it's at least as good as Audi's previous-generation variable-rate steering, which can feel a bit strange in cars such as the S4.
Inside, the next A6 is quieter than current car and its interior is even more appealing. It delivers the same high-quality materials, with a range of choice in fabric, hard trim and leather quality, but the design is a bit more pleasing or at least more inviting. We'd call the A6's cabin cleaner and more appealing than the surroundings in many competitors, and the latest MMI point-and-click control system moves man-machine interface in the right direction. Generally, the techno gizmos seem less onerous in the A6 than they do in some prominent competitors. In the A6, it's easier to find or embrace the dynamic goodness underneath, and that's what drives us to luxury/performance brands in the first place.
All in all, the A6 with 3.0 TFSI and the sport-suspension upgrade should make an exceedingly livable, reasonably economical daily package, with more than enough gumption to stir the soul when opportunity presents--assuming the automatic is up to the job.
Do I want it?
The A6 demonstrates conclusively that Audi has long since moved beyond seeking parity with Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Now it's working hard to assert its superiority. Anyone shopping for a mid-range luxury sedan should be looking at this car.
If you need to wear your chic taste more prominently on your sleeve, you might prefer the new coupelike A7. But you won't get a better car in the functional sense, and you'll pay substantially more.
2012 Audi A6
Price: 45,000-$62,000 (projection)
Available: September 2011
Layout: five-passenger, front- or all-wheel-drive sedan
Drivetrain: 210-hp, 2.0-liter inline turbocharged four, continuously variable transmission; 310-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6, eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
Weight: 3,836 pounds
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.4 sec; 155 mph top speed; 19 mpg city, 28 highway (V6, manufacturer)
No comments:
Post a Comment