A look at the 2011 Audi A6
The latest Audi A6 hits the UK early in 2011. Here's a quick rundown of the main features and improvements.
The body has been completely reworked; aluminium and a range of high-tech steels have been used for maximum strength and minimum weight, with the new shell 15% lighter. It also boasts an extremely low drag coefficent of 0.26Cd, and the design and materials ensure that interior noise levels are kept very low.
There are four engines to choose from; three diesels (2.0 and 3.0 litre) and a 3.0 litre petrol. All use direct injection for minimum fuel consumption and also make use of other energy-saving systems such as 'start-stop' (which switches the engine off in traffic), energy recovery and thermal management, resulting in fuel economy improvements of up to 19%.
As with the outgoing model, transmission will depend on the engine, with six-speed manual or continuously variable multitronic CVT for the front-wheel drives, and a new seven-speed twin clutch S tronic for the quattros (with the sport differential used in the S4 available as an option).
The 2.0 litre TDI (six speed manual gearbox) is the greenest variant, emitting 129g C02 / km and doing 57.7 mpg on a combined cycle, whilst still capable of 142mph. Audi have revealed that they're working on an A6 petrol/electric 2.0 litre hybrid will be capable of 45.6 mpg and zero C02 emissions when running on the electric motor.
Audi have improved the energy-efficient power steering and, as before, Audi's Drive Select Adaptive Dynamics system allows fine-tuning of the car's responses to driver actions via the MMI (MultiMedia Interface) screen.
The MMI has a 6.5 inch retractable monitor and central control knob to give access to the stereo, Bluetooth phone interface and card-based SatNav (which is standard). Upgrade to MMI Touch for an 8 inch monitor with character recognition touchpad, which allows the driver to draw characters on the screen to bring up a choice of telephone numbers or destinations. Also available are enhanced connectivity features including live access to Google News and Weather, plus the ability to plot routes on a separate computer then download to the in-car navigation system, complete with images from Google Earth.
Audi's 'Pre-Sense' system (first seen in the A8) will automatically activate hazard lights, close windows and the sunroof and tighten seatbelts when skidding or heavy braking is detected; the top level option will also brake the car automatically if collision is likely. Other features (some previously only available in the A8) include night vision with thermal imaging to highlight people (or animals) on the road ahead, Audi's 'Park Assist' system that controls steering when parallel or perpendicular parking, and a blind spot and lane departure warning systems.
Other luxury options include seats with built-in heating, cooling and massage systems, TV reception, and a 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo.
Audi will offer two specifications - SE and S line. Both will feature alloy wheels, leather upholstery with split rear (folding) seats, parking control, cruise control, SatNav and Bluetooth compatibility.
The new A6 will be available to order from next month from £30,145 on the road, with deliveries expected in Spring 2011.