It's hard to test a new Audi without stopping to address its styling.
The company's global success over the past decade has been driven by
design. It's what's propelled Audi's emergence as a genuine, premium
alternative to BMW or Mercedes and helped establish the Audi A6 as the
world's best-selling executive sedan.
The previous-generation A6 was the first to introduce Audi's Auto
Union-inspired trapezoidal grille and it's evolved for the launch of the
seventh iteration. It's now hexagonal and prompts a
shift from a vertical to a horizontal face. The headlights now have sharper features, a dominant characteristic made even more
prominent if you opt for LED headlights, which are offered for the first
time.
The new 2012 Audi A6 looks best viewed in profile, as can be seen in the showroom at Audi Fort Myers a dealer located near Naples, Florida. The wheelbase has
been extended by 2.7 inches and the exceptionally small front overhang
emphasizes Audi's sporting values. The A6, in common with its key
rivals, is unlikely to seduce with its looks alone, nor will it offend
its traditionally conservative clientele. It's a date you could bring
home to your parents.The dimensions of the 2012 Audi A6 are almost
unchanged compared with its predecessor and it remains one of the
biggest cars in the class. At nearly 194 inches long, for example, it's
roughly an inch longer than a 5 Series and 2 inches longer than an
E-Class.
Audi claims a fraction more shoulder room front and rear, but the
differences are marginal at best. Nevertheless, it remains one of the
most spacious cars in the class, with ample room for a quartet of
6-footers. In this respect, the jump from A4 to A6 is both significant
and welcome.
How the 2012 Audi A6 performs is defined as much by your personal preferences as its inherent ability.
The slabby, cockpit-style fascia of the old A6 has been replaced by a
simpler, more luxurious structure that's influenced heavily by the A8
and A7. The design is thoroughly unremarkable but in the best Audi
tradition it's beautifully rendered using high-quality materials.
Attention focuses on a central color screen that's the key to unlocking a
plethora of electronic gizmos. Measuring either 6.5 or an optional 8
inches, it emerges from the dash like a James Bond gadget and is
controlled from the center console.
Opt for the 8-inch MMI Touch and you get the innovative touchpad control
system that debuted on the A8. The system also includes a hard disk for
storing music onboard. MMI Touch can also link with your cell phone to
establish a WiFi hub, allowing up to eight gadgets to be connected
simultaneously. The same technology also allows the navigation system to
import Google maps on to which the route instructions are superimposed.
How the 2012 Audi A6 performs is defined as much by your personal
preferences as its inherent ability. Using the MMI system, you can
choose your own parameters for the optional air suspension, steering,
gearbox, sport differential (another option) and even the feel of the
seatbelts. Or you can let the car choose default settings ranging from
the fuel-efficient to the dynamic.
The extensive use of aluminum it accounts for 20 percent of the car's
surface area has helped shave 176 pounds off the mass of the new car
compared with the equivalent old model. The 3.0 TFSI tips the scales at
3,836 pounds, versus 3,880 pounds for the 535i and 3,825 for the E350.
That's an impressive achievement, especially given the weight penalty
incurred by the Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Not surprisingly, the
fuel figures benefit Audi claims the new 3.0 TFSI is 14.3 percent more
efficient than its predecessor, a figure also helped by the standard
start-stop system.
Reducing the mass also benefits ride and handling. The standard steel
spring suspension employs a five-link setup, with aluminum control arms
at the front and Audi's trapezoidal, multilink design at the rear. Air
suspension is an option and so is an S line sport setup that lowers the
car by 0.79 inch. The steering is electromechanical, and although
front-wheel drive is offered in Europe, the U.S. will launch with
four-wheel drive as standard. Torque vectoring is standard on the
Quattro system, although the typical torque split is 40:60 front to
rear.
The 2012 Audi A6 will be launched in the U.S. as a 3.0 TFSI Quattro.
Don't be fooled by the "T" in the nameplate, though. This engine employs
a mechanical supercharger, not an exhaust-driven turbo. Boasting a
capacity of 2,995cc and six cylinders in a vee, it produces 295
horsepower and an impressive 324 pound-feet of torque. In comparison,
the E350 produces 288 hp/269 lb-ft and the 535i, 302 hp/295 lb-ft.
This direct-injection engine is a gem. Unerringly smooth, it's devoid of
supercharger lag or whine and it imbues the A6 with impressive
performance. Audi claims zero to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed
limited to 155 mph. The midrange is no less impressive, where the
benefits of the Audi's torque are self-evident. It also proves an ideal
foil for the latest seven-speed S tronic double-clutch transmission. The
paddle-shift changes are a delight ? you'll find yourself downshifting
just to hear the automated throttle blip.
The A6 will reach Audi Fort Myers near Naples, Florida this summer, with
just one model available initially. Likely to appear shortly after is
the A6 Hybrid, which could be in showrooms in 2012. Sharing its
technology with the Q5 Hybrid, it combines a 2.0T four-cylinder with an
electric motor that takes the place of the torque converter. Between the
two, the A6 Hybrid will have a total of 241 hp being sent through its
eight-speed automatic transmission. We also expect a V8 and an S6 but
Audi wouldn't say when.
