AUDI A6
New A6 ups the ante
Ingolstadt's new executive saloon raises the game in terms of engine and interior features.
Styling & Packaging
Audi this week revealed the all-new A6 whose styling echoes that of the A8 flagship saloon. The latest A6 comes with all the design elements common in modern-day Audis like LED lights, prominent front grille and airy C-pillar theme.
Instead of simply making the car bigger to appeal to space-hungry customers, Audi has taken the more sensible approach by pushing the front and rear axles further away from each other to reduce overhangs.
The result is a slightly shorter overall length of 4.92m but 2.91m longer wheelbase than before. This puts the A6 roughly in between that of a BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class.
Even so, Audi is most likely to offer a stretched wheelbase variant for the Chinese market again. The success of the previous long wheelbase A6 has forced BMW and Mercedes to do the same for their existing executive saloons.
The A6 is now some 80kg lighter model-on-model, thanks to more use of aluminium which now makes up 20% of the car. Components using this lightweight material include bonnet, boot lid, doors and fenders.
The platform adopts a front double wishbone and rear multi-link suspension and, as ever, has been designed to accommodate either front- or four-wheel drive system.
Engine & Transmission
There will be five engines initially, including an all-new petrol/electric hybrid (see sidebar). They are as follows:
- 204hp 2.8-litre V6 petrol.
- 300hp 3.0-litre V6 supercharged-petrol.
- 177hp 2.0-litre inline-four turbo-diesel.
- 204hp/245hp 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel.
The most powerful version, known as TFSI, is capable of cracking the 0-100kph time in 5.5sec, while the most frugal variant is the entry-level TDI able of 20.4kpl.
A variety of transmission types will be available depending on engine including manual, CVT automatic and dual-clutch automatic. As mentioned earlier, there's also the option of all-wheel-drive.
Market & Pricing
Deliveries of right-hand-drive versions would start shortly before mid-2011, although it has yet to be confirmed whether the Thai Audi agent will bring it to March's Bangkok motor show.
Pop-up screen can access internet.
Like with the outgoing model, sales are expected to be modest best due to the A6's imported status; the 5-series and E-class are both assembled in Thailand with sub-B4.5m prices.
The obvious choice would be the 177hp TDI to rival the 520d, although a smaller petrol version in the guise of a turbocharged four-pot could be considered for fans who still don't like diesel.
New selling points of the A6 - brought down for the first time in this class from luxury saloons - include front seats that have air ventilation and massage function, internet access and air suspension.
HYBRID RACE
The Audi A6 becomes the first German executive car to get a petrol/electric hybrid, ahead of the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class which have also been confirmed to get such a drivetrain.
The A6 Hybrid gets its power from the Q5 Hybrid making it the second Audi to go hybrid. The 211hp 2.0-litre inline-four turbo-petrol is coupled to a 45hp electric system, eight-speed automatic and front-wheel-drive.
A6’s petrol/electric combo comes from Q5 Hybrid.
The A6 Hybrid can run on pure electricity at a constant 60kph for 3km. In some cases, the speed can rise to as much as 100kph. The 0-100kph time is rated at 7.3sec and economy at 16.1kpl.
This doesn't make it the most frugal A6, though. All of the three diesel variants announced initially are more economical than the hybrid - and two of them will also outperform it. The 245hp TDI, for instance, does 16.7kpl and takes 6.1sec.
This means that the A6 Hybrid is for markets that show no preference for diesel. That's why Lexus chose to introduce the GS450h in the US, although it is a performance hybrid with a basic V6 petrol motor.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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