Audi’s latest offering, the A6 2.0 TDI, spectacularly raises the bar in the premium luxury saloon class. We got behind its wheel to experience it first-hand
Audi India are on a roll and the line-up of their products is an eloquent testimony. Not a single car from Ingolstadt’s range has given us the slightest reason to grumble. In fact, with every new car or variant launched, the German giant has managed to raise the level of excellence still higher. The latest addition to this is the 2.0-litre diesel version of the A6. To some, it might sound like a small-capacity motor in a premium luxury saloon. Indeed it is. However, it does its job so well that you are left with no alternative but to be awestruck by what it does.
The Audi A6 2.0 TDI started showing off its excellence when we drove it from Chennai to Mumbai in just one tankful of diesel a couple of months ago. A car in that segment delivering close to 19 km per litre was incredible indeed. Not just fuel efficiency, the comfort that this car offered during the whole trip was phenomenal. A long haul of 1,337 kilometres with just three stop-overs en route would not have been possible had it not been for this car. But the story didn’t end there. This month, we took the A6 and drove it around the city to gauge its abilities as an overall car.
No doubt, the A6 has stunning looks. Its muscular stance, coupé-like roof-line that descends nicely towards the rear to gel well with the boot and its big, chrome-lined grille between the LED headlights making for a bold front end lend the A6 style as no other car in its segment. Inside, the A6 has a wonderful combination of grey and silver touched with brushed aluminium outlines on the dashboard and centre wall. The brown leather upholstery complements the elegance of its interior. The white backlit digits in the instrument console, the pop-up infotainment screen, well-laid-out switches that even include a touch pad for selecting the radio station make for a set-up of user controls and interface that Audi have got straight from the future. The only thing that didn’t feel quite up to date was the manual adjustment for rake and reach of the steering wheel instead of an electronic one.
Coming to the crux, let us talk about the 2.0-litre diesel engine powering the A6. As mentioned earlier, the capacity might feel a little on the low side for a saloon of this segment, but it makes so much sense that you cannot complain about it. It has got 177 PS of peak power and an impressive 380 Nm of peak torque. These figures on the paper translate into a 0-to-100 km/h sprint in 9.53 seconds and a top speed of over 220 km/h. What is more interesting is that even at 220 km/h the A6 remains rock-steady. The chassis and suspension are so well set up that they do the job of delivering an excellent combination of comfort in the city or on long drives and superb dynamic ability for spirited driving in mountainous terrain. Going back to the engine, what also needs to be appreciated is the fact that there is a linear power delivery from the oil burner, which makes driving around the city a comfortable affair.
Aiding urban driving ease is the eight-speed multitronic transmission that shifts seamlessly. However, if you select the ‘Sport’ mode, the transmission acts like a manual transmission that revs up to over 5,000 RPM before shifting. In the normal mode and with pedal to the metal, the engine will hold at 4,000 RPM and goes on shifting seamlessly.
Of course, the last bit that we looked at during out test was the efficiency. With a fuel efficiency of 12.5 km per litre during city runs, it was hard to believe that the A6 could actually put some of the entry-level basic sedans to shame. An overall efficiency of 13.8 kpl completes the story.
So, how would one summarise the A6? It is an excellently styled car with a decent amount of power, mind-boggling handling and unbelievable fuel-efficiency in the premium saloon segment. At Rs xx lakh (OTR, Pune) we wonder if there is anything better you can buy in the Indian market. The A6 is actually setting a benchmark that its competitors will have a very tough time beating – undoubtedly it’s a segment leader and that too by a huge margin.
It is an excellently styled car with a decent amount of power, mind-boggling handling and unbelievable fuel-efficiency in the premium saloon segment
Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
