Don’t get me wrong, the 60 TDI is the most powerful oil-burning variant on offer from Audi, this side of the R18 TDI Le Mans racer, and it’s got the kit to match the credentials of its big heart. Take it for a spin and it’ll hit triple digits before you realise what’s happened. And the head-up display shows its use right there, but there’s more on the drive later.
Inside, the cabin isn’t your regular leather and wood affair. Yes, there’s a lot of leather and wood, but they’re accompanied by quality craftsmanship and technological bits which blend old-world charm with contemporary practicality. The balance of rich beige leather, contrast dark brown leather and aluminium and gloss black finish lends the cabin an exclusive and elegant touch. One can run their fingers on the fine grain ash wood trim while making a voice call to their children via the connected mobile telephone. There’s even a Wi-Fi hotspot for mobile data connectivity, not to mention satellite navigation with traffic alerts.
Entertainment is taken care of by a Bang & Olufsen audio system with a six-disc DVD-changer, Bluetooth, iPod, SD card and even more forms of connectivity. The room at the front is considerable and quite generous even with the front seat taken as far forward as possible. The Audi touch-enabled MultiMedia Interface (MMI Touch) makes life easy on the move, but, let it be said, at reasonable speeds. Then again, if the rear seat is where you will spend most of your time, this car surely won’t disappoint.
With the extended wheelbase adding more room, the car feels extremely spacious and the panoramic sunroof adds to the airiness. Choose the left side to spend your drive time and you have a front passenger seat which can be folded forward to create a relaxed seating akin to first-class aboard an Airbus (the big one). Add the selectable massage function via remote control, with four options and five levels of speed and intensity, and it’s a car you really don’t want to get out of. The centre console at the rear offers several settings and hands over control of the rear dual a-c zones. Rear seat occupants also get to enjoy the twin high-resolution LCD screens. There’s also a refrigerator hidden away in the back panel behind the arm-rest.
