THE HEART OF THINGS
What lies beneath the A6’s grand bonnet is a smaller 2,698-cc turbo diesel motor which manages to churn out 192 PS of power between 3,500-4,000 rpm and 380 Nm of torque that peaks at 1,400 rpm. The premium saloon sails from standstill to 100 km/h in just 8.51 seconds. But what’s more important than the above figures are the ones present on the price tag. You ready for this? Audi have amazingly priced this variant at Rs 37.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). You end up saving about Rs 7.5 lakh of your strategically earned money by picking the 2.7 TDI over the three-litre.
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
So, what’s the catch? The German company has gone snip-snip and trimmed the excess frills that weren’t absolutely necessary. Take, for instance, the four-wheel drive ‘Quattro’ system since most of the luxury saloons are used within city limits. But I miss it. Maybe because in my daily commute I encounter broken roads, mud and slush, craters and sometime even water streams. No, I do not live within the Ranthambore tiger reserve, but most Indian metros have all these and more on offer.
However, there are plenty of engineering and electronics that keep the front-wheel powered car steady and under control. Audi have also stripped several goodies from the dashboard, which would have otherwise been toys for James, but he still gets an electrically adjustable seat and exterior mirror, seat adjustment memory and park assist with camera. Keeping in mind Mr Kumar and others who prefer sitting at the back, the engineers have made the car more commodious for them. They get fine-grained leather seats, great legroom, plush two-tone interior, genuine wood trims and full climate control with individual A-C vents. The rear armrest gets controls for the MMI system and you also get an option to install a pair of LCD screens. Oh, did I forget the flawless BOSE music system worth over Rs 2 lakh? The A6 still remains packed with goodies for the price.
SHIFT AND MOVE
The 2,698-cc TDI has been mated with a seven-speed, Multitronic transmission that delivers linear power, which translates into effortless driving. Shift into the ‘D’ mode for stress-free driving or the ‘S’ mode sportier ratio. Interestingly, we got better performance figures in the ‘D’ mode than in the ‘S’ mode. The steering is soft and precise, adding to driving pleasure. Lucky James! Seated at the back, you’ll be insulated from all the road noise. The large-diameter front axle shock-absorbers, using an optimised valve system, make sure that most road bumps are ironed out. The 2.7 TDI is also rather fuel-efficient as it stretches a litre of diesel for 10 km within city and 14 km on the highway, making the smaller A6 cheaper to run.
DRIVING INTO THE SUNSET
Audi will be looking at launching a refreshed A6 next year, though we do not expect any dramatic change in design, as it will follow the lines of the recently launched new A8 and new A7. The A6 2.7 TDI proposes to be a smart buy, taking into consideration the price, low running cost and the premium size
CAPTIONS
The size of this German saloon is quite impressive and so is the finish of its interior. Powered by
a smaller 2,698-cc TDI the A6 is apt for city driving
The 2.7 TDI is also fuel-efficient and achieves 10kpl within city and 14kpl on the highway, making the smaller-engined A6 cheaper to run
