Flashing the LED headlights at its rivals, the newAudi A6 is raring to stake its claim to the luxury saloon throne
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
ACCORDING TO A medieval political theory, overweight young men were considered to be symbols of badly run kingdoms. A man who indulged in excessive eating, drinking, sleeping — in short, who failed to ‘rule himself’ — was considered unfi t to rule his household, much less a polity. Most new-age automobile makers follow this theory, and Audi are a staunch believer. They’ve taken up the task of making the all-new A6 extraordinarily lightweight and yet frugal. More than 20 per cent of its body is made of aluminium, making it 15 per cent lighter than the conventional steel body. The front fenders, bonnet and boot-lid are all made of aluminium panels. Other large portions of the body are of high-end steel, something like low-carb high-protein diet. Then there’s weight reduction in the un-sprung parts using forged aluminium. By sticking to the aluminium diet the new A6 is 80 kg lighter than the outgoing model!
Scheduled for a September 2011 launch in India, the A6 will be offered in four engine options. The base model will be a 2.0 TDI turbo-diesel, producing 180 PS and will be priced below Rs 40 lakh, which could make it the most popular variant. There will be a couple of petrols options as well, namely, a 2.8 FSI and 3.0 supercharged TFSI. This month we tested the top-of-the-line 3.0 TDI Quattro that churns out 248 PS and 500 Nm, mainly targeting the BMW 530d, Jaguar XF-S and Mercedes 350 diesel.
The new A6 gets a lot of features from Audi’s supreme A8, like the seven-speed S-tronic, dual-clutch automatic transmission and an engine start-stop system, to name only a few. But the fun of driving the luxury sedan can be best experienced when the massive 500 Nm of torque comes into play during the shattering mid-range. There’s enough torque to overtake lesser automobiles on the road and shifting from the ‘D’ to ‘Sports’ mode in not even necessary. For additional fun, you also have paddle-shift on the steering wheel. The A6 does away with the traditional torque converter, but the twin clutch makes sure that the gear shifts are not jerky and, at the same time, offers better effi ciency and performance.
Having driven the previous generation A6, the weight reduction in the newer model is immediately evident. It’s now more nimble and responsive than its predecessor. The electrically assisted power steering is light at low speed and gradually weighs up as the speed increases and gives desirable feedback. The handling of the car has also been taken to the next level, which became apparent on fast corners. Round the corners, the A6 held its line as if it were clawing the road. The ride quality is top class and a lot of credit goes to the tall rubber used on the 225/55 R17 profile tyres, which are best suited for Indian roads. The ‘Comfort’ mode gives you the extra cushioned ride and the faint body roll is wiped off when the ‘Dynamic’ mode is engaged, completely changing this royal chariot into a war-rig! Instantly the suspension stiffens, the steering gets direct and every gear change becomes more aggressive with the RPM red lining. An enthusiast’s dream come true.
There is hardly any vibration, which is characteristic of most other diesel motors. On the highway one has to keep checking the speedometer to realise the actual speed. Driving around 140 km/h seemed as if the car was cruising at just 80 kph. Inside the new-generation saloon one feels so cut off from outside noise that it feels a bit unusual initially. The cabin refinement and low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels are outstanding.
Visually the new A6 resembles elder sibling A8 a lot, following the ‘less is more’ philosophy. The exterior design of Audi’s new luxury car has also become more aggressive, complementing its performance. The large single frame grille with bevelled upper corners and low horizontal air intakes blends well with the wide, chiselled front design. What stands out are the all-LED headlights, similar to the A8, that give them a sinister appeal. Strong line shoulders commence from above the headlights, running through the fenders and across the side walls of the car, eventually meeting the trapezoidal tail-lights, impersonating the sleek and exquisite sword of a warrior.
This one is a mite shorter than the outgoing model, but the cabin space remains unaffected. In fact, the 69-mm longer wheelbase has bettered the cabin room. Sticking to ‘God is in the details’ the Audi craftsmen have given the interior an exceptional finish. It is unimaginable how they have managed to keep all shut lines within two mm of each other. This intricate detail makes Audi the champion of luxury and quality. The wraparound inlay spreads to the door and the high quality wood veneer makes the cabin stand out. The wide, asymmetrical centre console is oriented towards the driver and the sporty leather seats are mounted low, yet most drivers can see the entire hood thanks to the low front end while the narrow A-pillar improves visibility and creates a sense of roominess.
The A6 might be conscious about its weight, but comes stacked with technologies like the latest iteration of Audi’s MMI (multi media interface), the amazing Bang and Olufsen music system and a large high-resolution infotainment screen. Then there are loads of driver aids such as active lane assist, parking assist, adaptive cruise control and night vision assist. The price of the new A6 would not differ much from the outgoing one, which was Rs 57 lakh (OTR, Pune).
This lean, mean and youthful A6 has a healthy mix that one would expect of a new-age saloon and is raring to take on the luxury segment. We just can’t wait for an Audi-A6-versus-rivals shootout!
The A6 resembles a sleek and exquisite sword of a warrior because of its length and the strong lines running across the side walls
