The first drive of the new Audi A6 for the world media was held in Sicily, Italy, also known as ‘Godfather country’, and the Audi folk made sure all the journalists knew what would happen to them if they did not write a positive report. Well, I am just kidding! Anyway, car manufacturers put in a lot of effort to select just the perfect driving conditions to showcase the capabilities of their new products.
The cars were ready at the Palermo airport when we landed. It was going to be the first part of our drive – from the airport to the hotel. Once we hit the motorway, I was rather surprised when I looked down at the speedometer and saw that we were cruising at about 180 km/h and yet it felt as if the car were doing around 90 to 100 km/h. The refinement and reduction in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) within the cabin is phenomenal. It is also very deceptive, because you are isolated from the outside world with no wind or road noise creeping inside the cabin. The road surface, once we got off the motorway reminded me of the conditions back home and it was a good opportunity to test the ride quality of this car. Some of my fellow road-users must have thought that here was a nut who was aiming for all the potholes and rough patches on the road. The A6 took all of these as also the uneven joints on the bridges in its stride and just flattened them underfoot. The ride quality was top class despite the car being fitted with low-profile tyres as they conform to European specifications. The cars coming to India will ride even better as they will be equipped with a rough road suspension package and higher profile tyres.
The Audi designers have re-designed this executive-class flagship and have also added a mite of aggression that its predecessors lacked. Painted in high-gloss black, the large, low, single-frame grille featuring bevelled upper corners merges nicely with the sculpted front end. The horizontal orientation of the louvres underscores the width of the new car, as do the wide and low air intakes. The tapering LED headlights become broader as they extend outwards. The headlights take up the slanted lines of the single-frame grille and the way they angle into the hood gives the new A6 a sporty and aggressive stance.
The tornado line dominates the design of the A6 as it extends over the side flanks and defines its proportions. It starts at the headlights and extends along the fenders, the doors and the rear side walls to the tail-lights. The flowing lines end in a three-dimensionally sculpted rear section. The trapezoidal tail-lights emphasise the width; divided into two parts, their styling echoes the trapezoidal shape of the headlights. The boot lid bears the outline of a spoiler lip, giving the rear a sporty look.
The sporty theme of the exterior is carried into the interior of this car as well. The defining element of the cockpit area is the wrap-around inlay, beginning at the driver’s door and running in one large arc beneath the windscreen, then all the way to the front passenger door. The layered wood veneer used is now an Audi trademark and is the same that one gets in their flagship model, the A8. The leather seats offer good lateral support and comfort and also massage your back at same time. The music system is top of the line and one has to experience it to believe it. The acoustics will put some of the high-end audio systems at home to shame. This car is loaded to the gills with goodies and it is difficult to mention all of them.
