The second day’s drive took us to the picturesque Sicilian mountains and countryside, an excellent location to test the handling of the car. The reduction in the weight of the new A6 is quite evident – now it is nimbler than its predecessor. It is not just the weight saved on the body shell that makes all the difference, it is the un-sprung weight saved on the wheels and suspension parts, which are made from forged aluminium. Saving 100 grams of un-sprung weight is like saving 10 kilograms from the car. The electro-mechanical power steering is light at low speed and weighs up nicely at speed and gives the driver excellent feedback. Surely the new A6 handles like a dream and you can throw it round corners with confidence as it holds the line as if it is running on rails. The drive select gives you the option of driving in the comfort mode if you want to cruise in luxury, then select ‘Dynamic’ and you can change the complete character of the car. Stiffen the suspension, change the gearshift rpm and the steering gets direct and all of these turn this car into a sports sedan.
There are two petrol and three diesel powerplants on offer and I tested all of them. All the engines have been further refined, producing more power and better fuel efficiency. Audi claim a fuel efficiency of over 20 km to a litre for the two-litre TDI. Needless to say, this will put a lot of small hatchbacks to shame. As I mentioned earlier, the in-cabin NVH levels are aided by better insulation in the bulkhead area and engine refinement. The entire range of engines deliver seamless power and are mated either to a multitronic or S tronic gearboxes and, finally, the power is put down on the road through Audi’s famous Quattro four-wheel drive system.
To sum up, the engineers at Audi have taken this car to a new and higher level in each and every department, be it the quality of the interior, external styling, performance, fuel efficiency, ride quality or handling. They have definitely raised the bar in this segment and the competitors had better watch out!
CAPTIONS
1.Mount Quattro- A ramp set up at the Munich airport to showcase the four wheel drive traction
2. The new user friendly console
3. The touch screen user interface for navigation with MMI system
4.The engine has been further refined and delivers more power and better fuel efficiency
BLURB
This car is loaded to the gills with goodies and it is difficult to mention all of them
