A6 3.0 TDI

Audi seems to be on top of its game as far as design is concerned. Both the A4 and A8L are superbly balanced and a treat to look at, and now this new A6 takes the game even further. Yes, it is a bit generic and Audi design cues are all over the car but as far as proportions, forms, detailing and even bright work go, Audi’s designers don’t seem to have put a pencil wrong. The sweeping roof and rear quarter-glass carry over the previous A6’s look and the beltline reminds you of the earlier car too.
 
So this is both an Audi and an A6, no question but it’s still very fresh and new. Those fabulous LED headlamps, the tightly cropped grille and the faux large inlets give it a unique identity. The rear of the car however is very A8, especially the elongated tail-lights and the manner in which the spoiler on the boot sweeps over.

Dimensionally this car has a slightly longer wheelbase and is also slightly wider than before but its overall length is a bit less. Also reduced significantly through systematic effort is the weight. The new A6 may be built on Audi’s MLB platform, also shared with the A4, but there are plenty of aluminium bits here. Bonnet, fender, doors and the boot lid are all made of aluminium and under the skin things like cross-members, suspension towers and even the bulkheads are made from the lighter material too. The result of all these weight-saving measures is a car that weighs 80kg less than the outgoing one, which gives it an advantage as far as performance, handling and even fuel efficiency are concerned.

The A6 also comes equipped with Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive system that gets a 60:40 rear bias. Adaptive air suspension and Audi Drive Select allow the driver customisable setting for systems like dampers, steering and engine mapping.

An interesting feature is how the adaptive restraint system networks with Audi’s ‘Pre Sense Basic’ safety system. It detects how tall the driver and front passenger are and, if necessary, the airbags can quickly blow down a portion of their air volume to cushion the head and chest more gently in a crash!