Audi A6, Need For Survival In The Elite

The E Premium segment is undoubtedly one of those that suffers the most from the effect known as ‘marquitis’, where the buyer ends up opting for the emblem of the grille instead of the quality of the vehicle itself. BMW, Mercedes and Audi  are the German trio that only leaves a small part of the cake to the rest of luxury brands, and that is that the 5 Series, E-Class  and Audi  A6  are sold like hotcakes, whether or not there are superior rivals.

The Ingolstadt brand model is one of the most successful in this segment. Although the present generation already has enough years on top for what the current industry has been demanding, for which it has already been surpassed by its direct rivals, recently renewed.

The Audi A6 is, along with the A4, the one that best represents what a vehicle of the German brand is. However, the time has come to renew or die a victim of your own success.

Exterior design

With the launch of the new A8 and A7 Sportback  in 2017, Audi’s new saloon is crying out for more than just a redesign. Meanwhile, it is time to focus on what is there.

With a discreet and no-frills design, the A6 is available as a traditional saloon, in a family format -Avant- and in a versatile crossover based on the latter, which is called the Allroad.  This model adds a greater height to the ground and a differentiated design by the plastic protective moldings on the underside of the body.

Without falling into the temptation to make a large A4 for when it is too small, the A6 has to be treated as a whole representation car, optimal for a company president or the politician on duty.

Following the 2014 facelift, the car now features a flatter and wider grille as well as a redesigned bumper that emphasizes the width of the vehicle. As for the headlights, they are new and can be Xénon, LED or Matrix Led.

The side view is marked by the main line, which joins the headlights with the pilots, completely flat, as is well repeated on the underside of the doors. For its part, the roof line is more dynamic and rounded. As for the rear, it looks solid and in line with the rest of the car, although it sports a small spoiler on the tailgate and a simulated diffuser on the underbody.

Interior design

Otherwise, the interior is typically Audi, but from a few years ago. Here there is no place for the Virtual Cockpit or dashboards made up of touch screens as controls. As technological elements, it proposes a large screen between the analog dials of the control panel, plus another large retractable 8 ″ TFT screen and the MMI in the center console.

Mechanics

The accused veteran of the German model is also noticeable in its mechanical range, with engines that have already received their corresponding replacements in more recent launches of the firm. This is even more noticeable in the S6 trims, which continue to use the turbocharged 4-liter V8 instead of the new turbocharged V6.

However, the A6 benefits from the Ultra versions that are increasingly available in a greater number of models in the range. Unlike the conventional versions, the Ultra models maintain the performance of the engine in question while fuel consumption is significantly reduced, thanks to various improvements.

These optimizations are made up of specific calibrations in the transmissions, also of a use of lighter materials in certain components, low-friction tires, lowered suspensions and a revised aerodynamics, with the lower fairings and closed grills.

But overall in the range, Audi offers the possibility of equipping the A6 with Quattro all-wheel drive and up to three different types of transmissions: a six-speed manual or two automatic, the 7-speed S-tronic or the 8- speed Tiptronic. speeds.

In the version table -located below- we show the full range of the Audi A6, from which we have eliminated the Avant versions to make it easier to read, although they represent a surcharge of € 2,640 over the base fare of the saloon, with the engine being equal. and equipment.

Versions table

Data Audi A6

• 4 and 5 doors
• 5 seats
• Trunk: 530 liters (sedan) and 565 liters (Avant)
• Front or all-wheel drive Quattro
• 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines with powers between 150hp and 450hp.
• Consumption and emissions: 4.5 l / 100km and 119g / km of CO2
• 6-speed manual transmission, 7 and 8-speed automatic S-tronic and Tiptronic respectively.
• Price: From € 42,390 to € 97,880