What's the news?
Wading into battle against some very tough competition - like the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Jaguar XF - is the all-new, fifth-generation Audi A6. It promises cutting edge technology and the next level of exquisite Audi interior finishing as its strongest attributes in the heated scrap for mid-sized executive class supremacy.
Exterior
The A6 Mk5 follows in the footsteps of the larger A7 Sportback and A8 executive saloon by exhibiting the latest angular Audi design language. The trim strip tying the rear light clusters together, the huge Singleframe grille with big air intakes and a contoured bonnet, bold lines breaking up the expanses of the car's flanks - all of these are hallmarks of Marc Lichte and we think the A6 looks particularly handsome.
However, let us move away from the subjective and talk about some of the facts. Like many modern cars, it is bigger in the three key dimensions than its predecessor, although we are talking about very fine margins here. Compared to the Mk4 A6, the new model is 7mm longer at 4,939mm in total, 12mm wider at 1,886mm and 2mm taller at 1,457mm. A total of fourteen colours, seven of them new, will be offered for the A6 and it will likely come in SE, Sport and S line trim guises as usual, with 21-inch wheels being the largest confirmed for the Audi so far. Three levels of road illumination will be provided too, the top level being HD Matrix LED headlights, and 'direction sweep' indicators are also a top-end option.
Finally, the minimum drag coefficient of 0.24 makes the A6 saloon good at cutting through the air, while it also features the brilliantly-named 'sophisticated aeroacoustics' to keep it quiet at high speeds; it's worth bearing in mind, though, that the 0.24Cd figure is for an engine that is yet to be released for the A6, i.e., it won't be part of the launch line-up. Audi also says the use of steel and aluminium in the bodyshell makes the A6 Mk5 more torsionally rigid than the outgoing car.
Interior
Clearly, from the images Audi has released, the new A6's cabin features the three-screen cockpit set-up of the A7 and A8 models, but it doesn't appear as if MMI Navigation Plus - which equips this wonderful digital proliferation - is standard equipment on the mid-sized executive machine. Nevertheless, when it is fitted, you get Audi's latest show-stopping dashboard: a 12.3-inch TFT digital display in the instrument cluster (Virtual Cockpit), a 10.1-inch upper console display and an 8.6-inch lower item beneath it. All of this is 'black panel', which means that the car doesn't display anything until the power is on; Audi says this creates a 'relaxed lounge atmosphere in a design language that comes across as reduced and matter-of-fact'.
Interior wellbeing comes from options like contoured, massaging seats, a fragrance package and a panoramic sunroof, but Audi also cites increased rear legroom, plus head- and shoulder-room all around, that not only beats the old A6 but 'core competitors' as well. Out the back is the same 530-litre boot and, retuning to the passenger compartment, there's 30-colour ambient lighting at the top grades and a choice of a Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System. Also expect Qi wireless smartphone charging and Audi Connect Online services, including car-to-X swarm data and traffic sign/hazard information.
Mechanicals
Audi is going to kick off the A6 range with the same two engines found in the A7 Sportback, so that means a 3.0 TFSI V6 petrol and a 3.0 TDI V6 diesel. The output of the petrol is 340hp, earning it a '55' boot badge, while the TDI delivers 286hp for a '50' tag. And, just as in the A7, the TFSI 55 has a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox, while the TDI 50 is teamed to an eight-speed Tiptronic torque converter automatic; both models are quattro all-wheel drive as standard and both feature mild hybrid (MHEV) assistance, which - among other things - allows the A6 to coast, engine off, between 55- and 160km/h. The MHEV's full box of tricks is said to save up to 0.7 litres/100km of fuel.
The TFSI 55, as already stated, makes 340hp, along with 500Nm. That leads to best figures of 6.7 litres/100km (42.2mpg) and 151g/km CO2, with a 0-100km/h time of 5.1 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h. The TDI 50, by comparison, churns out 286hp and a huge 620Nm, so while it's not going to be much slower - Audi doesn't quote its performance stats but, going by the same numbers on the A7 55 TFSI and 50 TDI models, it should do 0-100km/h in around 5.5 seconds and the same 250km/h limited maximum - the diesel manages to give back bests of 5.5 litres/100km (51.4mpg) and 142g/km CO2, making it more of a sensible option here in Ireland.
Options will include much of the equipment seen on the A7 and A8, such as a sport differential on the Tiptronic TDI, dynamic all-wheel steering, electronically controlled damping and the full adaptive air suspension, but interestingly Audi says the new A6 is 'noticeably sportier' than the outgoing model. That bodes well for S6 and RS 6 performance variants to come, while brakes with fixed aluminium callipers at the front provide strong stopping power across the A6 board. A full range of driver assist safety systems will be part of the A6's armoury, allowing it to drive at Level 3 autonomy in the right legislative conditions.
Anything else?
Audi will make the A6 at its Neckarsulm factory and it should launch in its home market in June this year, spreading elsewhere in Europe and further afield soon after. Expect to see the A6 at the Geneva Motor Show, too.