Sportiness and luxury in saloons don’t always go hand in hand. Even with “Sport” packages, the most that is offered is cosmetic stick on’s which wane interest over time. We had the Audi A6 Quattro on test and it sure surprised us. She has bold but understated looks, the kind that would never show its age in automotive design even after many years. With an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.29 CD, she is streamlined and cuts through air like a hot knife through butter. Signature Audi “goatee” with the subtle beauty spot of the “quattro” monogram on the radiator grille gives her the confident look upfront. The rear boot lid has a thin spoiler lip to push the car down from the rear for further grip at high speeds. The 3.2 litre V6 FSI engine on the A6 delivers 252 bhp @6500 RPM to all four wheels (quattro permanent all-wheel-drive (AWD) technology, with 60:40 power distribution). The free-revving nature of the engine is reigned in by a 6-speed tiptronic powertrain which pegs the torque figures at an exhilarating 330 Nm@3250 RPM.
The DOHC (double overhead cam) engine with variable valve accelerates to 100 kph in 7.1 seconds which is more than respectable for this 1.7 ton beast. In sport “S” mode it revs all the way to the redline taking its time to shift up offering the best of available power and torque through the rev range. Despite the long 2843mm wheelbase, AWD gives the A6 the agility and cornering control usually found in lighter sports saloons with sports suspension. Without doubt the A6 is placed in the luxury segment with ride comfort to match. The car floats over uneven surfaces without losing composure. It is quite difficult to upset the car’s balance, we tried. The all-independent suspension is twin-tube gas charged with anti-roll bars, for greater stability and comfort. Speed sensitive steering wheel needs only one and three-fourths of a turn to full lock! No doubt this increases the turning radius (11.9 metres) but when switching lanes or taking sharp U-turns it also offers precise turn-in when chucked from side to side. You wouldn’t take it to the extremes that we did but it’s reassuring to know that the luxo-barge will not let you down.
Before we get to the all beige interiors, the A6 has a very special feature, a solar-panel sunroof! Solar cells embedded in the glass roof generate enough current to power blowers (with the car switched off) to keep the insides of your car cool under the sun. The interiors are designed around the driver, all the switches are within easy reach and the steering can be adjusted for rake and reach. Cruise control is highly convenient for those long distance jaunts while leather seats are extremely comfortable (all electronic in front) which is class leading. One grouse though is the cheap look and feel of the fake fine grain birch wood beige panel inserts. C’mon Audi, you could do so much better. We would’ve preferred buffed aluminium over this. The perforated and contoured leather wrapped steering wheel is well weighted and has audio control switches, voice command buttons along with buttons to browse through the speedo console display indicating mileage, distance, time, avg.
Audi’s MMI is as good as ever with clever controls for the highly effective air-con and GPS, Bluetooth phone and the BOSE 8-speaker audio system with glove box mounted 6-disc changer. In higher models the suspension settings can be changed using the MMI dial and switches mounted on the centre console next to the gear shift. Entry into the car is keyless, you only need to have the key in your pocket, sensors in the door handles detect the same and allow entry through any of the four doors. Press the starter button and drive away. There is no lever to engage the parking brake, its only a switch on the centre console. Even the door panels have ambient lights like on theatre steps. Safety wise, the A6 rides on wide 245/40 R18 Pirelli P-Zero sport touring tyres mounted on 12-spoke alloy rims for premium grip. Disc brakes all around with ABS, ASR, EBD, ESP and Electronic Differential lock (as it has AWD) work superbly sometimes being overcautious though.
The hazard warning lights activate automatically when any of the above safety systems engage under strong braking manoeuvres to warn drivers behind. An army of parking sensors are standard and the A6 boasts of a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating with eight airbags. The A6 is a mid-range luxury saloon that commands the road. It rides low (118mm ground clearance) and maintains a strong rear profile with two exhaust pipes. Rear seats are luxurious and gulp miles under them without any discomfort whatsoever. With a fuel tank capacity of 80 litres, we’re thinking Bahrain to Qatar. The engine has an unending power surge hence the top speed had to be electronically limited to 250kph (European laws). Boot space at 546 litres is enough for most people. We sorely missed the DSG (double clutch) gearbox in the A6, it would’ve made the car more refined in acceleration. Higher end models have active adjustable suspension and various other bells and whistles.
