Audi AG 2.8L VG FSI QUATTRO

The A6 Packs the Latest Reiteration of Audi’s Signature Quattro System, With a Nominal Front to Rear Power Distribution of 40/60 Percent.

Even with temperatures soaring lover 50 degrees in scorching Abu Dhabi didn’t put a dent on my huge silly grin as i drove Audi’s all-new A6 on the Yas Marina F1 Circuit and its accompanying network of vast empty stretches of UAE highways.

Landing right smack in the middle of a UAE summer is no laughing matter, from the moment I stepped out of the airport, the rush of burning hot air dried my lips and skin almost instantaneously. And its in this extreme weather, did Audi unleashed its mid-sized executive sedan on a select group of automotive journalists from all around the world, myself included.

To put things in perspective, hot weather is severely detrimental to any vehicle’s performance; the added heat coming from the climate puts a tonne of additional stress on the car – the perfect premise to show just how the new A6 is near perfect in every possible sense.

The main highlight of our trip was divided into two sections, firstly: the scenic drive – where we drove the A6 around town and on the highways and secondly: track experience – where we took the A6 onto the Yas Marina F1 Circuit for a couple of hot laps. The experience i gleaned from driving in this two different scenarios was more than enough to gauge just how good Audi’s new sedan really is; and it is astonishingly good!

Visual wise, the seventh generation of Audi’s executive sedan doesn’t really push the bold envelope, looking more like an evolved version of its predecessor in line with the current range in the German automaker’s line-up, which is all good still considering the targeted buyers of this category of cars; subtlety is key. The difference is in details such as the pronounced shoulder line, protruding door handles, and finessed shapes of the grille, headlights, and taillights.

Whatever impression I had about the minor exterior visual redesign soon changed the moment I entered the car. Now, Audi’s cabins have always been top of the pack for years and with the new A6, it raises the bar up another notch by integrating much of the interior from the A7. The A6 even comes with an optional layered-oak trim that not only lends an air of exclusivity but also a delight to the senses. Overall atmosphere and attention to detail is simply unbeatable in this segment.

A large screen between the tacho and speedometer dominates the driver’s side insfumertatkr. Displaying ail kinds of information, including GPS route navigation as well as a feed from the thermal night-vision system on cars eguipped with it. A heads-up display is also optional for people who want their information immediately available.

Speaking of numbers, the car I drove was the 2.8L V6 FSI Quattro, which produces over 200hp from 5,250 – 6,500rpm and with 280Nm from 3,000 – 5,000rpm. The century sprint is dispatched in just 8.1secs and onwards to a top speed of 240km/h.

At city limits, the 2,773cc V6 with direct fuel injection and Audi’s patented valvelift system accelerates off briskly while torque build up is rapid and even throughout. The creamy-smooth V6 emits a pleasing, sonorous sound that is unusually sporty for a luxury sedan yet unobtrusive enough not to scare away the non-enthusiast buyer. The mediator between the six and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system is the tested and proven seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic transmission. In the A6, it shifts brilliantly quick and delivered outstanding fuel economy despite the harsh weather conditions.

The A6 packs the latest reiteration of Audi’s signature Quattro system, with a nominal front-to-rear power distribution of 40/60 percent. Add to that an optional sport differential that actually distributes torcue instead of cutting it off like stability-cortrol-based “torque vectoring” systems offered on smaller cars, and the A6 is supremely capable. The electromechanical steering is nicely weighted, and feels vastly superior to anything the competition has to offer.

Part of the A6′s impressive handling capabilities can be attributed also to the usage of a modular longitudinal platform that places the front axle farther forward than in the old, nose-heavy A6s, making for far better weight distribution and greatly reducing the car’s tendency to understeer. The dynamic abilities of the new A6 also are enhanced by its lower weight. Audi managed to shave almost 140kg off the old car’s heft with extensive use of lightweight material such as aluminum in the construction of the panels and chassis.

Besides its impeccable driving prowess, the A6 has an arsenal of features that will ensure the car itself will always stay out of trouble even if the driver doesn’t realize it. The adaptive cruise control works from 0 to 240km/h, and it can bring the car to a full stop when necessary. A side assistant monitors the blind spots, lane assist acts on the steering system to keep you in your lane, a crash-sensing system will apply brake pressure even if the driver  stays oblivious to looming disaster, and the night-vision system will highlight pedestrians in your path.

My favorite feature had to be the new full-LED headlights. The light they emit is colder and brighter than any xenon, and they are styled to add a cool menace to this executive sedan.

For the Singapore market the A6 will be offered initially with the 2.8L V6 front-wheel drive model and the 3.0LTFSI Quattro, both arriving in the later half of the year. Audi is likely to add the powerful and torquey 3.0 TDI to the portfolio later, and by the middle of 2012, we’ll hopefully see the S6, powered by the same turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that you’ll find under the hood of the entry-level Bentley Continental. That model is probably worth waiting for, but for the impatient or those with smaller budgets, the A6 I drove in Abu Dhabi is already pretty close to perfection.

Wheels Asia