AUTOCAR ROAD TEST 5777
AUDI A6
Is all-new 5 Series and E-Class rival the fairest exec saloon of them all?
MODEL TESTED
AUDI A6 E-HYBRID LAUNCH EDITION QUATTRO
Price £70,455
Power 295bhp
Torque 332lb ft
0-60mph 5.8sec
30-70mph 5.2sec
Top speed 155mph (claimed)
Average economy 34.4mpg
Electric range 52 miles
CO2 emissions 57g/km
70-0mph 44.4m (22deg C, damp/drying)
With the arrival of the C9-generation Audi A6, the world’s pre-eminent trio of premium executive saloons is again complete, living on for at least a while longer.
The new A6 joins the recently launched ‘G60’ BMW 5 Series and the ‘W214’ Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and it isn’t here simply to make up the numbers. Last year’s outgoing version outsold its illustrious rivals in Europe, despite those rivals being shiny next-generation models.
The replacement for that car reprises the basic A6 recipe: a body nearly fives metres in length, a selection of diesel and petrol engines, saloon and estate versions, and plenty of the latest technology.
However, there have been some notable developments. One is that six-cylinder engines are out, unless you happen to live in Germany or another of the selected countries lucky enough to be offered Audi’s V6 mild-hybrid petrol unit. Another is that exterior design moves away from the increasingly angular look of previous A6s, with the reintroduction of curves apparently inspired by the C5-gen car of the early 2000s. The interior has also been overhauled, with more digital elements than ever – not least a dedicated display for the passenger, which is included as standard.
All this is aimed at keeping Audi’s second-best-selling model globally, behind only the Q5 SUV, on the boil. Here we’ll discover how successful those efforts have been, by way of the E-hybrid PHEV saloon variant, with its near-300bhp output and claimed electric range of 60 miles.
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
★★★★☆
PROS Aggressive styling kept in check; air springs are available
CONS Awkward rear styling; no V6; well over two tonnes for the PHEV
The A6 continues to be built at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant in Germany, on the same lines as the new A5 and the pure-electric A6 E-tron. The latter, like its ICE sibling, is available as a saloon and in the ever-popular estate form. Underpinning the car is the Premium Platform Combustion architecture. Audi describes this as a new bit of hardware, but the PPC is in fact another evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform, albeit with the latest electronics package plumbed in, which among other features allows for over-the-air updates – crucial, given the car’s digital-heaviness.
New A6 draws on C5-gen’s curvy lines
Just like with its counterparts from BMW and Mercedes, the generational move forward has seen the A6 grow. It is now 4999mm long in its shortest form, with the Chinese-market A6 L occupying space on the road we have traditionally associated with the A8. In Europe-spec, the Audi roughly splits the difference between the E-Class and hulking 5 Series.