2012 Audi A6 Road Test
Welcome to the all new 2012 A6 3.0TFSI Quattro. Completely re-designed from the ground up, and packed with nearly every bit of technology that Audi has in their considerable arsenal, the A6 is poised to move to the top of the executive sedan segment once again.
Unsurprisingly, we liked the previous iteration of the A6 a great deal. It was fast, supremely comfortable and sure footed like only an Audi can be. When it was launched, it revolutionized the brand’s image with the now familiar -but at the time shocking – single frame grille design, which was to become the new “face” of Audi models. We’ll be honest, it took a little while to grow on us, but now we can’t imagine an Audi without it.
The all new exterior design of the A6 benefits from one of the technological advancements at Audi, namely the relocation of the front axle. Audis of yore traditionally had relatively long noses, with the then dramatically front biased weight distribution, resulting in loads of understeer as the cornering intensity increased. This is no more. Thanks to Audi’s engineers finding room within the transmission’s bell housing for the front drive axle to pass through, the entire engine and transmission assembly slides rearward in the car several inches. By locating the cam drive at the rear of the engine, and clever placement of ancillary devices such as the alternator and air conditioning compressor, the front overhang is actually reduced by several inches compared to the previous version. The overall length of the car is roughly the same as the outgoing model, though the wheelbase has stretched several inches, adding to the interior leg room, and helping with handling tremendously.
With the new shorter front overhang, the car appears much lighter to the eyes, and much sportier. The body has more sharply defined character lines in keeping with the new family look from the A8 and A4. The C7 A6 is decidedly edgy compared to the C6, but it is no less elegant. Interestingly, the car doesn’t look to be as big as it is, and could be easily mistaken for an A4. To some that will be a bad thing, but we know the car enough to tell the difference. In all honesty, the size difference is not all that significant, but the few inches wider and longer add up to quite a bit more generous trunk and back seat area than the A4. Hip and shoulder room is more generous throughout as well. The A6 feels a lot roomier thanks to the lower center console and dashboard. Also because the MMI screen can be hidden in the dash, it is much more streamlined.
The A6 inherits much of its interior layout theme and system controls from the A8. The front seats are supremely comfortable and supportive. The new more comfortable steering wheel has paddles for the Tiptronic transmission on the back of the radiused spokes, and there are new buttons for cycling through the instrument cluster’s information screen. As with the A8, this screen shows well detailed drawings during navigation. Honestly, we love the new A6 dash design. It’s modern without being overdone, luxurious and fresh looking. The A6 is a very nice place to be for any length of drive.
Audi redesigned the MMI controls for the A6 somewhat. As with the A8, the A6 MMI system combines multiple functions within menus instead of having individual buttons as in the outgoing A6. This new MMI version also makes use of Audi’s touch pad control, which can be used to input navigation information by simply drawing the letters or numbers with a finger. We’ve found the touchpad to be very easy to learn and use, even while under way. Because the touch pad is relocated from its position in the A8, it’s easier for the passenger to use it as well.
We could go on at length about the technical aspect of the new A6, and we will probably end up devoting more words to the various features in the future, but this is a road test, and of course that means sliding behind the wheel and driving the car. As it turns out, the new A6 is pure joy on the road. Thanks to the lighter weight construction of the chassis and body (with more aluminum content than previously), the shorter overhang and therefore reduced nose-heavy feeling, and the crown gear center differential, the C7 A6 drives much differently than any of the previous iterations of this model. Instead of feeling heavy and lethargic, the C7 as the same light on it’s feet feeling that we first felt in the S5 coupe and then in the B8 A4/S4 family. Shedding the nose heavy feeling allows the car to handle with a more neutral feeling than any A6 before, and when the optional Sports rear differential is added, the car corners as if on rails. In the tight and twisty roads of Sicily, we delighted in the extreme grip levels the car provided. Make no mistake, this new A6 is a driver’s car.
This is a car that is, dare we say it, flickable. Most sedans in this size category aren’t flickable, instead preferring to be driven in a more flowing, more deliberately smooth way. As we hustled the new A6 along, we found that it did not mind being manhandled a little. For a big sedan, this car devours tight corners. The sports tuned suspension, and gigantic 19 inch wheels certainly help, as does the generous thrust from the 3 liter supercharged and direct fuel injected V6 engine. This engine has been around for a little while, though it’s far from outdated. Owners of the previous generation A6 may have experienced before, and it was also fitted to the S4 and S5 Cabriolet. In the A6 trim level, the 3.0TFSI produces 310 hp and 325 lb/ft is mated with the 8 speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. While lower overall numbers than the older 4.2 V8 which was offered in the older A6, this engine is markedly less thirsty, and produces a much broader power curve, resulting in roughly equivalent performance figures.
The power delivery from the 3.0TFSI is incredibly smooth, with a steady surge beginning off idle, and pulling hard to the redline. The supercharger is completely silent, and the engine note is very mellow. Some enthusiasts might be disappointed that we will not be receiving the 7 speed dual clutch S-tronic transmission which is available in Europe, and while it is a very very good transmission, there is no need for despair as the 8 speed Tiptronic is also extremely good, with lightning quick shifts, it happens to be considerably smoother in low speed driving. We have time in both setups, and frankly prefer the 8 speed’s smoothness.
Audi set the pricing for the 3.0T quattro at a competitive $49,990 for the Premium level, through $56,780 for the Prestige level base. New for the 2012 A6 is a variant featuring the tried and true 2.0T engine, mated to Audi’s CVT (constantly variable transmission) and front wheel drive. This model will start at $41,000, which we think is a great deal for someone not needing all wheel drive or a big throbbing V6 engine. Audi also say that a diesel engine (the 3.0 TDI) will be made available in the US for the first time early next year, which is something we’re very excited about. While no specific pricing was provided on the diesel, we would expect it to add a premium of around three thousand dollars on top of the gas V6. There are sadly no plans to bring the Avant variant to the USA, as Audi (rightfully, though still disappointingly for us, since we’ve seen the A6 avant, and it’s gorgeous) that the A4 avant/Q5/Q7 collectively fills that niche.
We’re head over heels about this car, and honestly look for excuses to go driving any time we have access to one. This is an executive sedan that is not boring to drive, or to look at. We couldn’t help but be more than impressed by the vehicles competency, its style, its room or its features. We are certain that this model will do very well for Audi.
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