The new Audi A6 Sedan: setting the standard in innovation

With its light body, sporty chassis and a wide array of new assistance and multimedia systems, the sedan is packed with innovative solutions in every area of technology.

Much of the body of the new Audi A6 consists of aluminium and high-tech steels, rendering it exceedingly light, stiff and safe. (Part of the body, the mounts at the front of the car, the struts in the engine compartment and the crossmembers behind the bumpers are made from aluminium, giving weight savings of 15 percent over conventional steel construction). State-of-the art design methods and materials ensure extremely low interior noise levels, and precision tuning of all components and systematic hydraulic damping in the axle and drivetrain bearings provide excellent comfort all around.

The new Audi A6 Sedan: setting the standard in innovation

The design of the new Audi A6 embodies athleticism and elegance with sporty proportions that are unrivalled by the competition. The sedan is 4.92 metres long and 1.87 metres wide, but just 1.46 metres high. With its long engine hood, low, sweeping roofline, and prominent lines on the flanks, the A6 exudes a dynamic overall appearance, and its LED headlights to emphasise the striking expression at the front.

The roomy interior of the new Audi A6 echoes the sinewy style of the exterior. The salient element is the "wrap-around" - an inlay encircling the driver and the front-seat passenger. The elegantly curved dash panel places the driver at the centre of the interior, and every detail is a testament to the care that Audi invests in car-making. All materials, including an innovative layered-wood veneer, have been selected and crafted with utmost artistry. As an option, the front seats can also be equipped with ventilation and massage functions, while classy ambient lighting in the lighting package provides small points of light throughout the interior.

The new Audi A6 features the logical ergonomics concept that distinguishes all of the brand's models. A highly efficient automatic air conditioning system and the latest-generation MMI radio operating system are standard; Audi also offers an optional head-up display, which projects important information onto the windshield. The MMI touch operating system is also available as an option, and this enables much of the hard-drive MMI navigation plus system to be controlled by means of a touchpad. The A6 comes with a top of the line Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System.

The MMI navigation plus also works closely with the optional assistance and safety systems in the new A6. It forwards the route data to the control units for the headlights, the automatic transmission and the adaptive cruise control with 'stop & go' function. This enables these systems to recognise complex scenarios and assist the driver. In many situations, the Audi pre-sense safety system is able to reduce accidents and their consequences, or even prevent them altogether. The Audi active lane assist helps the driver keep the A6 on course, and the park assist system relieves the driver of the chore of steering when parallel parking.

Audi Singapore will offer the new Audi A6 with a choice of two powerful, highly efficient engines in the second half of 2011 - a 2.8 litre FSI and a 3.0 litre TFSI - developing 204 and 300 bhp respectively. Both engines make use of important technologies from the brand's modular efficiency platform - the start- stop system, the energy recovery system, and the innovative thermal management concept. In addition, throughout the entire model line, fuel consumption in the A6 has decreased by up to 19 percent compared to the previous model, simply outperforming the competition in terms of consumption figures. For example, the 2.8 FSI requires on average just 7.4 litres of fuel per 100 km and emits just 172g of CO2 per km, a 12% improvement on its predecessor that offered 14 hp less.

As was the case with the previous model, the new Audi A6 is also available with a wide range of drivetrains. The choice, based on the engine version, will include a continuously variable multitronic, and the sporty S-tronic. Each unit is precisely tuned and features a wide gear- ratio spread, thereby making a significant contribution to the sedan's efficiency.

Depending on the engine version, power is funnelled via the gears to the front wheels or to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive, whose crown-gear centre differential and torque-vectoring function achieve the ultimate traction, stability and dynamic response. For the top-of-the-line engines, Audi will offer an optional sport differential.

The chassis of the new A6 combines sporty precision with supreme comfort, with links made of aluminium and a redesigned power steering that features a highly efficient electromechanical drive. The executive sedan will also have wheels ranging from 16 to 20 inches in diameter.

The Audi drive select dynamic handling system is standard with the new A6, and the front-wheel- drive models have the sporty ESP with electronic limitedslip differential on board. For enhanced comfort, adaptive air suspension with controlled damping and dynamic steering will be available soon as options.