Audi is upgrading the A6, integrating many of the refinements and innovations that have been so widely acclaimed in the latest A8 luxury flagship into an all new eighth generation executive saloon.
Enveloped by a beautifully proportioned new body bearing the hallmarks of the contemporary Audi design language, the A6 makes considerable headway in virtually every area, from its advanced mild hybrid drivetrains and even sharper yet more comfortable suspension options to its sublime cabin comfort and exceptional new all-digital MMI touch response interface.
The all-digital operating system with its touchscreen format provides haptic and acoustic response to inputs and offers fast access to vehicle functions thanks to its logical and flat menu structure.
Its configurable favourites buttons help tailor the system to the user's preferences, and it allows up to seven drivers to store their preferred settings in individual user profiles and set up to 400 parameters.
Central vehicle functions can be placed in the required position in the MMI screen using drag-and-drop - similar to the user experience with smartphone apps.
Legroom in the rear exceeds not only its predecessor but also its core competitors
The new Audi A6 offers an extensive range of connectivity solutions working in favour of safety, convenience and personalisation, too.
Over and above the sophisticated MMI navigation system, which features as standard, the optional MMI navigation plus - a media hub with a new design and high-speed data transfer according to the LTE Advanced standard - also offers a host of new navigation features.
These include a self-learning function based on the driven routes, which generates intelligent search suggestions.
The new and further refined driver assistance systems in the latest A6 also set new standards in the class. These include the parking pilot and the garage pilot, which will become available at a later date and will be capable of autonomously manoeuvring the car into and out of a parking space or garage.
All engines in the new A6 feature new mild-hybrid technology. Here a Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) works together with a lithium-ion battery, enabling the A6 to coast at speeds of between 55km/h and 160km/h in the interest of fuel economy and to initiate its start-stop function earlier - at speeds of 21km/h and below.
The engine is restarted from standstill predictively as soon as the vehicle in front of the Audi A6 starts moving. During deceleration, the BAS recovers up to 12kW of energy.
The interior of the new Audi A6 is even larger than in the outgoing model. Legroom in the rear exceeds not only its predecessor but also its core competitors, while headroom and shoulder room measurements in both front and rear are also more generous than previously.
The new Audi A6 is noticeably sharper than the outgoing model from a handling perspective as well, thanks in no small part to innovative new suspension options. Customers can choose from four set-ups - the conventional steel spring suspension, the sport suspension, the suspension with damper control and the adaptive air suspension, also with controlled damping.
