The new Audi A6 (From Crewe Guardian)

Review: The new Audi A6

12:47pm Monday 9th January 2012 in Motors

You can drive along the motorway in Audi’s new A6 with your hands off the wheel and your feet off the pedals in perfect safety, writes Catherine Lawler.

This is all thanks to lane assist and radar cruise control, although whether you’d feel comfortable enough to test these functions to the max is another matter – it’s pretty hard to break the habits of a lifetime.

The new A6 is sleek, stylish and also the lightest car in its class. Slightly shorter than its predecessor, there is a choice of four engines – one petrol and three diesels – with outputs ranging from 177PS to 300PS.

I drove the most fuel-efficient engine in the range, the 2.0 TDI. Almost entirely redevel-oped, the four-cylinder unit generates 177PS and puts out 380 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 2,500rpm.

The new A6 is the world’s first executive saloon to feature all-LED headlights. Avail-able as an optional alternative to the more familiar halogen or bi-xenon lamps, the advanced LED headlights emit a strong white light, similar to daylight, and use just 40 watts of electricity each without dazzling other road users.

There’s plenty of kit in the A6, and prices are very competitive. Available in SE and S Line trim, even the cheapest model gets leather upholstery, a sat nav, Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, a 10-speaker sound system, cruise control and park assist.

Also included as standard is Audi’s drive select package, which allows you to choose between efficiency, comfort, dynamic and auto settings for the steering, gearbox and throttle response.

It was a comfortable ride in the new A6, with plenty of grip and minimal road and wind noise.

The windscreen has a special acoustic interlayer, and side windows made of heat/ sound-insulating glass can be specified as an option. These windows also feature an infrared-reflecting layer, which reduces the ‘greenhouse effect’ inside the car on sunny days (remember them?). Dark privacy glazing is also available as an option.

All models benefit from automatic start-stop and a brake energy recovery system.

There is a lot of cutting-edge technology on offer, including the ability to give the car its own Wi-Fi hotspot and integrate Google Earth maps with its sat-nav. You need never get lost again!

FACTFILE

Car: Audi A6 2.0 TDi

Price: From £29,500

0-60mph: 8.7 seconds

Top speed: 141mph

Fuel: 57.6mpg (combined)

CO2 emissions: 129g/km