Audi A6 4.2 QUATTRO
Audis A6 4.2-Litre quattro Has Always Been One Of The Premier Executive Expresses But The Latest Version Is Bigger And Better Than Ever. Andy Enright Reports
When showcasing their latest wares, car companies tend to prefer that you drive the top of the range model, laden down with every imaginable extra on billiard table smooth roads under a photogenically perfect sky. In conditions such as these, its a genuine workout for your objective faculties, yet even the most curmudgeonly road tester would be hard pressed to find Audis 4.2-litre A6 anything other than impressive.
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Powered by a slightly detuned version of the S4 V8 engine, this 335bhp powerplant deploys its power via a six-speed manual gearbox with the option of a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. Smoother and more refined than the old 300bhp 4.2-litre unit found in the old A6 and only a handful of ponies shy of the 340bhp power output of the old S6. This 40-valve unit is refined right across the rev range with only a distant yowl emerging when approaching the 6,800rpm redline.
Despite being a far bigger car than its predecessor, the A6 4.2 is even quicker off the mark, getting to 60mph in 6.1 seconds and on to an identically limited 155mph top speed. Fuel consumption is rated at 24.
4mpg on the combined cycle, a very creditable figure for a car this big and powerful. Even the emissions rating of 278g/km isnt as horrendous as one might at first expect. Saloon prices start at £43,540 for the SE version and top out at £45,000 for the S-Line. Avant estate prices start at £44,810.
S-Line buyers are confronted with a basic package that features 18" 5 spoke alloy wheels fitting snug to the wheel arches thanks to sports suspension thats a generous 30mm lower than standard. There are upgraded 17" ventilated brake discs too. Half leather sports seats pop-up inside, along with a sports steering wheel, a leather gear knob and black headlining. The really observant will also spot the S-Line logos dotted around the place. If you cant wait for an S6 version, S-Line customers can fork out another £875 and
Audi will bolt on an aggressive new front bumper, a unique S-Line front grille complete with S-Line emblem, a reshaped rear bumper with a body-coloured lower diffuser and a pair of automatic headlamp washers.
It all makes for a car with real road-hugging presence.
"This A6 is massively more capable than its predecessor. In 4.2-litre guise its also significantly more powerful"
Compared to key rivals such as the
BMW 545i and the Mercedes E500, the A6 4.2 quattros prices look very reasonable, especially given the fact that its both bigger, better equipped and features surprisingly strong residuals for such a high-end vehicle. The key styling feature is that prominent grille or, as Audi prefer to call it, the single frame. Look beyond that and youll notice the curvaceous flanks, topped and tailed by a sharp longitudinal crease line that forms a definite hip and the rising edge in the door sills that creates a great deal of tension and shadow in the A6s profile.
The Ingolstadt company claims the worlds tightest shut lines and the panel fit around the door is indeed superb, the 2.5mm apertures between the doors and body panels being astonishingly uniform. Gone are the days when the pound coin test would separate the best from the rest when it comes to panel fit. The design isnt all show however.
The neat integrated tail spoiler helps cut rear lift to a mere 19kg at 155mph. This represents a quarter of the outgoing models lift and the drag coefficient has been cut too from 0.31 to a slippery 0.28.
Despite its slinky profile, the tale of the tape doesnt lie and the A6 is now comfortably the biggest car in its class, dwarfing rivals such as the
Jaguar S-TYPE and the
Lexus GS series. The overall length has swelled to 4916mm, up a whole 121mm over the outgoing car. The boot is a whopping 546 litres in all saloon models (Avant estates to follow in 2005) which is not only bigger than the 5 Series and the E Class but also manages to put this cars big brother, the A8, in the shade. Theres a good deal of A8 in the A6s genetics.
It too makes extensive use of aluminium to help trim the weight. The bonnet, front bumper, bootlid and firewall are all constructed in aluminium, although such are the volumes that Audi predict this car will sell in that an all-aluminium construction like the A8 would have proved too difficult to productionise. Driver enjoyment is a key feature of the latest A6 line up and the car benefits from a quicker steering rack while retaining current suspension settings albeit with fifteen per cent more travel. Drivers used to previous generation A6 models wont recognise the feel behind the wheel and they can be excused for not feeling instantly at home with the interior.
Although much of the look and feel is reminiscent again of the A8, the dashboard features a binnacle and centre console that angles towards the driver and is quite unlike anything yet seen in an Audi. The quality of the cabin remains top notch but theres a little more style and colour contrast here, Audi finally recognising that the coal hole dark plastic look was just that little bit too nineties to cut it these days and have included some very stylish pale woods and chrome finishes. Although the old A6 was a very good car, it occasionally fell a little short of the best that Mercedes and BMW could produce, especially when spending serious money on the upper level executive versions. The latest model rectifies that mistake and the 4.
2-litre V8 quattro model administers a sound thrashing to its German rivals in a number of key areas. Its MMI control system shows BMWs iDrive up to be counterintuitive and fussy while the sheer amount of space makes the Mercedes E-Class appear mean. After trying this car, it would be very tough to shop elsewhere.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Audi A6 4.2 V8 range
PRICES: £43,540-£46,270 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 278g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph/ 0-60mph 6.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 24.2mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, rear and side airbags, ABS, ESP, EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height(mm)4916/1860/1460
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