New Audi A6 revealed

​The eighth-generation of the Audi A6 has arrived, complete with new styling and packed with plenty of technology for an improved, more efficient driving experience.

All Audi A6s will be equipped with mild hybrid powertrains, which includes a belt alternator starter that works with a lithium-ion battery, and enables the new A6 to coast between 55km/h and 160km/h.  The stop-start system can kick in at speeds as high as 22km/h, rather than waiting for the vehicle to come to a complete stop like most vehicles equipped with conventional engines.  If the car senses that the vehicle in front of it starts to move, it will automatically restart the engine.  The battery alternator starter (BAS) can recover up to 12kW of energy during deceleration.
 
Two engines will be available in Europe at its initial market launch; one petrol (55 TFSI) and one diesel (50 TDI).  The petrol version is a turbocharged 3.0-litre TFSI V6 that produces 340hp and 500Nm of torque, while the diesel is a 3.0-litre TDI V6 that pumps out 286hp and a very potent 620Nm of torque.  All cars have Quattro all-wheel drive, but their gearboxes are different.  The TFSI has a seven-speed double-clutch transmission, while the TDI has an eight-speed automatic transmission.  Claimed fuel economy figures are: 7.1-6.7l/100km combined for the TFSI, with a CO2 output 161-151g/km; whereas the TDI’s fuel consumption figures are 5.8-5.5l/100km combined, with a CO2 output of 150-142g/km.
 
The interior is completely reworked, with the most notable thing being the new MMI system.  Gone are the majority of buttons and in is the use of touchscreen surfaces for operating the majority of features and accessing vehicle settings.  Through this system, up to seven drivers can store their preferred settings in custom profiles with up to 400 parameters. 
 
The MMI touch response system has haptic and acoustic feedback, so users hear and feel a click whenever their finger touches a function.  There are two main screens: the top screen (10.1-inch), which is for infotainment and optional navigation plus; and the bottom screen (8.6-inch) which is located on the center tunnel, and is used for the climate control, other convenience features, as well as for text input.  There’s also a head-up display, and the optional navigation plus brings with it the “Audi virtual cockpit” with a 12.3-inch display.
 
Other interesting features include a swarm of driver assist systems.  For starters, there’s an optional Audi Connect key, which replaces a conventional key.  Through this system the new A6 can be unlocked, locked, and have the engine started by an Android smartphone – of which the data can be shared with five people/smartphones.  There’s also the parking pilot and garage pilot; which can autonomously maneuver the car in and out of parking spaces or garages.
 
The new A6 can be had with four different kinds of suspension; a conventional steel spring suspension, a sport suspension, a suspension with damper control, and an adaptive air suspension with damper control.  The A6 also gets all-wheel steering for the first time, which should help agility, stabilty and maneuverability.   At low speed the rear wheels turn (up to 5 degrees) in the opposite direction to the front wheels, which helps with low-speed maneuvering.   While at high speed, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels, which help with high-speed stability.
 
The new A6 will be launched in the German market in June 2018, with a base price of 58,050 euros for the 50 TDI Quattro. 

Written by Alex Kisiri