Two days back I was invited by Khalid Al Sabi and lovely Janice Hinson to attend an event hosted by Audi Middle East to introduce the 2016 Audi A6. The plan was to go on route from Le Meridien Dubai Hotel to Banyan Tree Al Wadi hotel in Ras Al Khemah. The route was carefully selected with different types of terrain and roads, some with steep turns and some straight lines where we can accelerate and put the new Audi A6 2016 into test.
At start once I arrived at the hotel I saw more than 6 brand new Audi A6 parked outside the hotel, the exterior changes were somewhat obvious but not as aggressive as I thought it would be. Audi keep the design and identity of Audi A6 but made it looks smarter, sexy, and more efficient.
So having said that, let me walk you through what is new with the Audi A6:
Design:
1- Exterior Front:
A- the obvious changes that you can notice looking at the front of the car that it is Flatter, wider Audi Singleframe with new radiator grille.
B- Restyled bumper includes air inlets for the first time, which are connected below the Audi Singleframe.
C- Striking headlight graphic
2- Exterior Rear:
A- LED rear lights are flatter with a new design
B- Redesigned bumper, Diffuser and tailpipe
C- Redesigned side sills make the Audi A6 appear wider and more dynamic
3- Interior:
A- Aluminium look for air-vent thumbwheels and controls for seat adjustment, for example
B- MMI controls in aluminium look
C- New, ergonomic design selector lever
Engines:
1- New engines
Most car manufacturers are downsizing with a smaller engines capacity but more power and torque, and they do so by introducing new mechanical engineering systems. Audi follow the same route and in some instances Audi is a leader in mechanical engineering by introducing TFSI, FSI and MPI injection systems.
So to make long story short, Audi A6 comes with a list of new engines as follow:
|
New Engines |
35 TFSI 1.8 L Inline 4cyl |
35 FSI 2.8 L V6 |
40 TFSI 2.0L Inline 4 cyl |
50 TFSI 3.0 L V6 |
|
DriveTrain |
FWD |
Quattro |
FWD |
Quattro |
|
Power (hp) |
190 hp |
220 hp |
252 hp |
333 hp |
|
0-100 km/h |
7.9s |
8.1 s |
6.7S |
5.1 S |
However, 2.0L inline 4cyl engine is not yet available in our region but will be available in the future, it is available with the old 2.0L FSI V6 FWD engine which produce 180 HP. The new engine produce extra 72 HP and it is inline 4cyl.
2- Start-stop system:
The other change that we have witnessed on the new Audi A6 2016 is the Start -Stop system where Audi has:
A- Updated: switches off the engine as the system detects the vehicle is coming to a stop (below 7kph; for quattro below 2kph)
B- In ‘P’ position, engine can be switched on and off several times in long stationary phase, e.g. to support climate control function
C- No stop-start in ‘S’ mode
Transmission:
1- S-tronic for FWD (1.8 l and 2.0l): New development
The S tronic dual-clutch transmission is a successful technology. It combines the convenience of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual transmission, while adding its own dynamic touch. Throughout much of the model line-up, the S tronic is available in four different versions, with six or seven gears. Now Audi A6 comes with S-tronic for FWD (1.8 l and 2.0l)
– 7 -speed dual clutch transmission
– Torque up to max. 400 Nm
– Power up to max. 200 kw / 272 hp
– Gear ratio designed to give comfortable driving experience
– Free wheel mode
– Hill descent support
– Launch control programme
– Start-stop v.1.7
2- Coasting Mode
– In conjunction with S-tronic
– Efficiency mode in Audi
– Drive Select is selected
– Foot off accelerator; engine drops to idle
– Display in Driver Information System: ‘Free- wheel mode’
– Up to 0.5 l/100km fuel saving
Driver Assistance Technology
1- Night Vision Update
The update on the Night Vision System that it can now also highlight larger wild animals in addition to pedestrians, In conjunction with Audi Matrix LED headlights*, the ‘marking light’ can additionally illuminate the person highlighted in red briefly three consecutive times.
2- Coupled function: Side Assist & Active Lane Assist
When both the Side Assist and Lane Assist features are active, the active lane assist can alert the driver to vehicles in the adjacent lane. A noticeable steering intervention is applied before veering out of the lane if a lane-change is judged to be hazardous due to an approaching vehicle
3- Just a quick recap to the technology that is available on Audi A6
A- Audi pre sense basic
B- Adaptive cruise control including Audi pre sense front
C- Audi Side assist
D- Audi Active Lane Assist
E- Night vision assistant
F- Head up display
Equipment:
1- Matrix Bean LED headlights
A- The optimum light is applied in every situation making the car as visible as possible to other road users; including front & rear dynamics indicators
B- The optimum light is applied in every situation improving visibility for the driver without dazzling other road users
C-100% free from mechanical parts – unique in the automotive industry
2- Acoustic Glass
Acoustic glazing on windscreen – and front side windows (LSG with A-PVB film) The new standard acoustic glazing reduces the noise level by up to 8 dB.
3- Audi Design Selection
Audi Design selection for the first time in the C-segment. Exclusive pre-selected pallet of colours; produced on the regular production run = no requirement for additional lead time (compare Audi Exclusive)
4- MMI Updated
 |
 |
DS Speech Dialogue System now with smart phone hands free activation for voice control. For example, pressing the steering wheel button for 3 seconds activates Apple’s Siri over the in car microphone and speakers.
DIS Driver Information System now with full navigation map in addition to the center screen display
Finally Introducing S6 & RS 6
Yes, it is the S6 and RS6