2012 Audi A6 First Drive

Audi's chief designer, Wolfgang Egger, talks about a "line of lineage" from the first Audi 100 of 1968 to the new 2012 A6 of today. "You should never interrupt history," says Egger. "If you want to sharpen the emotion of the brand you look to the R8, A7 or E-Tron, not the A6." While the A8 asserts its plutocratic status and the A4 screams "upwardly mobile," the A6 has always been the choice of those who want the trappings of success but don't need to tell the world. It's Audi's most sensible car and it's no surprise to discover that the latest incarnation is a subtle evolution of the old.

But beneath the familiar skin lies a host of new technology focused on improving efficiency and refinement. Significantly lighter than before, the 2012 Audi A6 takes on the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class and seeks to impress the discerning executive with a newfound depth of ability.

Family Ties

It's hard to test a new Audi without stopping to address its styling. The company's global success over the past decade has been driven by design. It's what's propelled Audi's emergence as a genuine, premium alternative to BMW or Mercedes and helped establish the A6 as the world's best-selling executive sedan.

The previous-generation A6 was the first to introduce Audi's Auto Union-inspired trapezoidal grille and it's evolved for the launch of the seventh iteration. Shallower and broader than before, it's now hexagonal and prompts what Egger calls, "a shift from a vertical to a horizontal face." The headlights or "eyes" have been given sharper features, a dominant characteristic made even more prominent if you opt for LED headlights, which are offered for the first time.

The new 2012 Audi A6 looks best viewed in profile, where the prominent, sweeping shoulder line grabs the attention. So, too, do the revised proportions. The wheelbase has been extended by 2.7 inches and the exceptionally small front overhang emphasizes Audi's sporting values. From the rear, the family ties with the A4 and A8 are self-evident — you need to be a confident Audi spotter to tell the three apart — but it's handsome enough. The A6, in common with its key rivals, is unlikely to seduce with its looks alone, nor will it offend its traditionally conservative clientele. It's a date you could bring home to your parents.

Still Big for a Midsize

The dimensions of the 2012 Audi A6 are almost unchanged compared with its predecessor and it remains one of the biggest cars in the class. At nearly 194 inches long, for example, it's roughly an inch longer than a 5 Series and 2 inches longer than an E-Class.

Audi claims a fraction more shoulder room front and rear, but the differences are marginal at best. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most spacious cars in the class, with ample room for a quartet of 6-footers. In this respect, the jump from A4 to A6 is both significant and welcome.

How the 2012 Audi A6 performs is defined as much by your personal preferences as its inherent ability.

The slabby, cockpit-style fascia of the old A6 has been replaced by a simpler, more luxurious structure that's influenced heavily by the A8 and A7. The design is thoroughly unremarkable but in the best Audi tradition it's beautifully rendered using high-quality materials. Attention focuses on a central color screen that's the key to unlocking a plethora of electronic gizmos. Measuring either 6.5 or an optional 8 inches, it emerges from the dash like a James Bond gadget and is controlled from the center console.

Opt for the 8-inch MMI Touch and you get the innovative touchpad control system that debuted on the A8. The system also includes a hard disk for storing music onboard. MMI Touch can also link with your cell phone to establish a WiFi hub, allowing up to eight gadgets to be connected simultaneously. The same technology also allows the navigation system to import Google maps on to which the route instructions are superimposed. It's a neat trick that works well, but data charges could render it nothing more than a trick if you're not careful. Audi admits that not every network will support the system, and while a BlackBerry syncs happily, an iPhone throws up a block.

Lighter, but Not by Much

The previous-generation A6 marked Audi's first attempt to inject its executive challenger with a dose of sporting flair. It just about succeeded, although the 5 Series, and later on the Jaguar XF, remained the choice of more serious enthusiasts. A generation on and the XF is due for a face-lift (it debuts at the New York auto show in April) and the latest 5 Series, some would argue, has sacrificed the last tenth of dynamic appeal in favor of all-round comfort. There is an opportunity here for Audi.

How the 2012 Audi A6 performs is defined as much by your personal preferences as its inherent ability. Using the MMI system, you can choose your own parameters for the optional air suspension, steering, gearbox, sport differential (another option) and even the feel of the seatbelts. Or you can let the car choose default settings ranging from the fuel-efficient to the dynamic.

The extensive use of aluminum — it accounts for 20 percent of the car's surface area — has helped shave 176 pounds off the mass of the new car compared with the equivalent old model. The 3.0 TFSI tips the scales at 3,836 pounds, versus 3,880 pounds for the 535i and 3,825 for the E350. That's an impressive achievement, especially given the weight penalty incurred by the Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Not surprisingly, the fuel figures benefit — Audi claims the new 3.0 TFSI is 14.3 percent more efficient than its predecessor, a figure also helped by the standard start-stop system.

Stick to the Steel Springs

Reducing the mass also benefits ride and handling. The standard steel spring suspension employs a five-link setup, with aluminum control arms at the front and Audi's trapezoidal, multilink design at the rear. Air suspension is an option and so is an S line sport setup that lowers the car by 0.79 inch. The steering is electromechanical, and although front-wheel drive is offered in Europe, the U.S. will launch with four-wheel drive as standard. Torque vectoring is standard on the Quattro system, although the typical torque split is 40:60 front to rear.

We drove two versions, with S line and air suspension, respectively. The S line is targeted most keenly at drivers of the 535i. On 18-inch alloys and sport suspension, the ride was noticeably firm, although on Italian roads at least, it would be wrong to describe it as harsh. The steering is much improved over the old A6, with useful feedback and a pleasingly linear response. Body roll is predictably well checked and the optional sports diff enhances its agility. We'd like to drive it in U.S. conditions to reach a definitive conclusion on which is the finer steer, but the 5 Series isn't the clear winner so far.

Switching to the car with air suspension brings with it a noticeable improvement in the ride, but in combination with a slight loss of steering response. Less overtly sporting, it throws into sharper focus one of the A6's other key attributes, its refinement. This is an exceptionally quiet car with little mechanical, wind or road noise.

No Diesel Power Just Yet

The 2012 Audi A6 will be launched in the U.S. as a 3.0 TFSI Quattro. Don't be fooled by the "T" in the nameplate, though. This engine employs a mechanical supercharger, not an exhaust-driven turbo. Boasting a capacity of 2,995cc and six cylinders in a vee, it produces 295 horsepower and an impressive 324 pound-feet of torque. In comparison, the E350 produces 288 hp/269 lb-ft and the 535i, 302 hp/295 lb-ft.

This direct-injection engine is a gem. Unerringly smooth, it's devoid of supercharger lag or whine and it imbues the A6 with impressive performance. Audi claims zero to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph. The midrange is no less impressive, where the benefits of the Audi's torque are self-evident. It also proves an ideal foil for the latest seven-speed S tronic double-clutch transmission. The paddle-shift changes are a delight — you'll find yourself downshifting just to hear the automated throttle blip.

The A6 will reach U.S. shores this summer, with just one model available initially. In Europe we also tested a 2.8 FSI gasoline engine with 201 hp and a Multitronic continuously variable transmission (CVT), although its general lack of response and refinement means it will not be missed on these shores. Much more impressive was the 3.0 TDI Quattro that combines 242 hp with 368 lb-ft of torque. Smooth, responsive and blessed with exceptional midrange punch, it suits the A6's character but is unlikely to cross the pond.

Far more likely to appear is the A6 Hybrid, which could be in showrooms in 2012. Sharing its technology with the Q5 Hybrid, it combines a 2.0T four-cylinder with an electric motor that takes the place of the torque converter. Between the two, the A6 Hybrid will have a total of 241 hp being sent through its eight-speed automatic transmission. We also expect a V8 and an S6 but Audi wouldn't say when.

The Most Inoffensive of Audis

Audi's most sensible car provides few surprises. It represents a logical, well-executed evolution of its predecessor. There are few features that are truly outstanding and it fails to move the genre on in any significant way.

A failure? Hardly. Taken as a whole, the improvements are significant and result in a fresh, appealing car of considerable talent even if it's not outwardly obvious. The A6 has never been one to stand out in Audi's lineup, and clearly the company sees no reason to change that now. A slightly odd decision given Audi's often-stated intentions to rule the luxury car world. Maybe it intends to do that from the bottom up? Or is it the top down? Either way, the 2012 Audi A6 gets squeezed in the middle, left to satisfy those looking for understatement, competence and maybe a few Google maps along the way.