Your Ad Here

Thursday, August 18, 2011

2012 Audi A6 Avant First Drive: A Reminder Why Diesel Wagons are So Popular in Europe

2012 Audi A6 Avant First Drive – Review – Car and Driver #pallet {margin:0;}#echoice li.category {margin:0;}Car and DriverIntelligence. Independence. Irreverence. VehiclesReviewsNewsFeaturesBuyer's GuideFollow UsSubscribeSearch Car and DriverHome › Reviews › 2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel - First Drive Review

Shopping Tools

Advertisement

2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel - First Drive ReviewWe get behind the wheel of Europe’s favorite A6—and are reminded why it’s so popular.BY JENS MEINERS
July 2011

Pages:1Photos

2012 Audi A6 Avant TDI Diesel

Photos (24)Visit Our Buyer's Guide »Audi A6› Overview› Specifications› Price with Options› Photos & 360° View› Get a Free QuoteNews & Reviews2012 Audi A6 Avant - Car News2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI - First Drive Review2012 Audi A6 - First Drive Review2012 Audi A6 - Official Photos and Info2012 Audi A6 Spy Photos - Future Cars2012 Audi A6 Rendered - Car News2009 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro - Short Take Road Test2009 Audi A6 - First Drive Review2009 Audi A6 Sedan / A6 Avant / S6 Sedan / RS6 Sedan - Car News

Redesigned for 2012, Audi's A6 lineup is halfway back to full strength with the introduction of the Avant station wagon. The high-powered S6 and RS6 versions still are waiting in the wings—as is a hybrid model designed mostly with our market in mind, even if U.S. availability is as-yet unconfirmed—but already this is an impressive family of vehicles. In Europe, though, where a diesel-powered station wagon is the stereotypical executive car, the Avant is the most critical of all A6s.

Audi just made the executive-wagon segment a lot more interesting, with a twin-turbocharged variation of its 3.0-liter TDI turning out 313 hp and an even more impressive 479 lb-ft of torque. Not only is it a powerful mill, but this diesel has attitude. Many oil-burners are impressive in their power delivery and massive torque, but lack soul. The 3.0-liter TDI, on the other hand, fires up with an impressive growl, and the sound gets better as you push it through the gears. Its voice is reminiscent of an old-fashioned V-8’s, a sound that is clearly audible inside and out. Think we’re crazy? Just wait until you hear how Audi did it: The company stuffed an extremely durable speaker into the exhaust system that allows it to alter the engine note. It can even be adjusted on the move.

Going Right to Ludicrous Speed

Driving the A6 Avant is even better than listening to it. The all-wheel-drive chassis copes well with the TDI's grunt. The rear differential distributes the power for maximum agility, and it takes a heavy misstep to throw the Avant off course. The car should need just 5.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Top speed is a governed 155 mph, a speed the Avant reaches with ease. On unlimited stretches of autobahn, the twin-turbo TDI’s sheer grunt at velocities of 130 mph and above is remarkable.

Its torque is so massive that it surpassed the capacity of Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the company had to install an eight-speed torque-converter automatic from ZF. There are three other diesel options in this car—a 177-hp 2.0-liter four and two single-turbo versions of the 3.0-liter V-6 making 204 and 245 hp—but the twin-turbo V-6 is clearly the bad boy of the lineup. Even the most powerful gasoline engine Audi offers, the familiar supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, lacks the brute force of the top TDI. Better yet, the beastly diesel returns 37 mpg on the (hopelessly optimistic) European combined cycle.

Stylistically, the Avant conversion works well on the A6, but it doesn't transform a conservative sedan design into a head-turner. While the previous-generation A6 Avant sported a markedly different rear end, this Avant looks almost identical to the sedan except for the elongated roofline. Even the overbite of the taillights remains. Additionally, the A6 Avant offers virtually all of the sedan's technological features, including a roster of assistance systems that borders on ridiculous, plus WiFi and Google-based telematics, as well as countless options for personalization.

Let Me Get That For You. And That. And That

Of course, the biggest difference between the sedan and the Avant is cargo capacity. There are a lot of practical options, such as a power cargo cover and a power hatch that opens when you wave your foot below the rear bumper—the latter particularly convenient when you have your hands full of groceries and don't want to reach for the trunk latch.

The A6 Avant’s success in Europe is almost assured, but the car is very unlikely to come to the U.S. Audi would like its dealers to instead focus on the A6 sedan and the Q5. Unless station wagons in general experience a sudden and unexpected rebound here, we won't be seeing the Avant on our lots. And while Audi is planning to offer the A6 sedan here with a diesel V-6, it will most likely be a front-wheel-drive single-turbo version with something closer to 250 hp. Pity.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $58,000

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 181 cu in, 2967 cc
Power (SAE net): 313 hp @ 4250 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 479 lb-ft @ 1450 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.7 in Length: 193.5 in
Width: 73.8 in Height: 57.5 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4500 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.6 sec
Top speed (governed): 155 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
European combined cycle: 37 mpg

 
Shell

Subscribe to Car and Driver magazine

Pages:1Photos

Stumble ItCommentsJoin the Discussion

Related Stories »2012 Audi A6 - First Drive ReviewLighter and prettier than its predecessor, the new Audi A6 is approaching perfection.

2012 Audi A6 Hybrid Full Specs Released; U.S. Availability Not Yet Determined2012 Audi A6 3.0 TDI - First Drive ReviewAudi’s diesel V-6 proves a terrific match for its delicious new mid-sizer.

2012 Audi S8 Spy Photos - Future CarsAudi prepares to launch the next generation of its ultra A8.

2011 Audi Q7 TDI Quattro - Long-Term Road Test UpdateUpdate Two: We’re still good with our brown buffalo.

2012 Audi Q3 - First Drive ReviewAudi launches a compact crossover—and dumps the TT RS engine into it.

Car and Driver Video »CD VideoThis Month in Car and Driver »In This Months Issue of Car and Driver DirectoryM Local Guides Subscribe Vehicles Trucks, SUVs, & Vans Sporty & Fun Sedans & Wagons Luxury Budget & Green Editor's Choice Most Researched Reviews In the Magazine From the Archives Comparison Tests Road Tests First Drives News Auto Shows Spy Photos Car News Car and Driver Blog Features Gear Box Interviews Tech Department Sport Awards Columns Features Buyer's Guide Editor's Choice: Trucks, SUVs, & Vans Editor's Choice: Sporty & Fun Editor's Choice: Sedans & Wagons Editor's Choice: Luxury Editor's Choice: Budget & Green Follow us Car and Driver RSS Car and Driver on Twitter Car and Driver on YouTube Car and Driver on Facebook Backfires Subscribe Mobile Digital Edition Newsletter Subscriptions Sitemap Contact Us Browse Cars for Sale Subscriptions/Customer Service Website Feedback Best Cars Luxury Cars Sports Cars Trucks Hybrids YouTube Twitter Facebook©2011 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved., Terms & Conditions Privacy-Your Privacy Rights

Hearst Men's Network


View the original article here

No comments:

Post a Comment