[lamborghini]

Hey guys,

Got to drive the new Audi A6 recently. While I would have loved the 3.0 TDi, this one is a 2.0TDi without any of the options.
Made sense, as the car was going to be a chauffeur driven one. Unfortunately, Audi wasn't able to give the owner a customized A6 2.0 TDi in the color he wanted with the options he wanted, unless he was wiling to wait 4 months for one. This was before the car was even manufactured.
But more on that later.

Unfortunately, I do not have much experience with this cars current competitors, except that I am not a big fan of them, and IMO, they aren't as true to their brand image as their existing ones.
In fact, I recommended this over the W212 E Class as the W212 didn't feel anywhere as nice, cosseting, and well built as the W211.
Similarly, the F10 wasn't as good to drive, and the car didn't have the same character its predecessors possessed.
The XF was ruled out even before the search process began. No space, and no feeling of specialness which is vital on a car costing nearly Rs. 50L
The Audi was the only one that was a leap ahead of its predecessor, while staying true to what Audi has stood for - technology and quality.

What I Love:

- Interior design, and quality!
- Exteriors
- Kit on Offer - Air Suspension was a big plus and differentiator
- Simple touches that make driving a lot nicer
- Ease of Driving
- Sound Deadening

What I Didn't:
- Audi Sales Experience
- The 2.0 TDi engine - simply because its average, the 3.0 TDi would be a beast!
- Low Rear Seat

This review will cover the following:
- Exteriors and interiors
- The driving experience
- Sales experience, and the smaller but significant points that I want to highlight.

[lamborghini]

Exteriors

Walk up to the car, and it looks like just any other Audi - Beautiful!
Sure, many do crib about how all Audi's look similar, but IMO, the same can be said about other brands as well. There is no denying though that the Audi might have more similarity in its models than BMW and Mercedes.
However, even then, there is no doubt that the Audi is still a stunner - amongst the most beautiful cars in its segment. In the Night Blue shade that it was sporting, the car looked absolutely sweet and I couldn't help myself but drool a little!

Attention to detail is great! Be it the shape of the headlights, or the tail lights. Heck, even the ORVMs looked superb when they were folded in!
I was quite happy with the quality of paint, and felt it to be a little better than the one used on the E60 5 Series. Quite obviously the panel gaps were perfectly spaced, and the car gave off a mean look which was missing in the older A6.

However, I do hate the fact that they switched over from the superb 'Pearl' look LEDs that are there in the A4 and Q7, and instead have this one plain jane white strip adorning the head lights.


The Alloys also could do with a better design IMO, but no complaints here. They look quite nice:


Interiors

It's the interiors though that really stand out!
Superb quality, and a lovely design. Much better than what Mercedes and BMW have done in my opinion.
Even the leather feels a step up on the W212, and the color complements the exteriors beautifully! While our first choice was White exteriors with the Tan Brown Interiors, the person who was using the car wasn't too excited when he saw the color in the showroom. After seeing the Blue and the Velvet Beige interiors in person, I am not disappointed. Adds to the feeling of exclusivity, especially when almost all the Audi's have the White/Tan combo!
I really like that Audi allows customers to customize the interior in terms of colors. Even BMW offers the same, however, when I checked with Mercedes, that was not an option on the Elegance variants.
The attention to detail once again is simply fantastic. I especially love the wraparound look the interior has, and Audi has incorporated a very young and sport look with their design - A big plus for me.
Even the Steering boasts of quality, and has a soft touch finish about it.

Wraparound Dash:

However, if there is one point of complaint that I had, it was the fact that the rear seats were placed very low. While I don't think shorter people would have a complaint about it, I found it a little unnerving. Also, my size 12 shoes had a little bit of a struggle getting out of the car due to the gap between the seat and the B Pillar. But then again, I haven't sat in the back of many cars, so wouldn't be the best person to know about such things.
Interior space was average for the class, as can be seen from the picture below. The Driver's seat is adjusted for the 6' tall chauffeur, and the passenger seat has been taken all the way ahead:

An important point to note, as this car doesn't have the WCI package, or any options, it doesn't come with the touchpad, or the larger screen. Two goodies that would have added to the overall impression in my opinion. This is how the stock version looks:


Another observation I made, do correct me if I am wrong, but the steering has two inactive buttons present on it. This is for the Navigation System, and the Voice Commands. Both of these are a little bit upsetting, and Navigation System should have at least been an option. Cannot understand the logic behind the Voice Commands though.
However, on an overall note, barring the low rear seat, the interiors are a very nice place to be in.

[lamborghini]

Driving Experience

Before driving this car, I had driven the VW Passat with the 170BHP engine. That drive had totally blown me over, and I loved the Passat! The handling, and the way she pushed you back the minute you stepped on the accelerator was just insane!
However, even though the Audi has the same heart with similar output, I just couldn't help but hope it had similar performance and feel as fast and fun to drive. But boy, was I wrong!
Don't get me wrong, its not that the car is a slouch (its average), but its just that one doesn't feel it in the car. There is no push into the backseat, and the car is so muted on the inside, that one can't doesn't even feel that the engine is running at 4,000 RPM! Great for those family trips with the parents in the back
But on a more serious note, given the size and the power on tap, the car felt only adequately powerful. A larger engine, or a different state of tune would have done wonders!
In a little drag that I had with a 320d, the 320d pulled away faster than the Audi, but the difference wasn't as much as I had expected it to be. It managed to keep on the tail of the 320d, and I am sure that once I get used to her she should perform much better - just not enough to out-drag any of its competitors though.
On the brighter side though, the engine didn't have much turbo lag, and at low RPMs, it pulled quite well. I had no issues driving her in city traffic, and our W211 E270 CDI is a little bit more cumbersome to drive. Expect her to return good FE thanks to this!

Similarly, the enthusiasts wouldn't find the driving experience great either! I found the steering quite light, and the ORVMs a touch small. However, the car didn't give me much to worry about, and on one stretch I was doing an easy 80-100kmph around mild bends (Hanging Gardens) without even realizing it (after which I brought the speeds back to permissible limits). The car is definitely stable and composed, and masks speeds very well! However, as an enthusiast, Concave/Convex ORVMs and a steering with a little bit more feel would be welcome!
I would still like to play a little with the different settings of the suspension and see how the car performs in the different modes the Air Suspension allows. Will report on that once I get an opportunity too.

The Ride quality on the other hand was quite smooth. Though the W211 E Class might do better on some roads, I had little cause to complain. Especially after sitting in the E60 5 Series. While one can feel the bigger bumps, it doesn't have a sharp edge to them and is taken in quite well.
However, once again, I would like to see what all can be done with regards to this.
Also, would want to plan a long trip in the car and see how she performs at expressway speeds. I believe that tells a lot about the car and the suspension set-up.
Overall, IMO, this is quite a nice car for the occasional driver who values ease of driving and stable handling. The back seat comfort isn't the best, but neither is it the worst. Once I have experimented with the modes a little, I will have a better idea though.

[lamborghini]

Sales Experience

One would expect the sales experience of a premium brand to be superb! However, my dissatisfaction with Audi Mumbai West has resulted in me writing this part in a separate note.
Previously, I had dealt with the dealership when we were looking at the A4. Though we didn't end up getting the A4, I was quite happy with the sales experience and a very helpful Sales Executive who brought the car to my residence twice for me to test.
However, with the A6, I was left wanting.
For starters, we were informed that we would have to make the 90-minute trip to the showroom as the car couldn't be taken to a customer's residence for a TD. Fair enough, after all this was a new model (though as a premium customer, I would have liked the car being brought to our residence - but that's just me. I feel that when we pay a premium for a product, the experience needs to be premium). Barring that, the TD went off smoothly enough and the car was booked.
The real problem started afterwards, and though these issues are not major, as a premium brand, Audi needs to figure out a solution to such problems if they want to build a good brand reputation that Mercedes and BMW enjoy. The Mercedes experience was by far the best experience I have had, with even my chauffeur being treated like a king - and that is important in my books!
For starters, we were told that the dealership had one A6 in the color we wanted with the interiors we wanted allotted to them. However, it came without the accessories we wanted, but would have a faster delivery - something that we were quite ok with.
However, here is where the problem started. Firstly, the car was delayed by a month, a fact I found out when I called the Sales Executive to enquire about the car. Again, this was not an issue for us, especially as I was aware of the same and had conveyed the information to the owner (thanks to T-BHP).
After checking that the car was not yet manufactured, and since the booking amount had been paid, we decided to ask the SE if we could get the BOSE system and WCI Package as paid for accessories with the car - something that should be possible given that the car has not yet been manufactured! However, the SE informed us that this was something that wouldn't be possible, and something that I didn't quite understand given that the car hadn't been manufactured as yet.
But since we already decided that these accessories weren't as important, we decided to go ahead and get the car when it arrived. We were promised a delivery date of end-Oct, and when that time rolled by, I had to actually call up Audi Mumbai West to enquire about the car which had arrived, rather than it being the other way around. During this time, we also found out that our SE wasn't working at Audi Mumbai West.
Ideally, we should have been informed as to when the car had arrived, as well as when our SE had left, rather than calling up the dealer and trying to understand what has been happening with our car.
Similarly, we had to make several calls to the dealer to organize the rest of the payment. Unlike the Toyota experience, where we had the car in less than 1.5 weeks from booking, Audi was taking ages to get back to us about any information! Heck, it took over 2 weeks to get the car into our hands once we found out that it had arrived into stock! This delay in doing everything is really what annoyed me, and I hope Audi takes it into consideration in the future.
Let's hope that this was a one off case, especially given that the A4 experience and that of others I know has been wonderful so far! As I mentioned earlier, these were small issues, but small issues that a premium brand should take care of.

Smaller, yet Significant Points:

During the driving experience, I really like some of the finer points Audi has taken care of:
- The rear sun screen rolls down when Reverse is engaged, and once the car goes back into 'D', it rolls back up.
- The Autohold features works every time the car comes to a complete halt, and only switches off when the engine is switched off. A boon in traffic!
- Finer details like the light under the rear sear:

- The sport speedo marked all the way up to 300km/h!

- Small interior details like the wraparound effect with an aluminum finished strip running across the dash


And more to be noticed over longer drives and times spent with the car. If I find anything new, will definitely update it on the thread!

[Rehaan]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the public forum. Thanks!

[over.drive]

Hi lamborghini, thats a lovely looking Audi.
Could you shed some more light on how the car compares to BMW F10 especially the handling and performance. I have heard that the F10 is not as good in the handling department as the E60, but how does it compare to the Audi?

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Fantastic write-up and a beautiful looking A6 there Sanjay. Somehow the shade of blue appears like black in the pics though.
Anyway about the 2 buttons on the steering -
Navigation - This button will only be useful when Audi offers GPS navigation in India. For the past year i have been asking them about SAT NAV and all they have been saying is they do not want to collaberate with MapMyIndia so they are in the process of working out maps for navigation. But that is the ONLY piece of news they have been giving me for the past year now about GPS so i am starting to believe that it is nothing but hogwash. So atleast for sometime to come, the navigation button would be redundant. But yea the day navigation is offered by Audi it would immediately be available on your car with a few minor wiring tweaks since this is an A6.

Voice Command function - All i know is it CAN be used for changing the audio track & stuff like that. But even i dont really use it as such.

[Harbir]

so the vehicles have the NAV system installed, just not activated? and will be activated when audi settles on a map vendor?

If thats the case, and navigation is desired, its very important to order the options packages that contain the larger screen and the touch pad (which are very little value otherwise)

I wish I had done this bit of research before paying the dealer for the A6 3.0T my dad is buying

[GTO]

I love (read = LOVE) Audi's design language. As much as I'm a fan of the new 5 series, I'm bowled over by the A6's lines that much more. Audi knows how to keep their cars looking timeless...pat on the back for not going down the quirky road.

I think the 2.0 TDi makes a lot of sense for those who are going to only be chauffeur-driven (much like the E250 & the 520d). However, I hope you take a spin in the 3.0 TDi. Having driven an A4 with the same engine, I can tell you that you'll be blown away.

Audi's sales experience has always been pitiful (what is it with the VW group brands!!), and the delivery schedules even more so. Few people get the Audi they want fast. This is a huge disadvantage when you consider how Mercedes & BMW pamper their customers. Literally. The sooner Audi learns this, the easier it will be for them to close the gap.

Thanks for sharing.

P.S. You need to get yourself a phone with a decent cam

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by Harbir

so the vehicles have the NAV system installed, just not activated? and will be activated when audi settles on a map vendor?

If thats the case, and navigation is desired, its very important to order the options packages that contain the larger screen and the touch pad (which are very little value otherwise)

I wish I had done this bit of research before paying the dealer for the A6 3.0T my dad is buying

What i was told is that the wiring that needs to be done for SAT NAV to be incorporated is already existent on the higher variants of each model.
eg: The A4 1.8/2.0 versions do not get the full version of MMI hence even when SAT NAV is available i dont think they would be able to get it from Audi since their MMI's are not full fledged and the screens are comparatively low resolution. In case of my car, since its the top of the line 3.0 TDi ,it has come with all the pre-wiring necessary and hence when navigation is offered a little bit of tweaking here & there would do the trick.

The car in question here is the NEW A6 so IMO be it the 2.0 Tdi or the top of the line 3.0 T/TDi variants , navigation would be offered. Difference could be that the lower 2.0/2.8 variants might have it as an option where as the 3 litre variants would have it as an in-built feature perhaps & i also think that the stock MMI screen available on the new A6 would be more than sufficient both size and resolution wise for navigation.
IMO the NEW MMI is unbelievably vast, intuitive and fantastic.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by GTO

I love (read = LOVE) Audi's design language. As much as I'm a fan of the new 5 series, I'm bowled over by the A6's lines that much more. Audi knows how to keep their cars looking timeless...pat on the back for not going down the quirky road.

I think the 2.0 TDi makes a lot of sense for those who are going to only be chauffeur-driven (much like the E250 & the 520d). However, I hope you take a spin in the 3.0 TDi. Having driven an A4 with the same engine, I can tell you that you'll be blown away.

P.S. You need to get yourself a phone with a decent cam

Exactly, Audi has very similar looks across the range, but everything said and done, they always look superb!
A spin in the 3.0TDi is on the cards, once I get some time. Along with the 530d.
Sorry about the pics, these were ironically taken from my relatively new P&S camera. Will take some better ones soon.

Originally Posted by Harbir

I wish I had done this bit of research before paying the dealer for the A6 3.0T my dad is buying

Are you getting any option packs with the car? If not, and if you want to opt for any, it should still be possible unless the dealer has the car in stock, right?

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Fantastic write-up and a beautiful looking A6 there Sanjay. Somehow the shade of blue appears like black in the pics though.

Voice Command function - All i know is it CAN be used for changing the audio track & stuff like that. But even i dont really use it as such.

I actually really love the color! At night, it could pass off as black quite easily. It is this really deep shade of blue, which I will try and click this weekend with a better camera.
How do you set up the Voice Command function? Still learning all the controls whenever I get a chance (which isn't often)

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

What i was told is that the wiring that needs to be done for SAT NAV to be incorporated is already existent on the higher variants of each model.
The car in question here is the NEW A6 so IMO be it the 2.0 Tdi or the top of the line 3.0 T/TDi variants , navigation would be offered. Difference could be that the lower 2.0/2.8 variants might have it as an option where as the 3 litre variants would have it as an in-built feature perhaps & i also think that the stock MMI screen available on the new A6 would be more than sufficient both size and resolution wise for navigation.
IMO the NEW MMI is unbelievably vast, intuitive and fantastic.

Thanks for that little bit of info! Always good to know.
Would love to get SATNAV installed once it is available.

Originally Posted by over.drive

Hi lamborghini, thats a lovely looking Audi.
Could you shed some more light on how the car compares to BMW F10 especially the handling and performance. I have heard that the F10 is not as good in the handling department as the E60, but how does it compare to the Audi?

To be honest, have not driven the F10 at all. However, the suspension has been softened up, and the Audi has an air suspension that would benefit it. On the other hand, the BMW is RWD while the Audi is FWD.
It would be quite interesting to see how this plays out. Once i get a chance to compare them both, I will definitely let you know.
In terms of performance, I would expect them both to be close to each other, with the BMW possibly having a slight advantage (at least that was the case with the 320d).

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

How do you set up the Voice Command function? Still learning all the controls whenever I get a chance (which isn't often)



Thanks for that little bit of info! Always good to know.
Would love to get SATNAV installed once it is available.

About the voice command activation, honestly i have lost all memory
Scrolling through the MMI for the desired track/ function is easy enough so i did not bother except those odd couple of times when i wanted to see the utility of the feature. I will tell you though let me just check it out when i go down in a bit

About the SAT NAV, be ready for the long wait. LOL.
Have been asking them about GPS in Audis since i have the car (may 2010) and all they have been saying is 'anytime now'.
Yeah..right !

[Utopian]

Congrats doe the A6, Lamborghini. In the current Audi A series line up, the A6 does stand out. The alloys look more plain jane when compared to the car. Are other alloy options also offered with other variants?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Utopian

Congrats doe the A6, Lamborghini. In the current Audi A series line up, the A6 does stand out. The alloys look more plain jane when compared to the car. Are other alloy options also offered with other variants?

All the models come with the same level of kit, barring the Quattro which is available on the more powerful 3.0L variants.
However, I have seen 2 A6 sedans on the EEH, sporting test plates, and more importantly, larger rims. Any idea what models these could be?

[lamborghini]

Drove the A6 again today. Spent a little more time with her this time around.
Given that the car has done 1700kms, the engine was a lot more free-er, and the following were my observations:
- The car definitely draws attention! Both good and bad!
- Rear View Mirrors a little smaller than I would have liked.
- The Color is absolutely superb! As pointed out by a fellow members, the car does look like a light black shade
- The engine is a lot more responsive at low speeds than the W211 E270 CDI, and E60 525d. Also, the car feels equally powerful as the W211 E270 CDI but without the push into the seat-back that I really enjoy
- Throaty growl when reaching the redline of 4750-4800 rpm. Audible from 3000-ish, and great to hear! Even at these speeds, and in tiptronic mode, the gears shift smoothly. The engine is quite refined at low speeds, and cannot be heard with soft music playing.
- Love the DSG!
- Initial lag when starting from standstill. Apparently, as akshay1234 pointed out, it is similar in the E90 320d.
- FWD has its limitations, and having the wheels spin for traction during a full powered take-off is easy. Heck, even when I floored it from 20 km/h, the wheel spin was evident.
- The handling is safe and predictable. Unfortunately didn't get a chance to test it, but had no complaints on this front.
- Interiors are superb!! Given that I have been driving the W211 which I feel has superb interiors (especially over the W212), I am still floored by the A6. Just wish the power window buttons had a little more feel to them - and some more cubbyholes to store everything. Also, some buttons such as the hazard light don't have the same quality feel as the rest of the interiors, though the overall feel is definitely a step above.
- Just noticed the small detailing around the alloys, where the nuts are bolted. I love it!
- I like how one can disengage the hand brake by just slipping the car into D and driving off. Sometimes, drivers often forget to disengage the parking brake, and this comes quite handy in such a scenario. What is shocking is that the A8 4.2V8 (The 4.2 TDi is on its way soon - month end, and I saw an A8 3.0T at the showroom as well) which I recently got to test drive didn't have this feature!
- I miss the fact that the left ORVM's doesn't adjust when one adjusts the right one. In the Skoda Octavia that we have, if we adjust the right ORVM, even the left ORVM adjust accordingly. Maybe the driver has deactivated this feature - but not too sure
- Also, hate that the steering controls need to be set every time to control the music. Generally, when the car is started, the display between the speedo, and tacho goes to the home screen (where the malfunctions and warnings typically show up). To control the radio by the steering controls, one needs to toggle the display to show the stations (in case of radio). This gets reset every time.

Pics coming soon! Just need a good bright day where the shade of the paint is more evident. So far, the car is performing flawlessly, and I hope the Audi Car Life (3rd and 4th year extended warranty of sorts @ Rs. 50,000 - apprx.) doesn't have to be used.
Can't wait to drive her more often!