February 2018
Audi A6 revealed
All engines in the new A6 feature new mild-hybrid technology. Here a belt alternator starter (BAS) works together with a lithium-ion battery, enabling the A6 to coast at speeds of between 34mph and 99mph in the interest of fuel economy and to initiate its start-stop function earlier – at speeds of 13mph and below.
The engine is restarted from standstill predictively as soon as the vehicle in front of the Audi A6 starts moving. During deceleration, the BAS recovers up to 12 kW of energy. In real-world driving, the MHEV technology reduces fuel consumption by up to 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres (62 miles).
The interior of the new Audi A6 is even larger than in the outgoing model. Legroom in the rear exceeds not only its predecessor but also its core competitors, while headroom and shoulder room measurements in both front and rear are also more generous than previously.
The new Audi A6 is noticeably sharper than the outgoing model from a handling perspective as well, thanks in no small part to innovative new suspension options. Customers can choose from four set-ups: the conventional steel spring suspension, the sport suspension, the suspension with damper control and the adaptive air suspension, also with controlled damping.
As part of the launch in the European markets, Audi offers the new A6 with two powerful, smooth engines – one TFSI and one TDI. The petrol unit is a 3.0 TFSI. The V6 turbocharged engine powers the saloon from rest to 62mph in 5.1 seconds using its 340 PS and 500 Nm resource, and tops out at an electronically limited 155mph. The 3.0 TDI with 286PS delivers similar performance (combined fuel economy 48.7mpg – 51.3mpg, combined CO 2 emissions 150 g/km - 142 g/km), with the help of an impressive 620 Nm torque peak.
All A6 models will be exclusively equipped with automatic transmission. The 3.0 TDI unit is paired with an eight-speed tiptronic and the 3.0 TFSI with a seven-speed S tronic, and both engines channel their outputs through quattro all-wheel drive as standard.
August 2018
2.0-litre 204PS 40 TDI engine added to range
Initially front-wheel-drive, a four-wheel-drive version follows later in 2018 that will employ the latest, ultra-efficient quattro on demand technology capable of channelling drive to the rear wheels in a split-second.
The A6 Saloon 40 TDI covers 0 to 62mph in 8.1 seconds with claimed economy of 62.8mpg. It includes a new mild hybrid drivetrain (MHEV) which is a standard feature of all models. Its key component is a belt alternator starter (BAS) connected to the crankshaft which, in this application, can recover up to 5 kW of power during deceleration periods and store it in a separate lithium-ion battery housed in the rear of the car.
Model
|
Engine
|
Power
|
Transmission
|
Price OTR
|
A6 Saloon 40 TDI Sport
|
2.0 TDI diesel
|
204PS
|
7-speed S tronic
|
£38,640
|
A6 Saloon 40 TDI S line
|
2.0 TDI diesel
|
204PS
|
7-speed S tronic
|
£42,000
|
April 2019
Audi S6 announced with 3.0 TDI diesel engine
Audi has announced that its S6 Saloon, S6 Avant and S7 Sportback models will be offered with a diesel engine for the first time.
The 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine works with an electric compressor to provide instant torque and a 48-volt mild hybrid system to enable engine-off coasting and improve fuel economy.
With a hefty 700Nm of torque and 350PS combined with Quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox, the S6 Saloon reaches 62mph in 5.0 seconds, while the S6 Avant and S7 Sportbrake take an extra tenth of a second. Top speed is limited to 155mph.
Prices will be confirmed ahead of the new S6 Saloon, S6 Avant and S7 Sportback going on sale in the UK in summer 2019.
October 2019
Audi A6 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid announced
The A6 55 TFSI e with 367PS and the scope to travel for up to 32 miles under purely electric power is the latest in plug-in hybrid Audi to be announced. Orders will open in November with deliveries expected from early 2020.
The new A6 joins A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 variants which also go by the name of TFSI e. Like all these Audi plug-in hybrid models, it combines two highly efficient drive systems, in this case a four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI petrol engine with 252PS and an electric motor integrated into the seven-speed S tronic with a peak output of 105kW.
Total system output is 270kW (367PS), and the full 500Nm of system torque is on tap from just 1,250rpm. The lithium-ion battery stores 14.1kWh of energy, and is positioned at the rear of the vehicle.
The A6 55 TFSI e quattro offers the advantage of quattro all-wheel drive as standard, and its steadfast control helps the car to smoothly accelerate from rest to 62mph in 5.6 seconds and go on to a top speed of 155mph. Under purely electric power, it is capable of a top speed of 83mph. Its electric range, measured according to the WLTP procedure, is up to 32 miles.
The drive concept of the Audi A6 55 TFSI e quattro is designed so that customers can do most of their daily driving electrically and therefore with zero local emissions and in near silence. They can choose between the three drive modes “EV” for all-electric driving, “Hybrid” for the efficient combination of both drive types and “Hold” to conserve the electrical energy available at any given time.
In “Hybrid” mode the predictive operating strategy ensures maximum efficiency and the maximum possible amount of electric driving. It controls the drivetrain so that the last stage of the journey before getting to the destination can be covered in all-electric mode and the battery is charged up beforehand via the combustion engine where necessary. Judicious journey planning is performed by the predictive efficiency assistant, which uses a large amount of information, including navigation, online traffic events, the driver’s style and the vehicle sensors such as the camera and radar. It plans the management of the drives and decides between freewheeling with the engine deactivated and coasting recuperation.
Customers can charge the Audi A6 55 TFSI e quattro at public charging stations up to an output of 7.4kW using the mode 3 cable supplied. This means it takes roughly two-and-a-half hours to recharge an empty high-voltage battery. Customers can use the MyAudi app to manage charging and pre-entry climate control even before they set off. The air conditioning system operates together with a highly efficient heat pump that uses the waste heat from the electrical drive components.
Styling highlights include lowered sport suspension, Matrix LED lighting, privacy glazing and a black styling package taking the S line sports specification as its basis.
June 2020
New plug-in hybrid A6 50 TFSI e Saloon priced from £52,790
The latest A6 plug-in hybrid combines a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine with an 105kW electric motor, for a total of 299PS. It covers 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds and has a maximum speed of 152mph. WLTP CO2 emissions of 35g/km mean it attracts a 10% BIK rate for company car drivers. It has an electric range of up to 34 miles and is available in a choice of Sport, S line, Black Edition and Vorpsrung trim levels.