Test drive Audi A6 2001 - 2004 sedan

To work as a holiday

Audi managed to create a sports sedan of a business class
Work on the new generation of Audi A6 began four and a half years ago. Before the group of designers, the super-task was originally set to create a business class sedan with a pronounced sports character. Even a short acquaintance with the new Audi A6 in the framework of a sled presentation showed that there is enough active life position in the character of the car.
Thanks to the efforts, Palycha Borodin, who purchased Audi cars at one time for the presidential and government garages, in Russia, in Russia, cars with four rings on the radiator grill are firmly associated with the corridors of the authorities. At one time (until the Audi began to displace the BMW of the Kaliningrad assembly) that it seemed that the flask on the roof A6 was part of the standard equipment of the car. But the administrative resource is not omnipotent. Last year, for the first time in a few years, A6 lost in Russia the palm of the sales championship for a more democratic A4 model. Against the background of the new Mercedes E-Class and the BMW of the 5th series of the main competitors of Audi, the previous generation A6 looked irrelevant. But on the street of Audi fans, a holiday has come.
At the moment, the supply of the new Audi A6 European dealers and customers begin. More than 12,000 preliminary orders for the car have already been received from various countries of Europe. A good result, given that the car was static at exhibitions, and potential customers could not evaluate its sled qualities.
The Russian premiere of the new Audi A6 is expected in the first decade of June. Now dealers have ordered more than 200 cars, most of which, even before arrival in Russia, found their future owners.
Some people love hotter
Recently, Audi has been drawn to Italy. Closer to the sun, sea and mountains. In the country of fiery passions and hot cars. The new generation of the Audi A3 was presented last year at Sicily, and Audi A6 was presented in the world capital of Fashion Milan.
In full accordance with the concept of the presentation, the partner of the Trussardi Fashion House was chosen. In his headquarters, located next to the opera Theater of La Scala, took place the defile of the new Audi model.
The first impression of the car: Audi designers did not dare to revolution. On the one hand, the new A6, as it were, fulfills the promises that were given to fans of the brand in the concepts of Audi Pikes Peak and Nuvolari. Thus, the most noticeable detail of the exterior, which migrated from experimental cars, is a single grille of the radiator, the outer circuit of which is framed by a chrome trapezoid. This element also refers to the famous Auto Union cars, shining in the pre -war years on racing tracks.
Thanks to the trapezoidal grate of the radiator, the new Avpas has become similar to the flagship Audi Audi A8 A8 with a 12-cylinder engine. Due to the fact that the front of these two cars is designed in the same style (whether the owners of much more expensive A8 W12 will like such a solution, to see the rear view mirror, which Audi model hung menacingly on your tail, it will not be easy.
However, the adherents of the radical design of the change in the appearance of the new A6 will fairly seem very insignificant. Yes, the car has become much more modern and more dynamic, but it is almost impossible to highlight any bright details in the exterior (with the exception of the notorious radiator lattice). The new A6 inherited all the main proportions of the previous generation.
Indeed, for the commercial prospects of the model, the evolutionary path in design development is more promising. Audi top managers, responsible for the A6 project, in an interview with journalists argue that potential buyers of business class cars in Europe are 40 50 years old (90% of them are men) with a fairly conservative taste, and they do not accept sudden changes in design .
I repeat: it is quite difficult to highlight bright details from the harmonious appearance of the car. But it is impossible not to notice its impressive size. Even if the car is on the catwalk far from other cars, there is a feeling that the A6 in terms of dimensions is approaching the representatives of the representative class. The length of the machine is 4.92 m, width 1, 86 m, height of 1.46 m. \u200b\u200bCompared to the previous A6 model, it stretched by 12 cm, it rang out by 5 cm width, the wheelbase increased by 8.3 cm. But the car does not look like Uvolny. Its rapid forms are the best suited for high -speed throws through autobahns. The subjective sensation of the large speed capabilities that are born when looking at the car is confirmed by numbers: the new A6 has an excellent aerodynamic factor of the frontal resistance of 0.28 (in the previous model it was 0.31). Thanks to this, inside the car, even at speeds for 200 km/h, very quietly.
Naturally, the increased dimensions most favorably affected the organization of the internal space. Inside is very spacious. On the rear seats you can sit by throwing your leg by the leg. The average passenger in the second row, however, upset the high central tunnel. The doorways that have become wider facilitates the process of landing and planting.
A6 business class car. That is, it is understood that the owner of this machine will often use the services of a hired driver. But, believe me, it is almost impossible to resist the temptation to guarantee yourself with a new A6.
Around the driver
Without a doubt, the most attractive place in the A6 cabin is the driver’s chair. Interior designers clearly identified the pilot responsibility. The dashboard, steering wheel, front console and the central tunnel with the gearbox lever are arranged in a single block. All devices and controls are slightly deployed in the direction of sitting at the wheel. A similar organization of the driver’s living space used to meet on BMW cars, but now the Bavarians have left it and, it seems, in vain.
Devices look very beautiful. The speedometer and tachometer are combined with the temperature indicators and the fuel level in two drop -shaped blocks. Under the right hand, next to the gear lever, there is a circle, which controls the MMI Basic Plus multimedia system, which is responsible for setting up the navigation system, a radio receiver with a CD player and an on -board computer. All data MMI Basic Plus displays on a 6.5-inch display. The undoubted advantage of the new Audi A6 over competitors is that this system is included in the basic complete set of the car.
The transfers lever and controls of the multimedia system left no space on the central console for the traditional handbrake. The parking brake of A6, like the older A8 model, is electromechanical. It is controlled using a key located to the left of the gearbox lever. A6 handbrake is smart. If the driver is fastened and begins to move, he will unlock the rear wheels automatically.
The test drive format did not allow to evaluate the possibility of suspension and engines in all its glory. We made the road from Milan’s airport to the place of sideling presentation at a total drive A6 with a 3.2 FSI engine with a capacity of 255 hp. On the autobahn, clogged with cars, it was completely difficult to evaluate the dynamic capabilities of the machine and yet on short free straight lines it was possible to easily accelerate to 200 km/h. The manner of behavior of the car at high speeds gave out the distances in the A6 of this Eater. It is felt that this car is able to turn even a thousand-kilometer march-bars on Russian roads into pleasure. This is a real fast train that can go along the most slippery highway as if along the rails. Moreover, in turning, it enters like a railway locomotive quickly, steadily, almost without roll. At the same time, the fuel economy of the motor is striking: in suburban mode, it consumes only 8.1 liters of gasoline per 100 km.
On that day, we managed to get to know each other briefly with other vehicles. According to the already established tradition, the most vivid impressions remained from a trip by car with a diesel engine. A6 Quattro with a new 3-liter diesel engine V6 with a capacity of 225 hp. Perhaps the most emotional car of all verses A6. He has the most painful (torque of 450 nm) and, according to subjective sensations, the most sports engine. The machine with such a motor not only briskly accelerates, but also breathtakingly goes to the point at speeds at 100 km/h.
In addition to two new A6 customers, 4.2 l V8 engines (335 hp), 2.4 l V6 (177 hp) and a 2-liter turbodiesel (140 hp) will be offered. All these power units, as emphasized in Audi, are completely new and developed specifically for the second generation A6.
During the test about the car suspension, no complaints arose. Over time, we will definitely tell our readers how she copes with Russian directions. Since the beginning of 2005, an adaptive pneumatic suspension will be offered as an option for the new A6.
Perhaps, for the first time during the time of test drives, I regretted that the presentation of the car did not take place in Russia. The true capabilities of the Audi A6 are fully revealed on bad roads.

Igor Komarov
 

Source: Wheel (company)