2012 Audi A6 Revealed Ahead Of Australian Debut

Following months of spy photos and a number of leaked images earlier today, Audi has revealed the upcoming 2012 Audi A6 ahead of its local debut in 2011.

As expected, the new A6 adheres to the uniform styling of the current Audi range. Elements such as the front and rear lights, roofline and profile are all reminiscent of the new A8, A7 Sportback and even the tiny A1 hatch.

Inside, the dash and centre console of the A6 is largely identical to the A7 Sportback, differing only in the sweep of the dash to the doors. 

Measuring 4.92 metres long, 1.87m wide and 1.46m tall, the new A6 is virtually identical in size to the A7 Sportback. But where the A7 is offered as a sporting 'four-door coupe', the A6 will be targeted to the 'executive sedan' market.

As with most new Audi models, aluminium plays a large role in the 2012 A6's construction. More than 20 percent of the chassis made from aluminium, while the bonnet, front guards, doors and rear boot lid are also all made from the lightweight metal.

Engines

Internationally, the new A6 will launch with two petrol and three diesel powertrains, bringing a range-wide fuel consumption improvement of up to 19 percent over the outgoing model.

Petrol

On the petrol front, the entry-level 2.8 litre V6 engine produces 150kW and 280Nm of torque.

The 0-100km/h sprint is covered in 7.7 seconds, and fuel consumption is listed at 7.4 l/100km - an improvement of 12 percent, despite being 10kW more powerful than its predecessor.

The top-shelf petrol engine is Audi's supercharged 3.0 litre TFSI, delivering 220kW and 440Nm of torque.

This engine reels in 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds, and fuel consumption is listed at 8.2 l/100km - an improvement of 13 percent over the previous engine, which offered 213kW of power.

Diesel

The trio of diesel engines opens with a revised version of Audi's 2.0 litre four-cylinder TDI, delivering 130kW and 380Nm of torque.

Fuel consumption for this engine is listed at 4.9 l/100km, while the 0-100km/h run is covered in 8.7 seconds.

Next up is a new 3.0 litre TDI diesel V6, offered in two variants. The first version produces 150kW and 400Nm of torque, with a 7.2 second 0-100km/h run. Fuel consumption is listed at 5.2 l/100km.

The second, top-shelf version of the 3.0 litre TDI produces 180kW and 500Nm of torque, firing to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds. Fuel consumption is listed at 6.0 l/100km.

Future: A6 Hybrid

Audi has also confirmed it will launch a hybrid version of the new A6, scheduled to arrive on the international stage after the upcoming Q5 Hybrid quattro.

As with the Q5 Hybrid, the A6 Hybrid will be powered by the Volkswagen Group's 155kW turbocharged 2.0 litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a 32kW electric motor. Combined, the pairing produces 480Nm of torque.

The electric motor sits directly behind the TFSI, occupying the space of the torque converter upstream of the modified 8-speed tiptronic. The transmission sends torque to the front wheels.

On electric power alone, the A6 Hybrid will be able to reach 100km/h. At a constant speed of 60km/h, it has an electric-only range of 3km.

The 0-100km/h sprint for the A6 Hybrid, utilising the full powered of the paired petrol and electric systems is 7.3 seconds, and fuel consumption is listed at 6.2 l/100km.

Transmissions and quattro all-wheel-drive

Depending on specification, the new A6 will be available with either a manual six-speed transmission, a continuously variable multitronic automatic or Audi's seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission - a new addition to the A6 range.

Similarly, Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel-drive system will be offered with certain models, distributing power to the front and rear axles with a rear-biased 40:60 ratio.

Australia

Audi Australia has confirmed that local pricing and availability will be revealed closer to the new A6's launch next year.