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2012 Audi A6 First Impressions

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Kevin ''Crash'' Corrigan
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Tick the “Prestige Package” and you’ll enjoy navigation, front and rear parking sensors, a proximity key and a 7” colour driver information system. Add to that, the new Bang & Olufsen sound system and music lovers will delight in sound quality comparable to that of a top-of-the-range home theatre system. They’ll also be pleasantly entertained by the electrically-operated pop-up tweeters which somehow magically appear from the top corners of the dashboard each time the system is activated.

2012 Audi A6 interior
Tick the “Prestige Package” and you’ll enjoy navigation, front and rear parking sensors, a proximity key and a 7” colour driver information system. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com)

Also available on the new A6 is adaptive cruise control and a night vision camera. In fact, the list of features available to the 2012 Audi A6 goes on and on, and without turning this into a 2,000-word story, I simply can’t cover them all, so perhaps it’s best if I sum it up like this: if you’ve ever wished for a scaled-down Audi A8, then your wish has been granted!

The same could be said for the driving experience in the new A6. The supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI V6, which develops 310 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque, offers all the performance anyone should require from a vehicle like this, and with such a luxurious and well-appointed interior, sedate cruise-style driving is almost encouraged. However, as with all Audis, should the occasion call for a sprightlier manoeuvre, the new A6 is simply coiled up and waiting to deliver.

The power comes on smooth, while the quattro AWD system does precisely what it’s renowned for, and that’s hold the vehicle to the road surface like glue. In fact, as Audi has lengthened the vehicle’s wheelbase by approximately 7 cm, I’d say that the handling has improved upon what was already an exceptionally well-handling automobile.

Perhaps my only criticism, and maybe that’s not even the right word, is the new electronically-assisted steering. Now I know that most manufacturers are going this route today and in many ways, this adds to the luxurious feel of the vehicle, but I can’t help thinking that the car has lost some of its driver connectivity.

2012 Audi A6 engine
The supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI V6, which develops 310 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque, offers all the performance anyone should require from a vehicle like this. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com)
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