2005 Audi A6
You have to give Audi credit -- against a pair of vastly more popular European sports sedans, the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class, that other German firm keeps slugging away.
So there'll be yet another A6 unveiled soon (the 2005 model), this time at the upcoming Geneva motor show, and it will have as its prime directive the kind it's had before -- ''striving for top position within this competition segment.''
The general aim is to offer what the VW-owned firm describes as a car with sedan ''combining supreme driving dynamics with high technology, plus outstanding comfort and exemplary equipment.''
That's all it takes? Why didn't Audi think of that before?
In brochure terms, that means a bunch of engines sending lots of power to either the front or all four wheels, which ''sets the foundation for the particular supremacy of the new A6,'' and courtesy of the ''cutting-edge suspension combined with high body rigidity, this power and performance opens up a new dimension in driving dynamic.''
It's certainly a big car in what is sometimes called the ''midsize'' segment, casting a shadow that's 4292 mm long, 1860 mm wide, and 1460 mm tall.
Those numbers play out in a shape with low-slung windows and a ''coupé-like roofline'' that now comes with ''even greater tension and dynamism -- the contours of the shoulder line sweeping up and the sweep of the dynamic line above the side sills give the entire body of the car forward-pushing, dynamic thrust,'' says Audi.
''The distinctly curved dome on the middle of the engine compartment lid, in turn, symbolises the power and performance offered by the new Audi A6.''
The trapezoidal design of the single-frame radiator grille reveals clearly shows that this is the latest Audi design, and optional headlights use ''dynamic adaptive light technology incorporating powerful xenon plus units that help you see around corners.''
Active headlights are not new, but Audi's excited about the fact that their system follows the road ahead ''as a function of steering angle and road speed, substantially improving the quality of illumination.''