SWEETER SIX (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_audia6_2015

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 138

Smarter, lighter, faster and greener, Audi's improved fourth generation A6 offers a beautifully conceived and expertly executed alternative for Executive sector used car buyers considering saloon or estate versions of cars like BMW's 5 Series, Mercedes' E-Class or Jaguar's XF from the 2014 to 2017 period. Unlike these rivals, the car comes either front or four-wheel driven and so delivers a subtly different driving experience. Buyers happy with that and able to afford Audi's asking prices will probably be very happy with everything else, for it's difficult to better this model in terms of refinement, comfort, quality and technology, all delivered along with the kind of ownership and running costs that will play well in the practically-minded fleet market. In short, if you're browsing in this segment, this A6 is, more than ever, a difficult car to ignore.

Modelsword count: 17

4dr saloon (2.0 TDI diesel, 3.0 TDI diesel / 4.0 TFSI petrol) [SE, SE Executive, S6, RS6])

Historyword count: 279

While Audi's A6 has long been the world's best selling Executive car, it's rarely been Britain's overall favourite. In the improved version of this 'C7' fourth generation model, there were fewer reasons than ever for UK buyers not to consider one. This enhanced MK4 A6 was launched in 2014, quieter, lighter, smarter and more technologically advanced than was the original version of this MK4 design, introduced by Audi back in 2011. Of course, you could argue that by the 21st century's second decade, Audi really should have got very good at making this kind of car. The Ingolstadt brand has, after all, been making mid-sized business-orientated saloons and estates since 1968, changing the badgework from 'Audi 100' to 'Audi A6' in 1994 but keeping the same Teutonically clinical approach to wafting middle-aged company folk between far-flung boardrooms. All the while though, the German brand has been refining its approach, first with the second generation 'C5' model in 1997 and then with the more sophisticated 'C6' MK3 design of 2004. Throughout its life, the 'C7' generation version of this A6 has been a car tasked with heading off the increasing threat posed by close Executive segment rivals like BMW's 5 Series, Jaguar's XF and the Mercedes E-Class. Lighter and cleverer than its predecessors, this model set new standards at its original introduction, but such is the pace of progress in this sector that by 2014, the opposition was matching or better them. Hence the need for this revised version, a model that we're going to evaluate here as a used car buy. It sold until an all-new fifth generation A6 was launched by the brand in the Spring of 2018.

What You Getword count: 1076

According to Audi's research clinics, A6 customers value understated exterior design above almost everything else - so they should feel right at home with the conservatively evolved looks of this improved fourth generation model. Whether you choose saloon or Avant estate, it's smart, contemporary and as easily-recognisable as its predecessor. In fact, you'd really have to have owned the original version of this design - or be an Audi sales person - to appreciate the subtle changes the brand has made here, all aimed at creating what's supposed to be a more streamlined shape. These mainly centre around a trademark single frame front grille that with this enhanced model looks wider, with six crisper corners and eight chromed struts for extra emphasis. There are revised air inlets in the redesigned bumper. And you get more sophisticated headlights too, Bi-Xenon lamps for the base models and LEDs for plusher variants that original buyers could option-up to include Audi's segment-leading Matrix LED technology, recognisable by its brilliant crystal shine. Here, your lights never need to dip themselves and work with the Navigation system to anticipate the road ahead. As with the original version of this design, the proportions are balanced and athletically taut, sharp lines framing chiselled surfaces below a low roofline that quickly begins sloping back downward. Probably the most notable stylistic flourish is what the designers call a 'Tornado line', a sleek, sporty crease down the side of the car that casts a shadow narrowing from the front towards the back end to give a stretched look. After this facelift, Audi decreed that overly firm suspension shouldn't be a conditional part of upgrading to the sportier S line trim package, so we'd recommend that as the mild body kit and larger 18-inch wheels give this A6 that crucial extra element of driveway presence. At the sculpted rear of the car, the LED lights of this revised model are slimmer than before and from the S line trim level feature sweeping dynamic turn signals. The boot lid is embellished with a chrome strip and there's a smart diffuser insert to house restyled tailpipes whose trapezoidal design underscores the width of the design. Up front, there's the usual luxurious blend of craftsmanship fused with technology in a cabin that, thanks to some judicious upgrades, feels plusher than a 5 Series BMW's of this era, trendier than that of a comparable Mercedes E-class and better built than an equivalent Jaguar XF's. If you owned the original version of this MK4 model, you might notice the redesigned gear lever and the extra chrome detailing on elements like the air vent thumb wheels. There's quite a glassy, airy feel to the interior, with slim C-pillars and effective rear quarter lights aiding over-the-shoulder visibility. As before, the wrap-around dash is fashioned in a wide arch that spans the cabin, encircling the slim, low instrument panel. You view it through a leather-trimmed multi-function steering wheel that reveals large black-faced dials featuring clear, classic graphics and red needles. A Head-up display and a 7-inch TFT colour display in the instrument binnacle were optional. Almost everything else you'll need to know is to be found on an improved version of the excellent MMI control interface that marshals the ancillary controls on an electrically retracting colour display screen that glides out from the dash, helping the A6 do a better job than most rivals of keeping the dreaded button clutter to a minimum. It's 6.0-inches in size on base SE models that include Navigation as standard, but ideally you'd want a car whose original owner upgraded to the improved 'MMI Navigation plus' system with its larger 8.0-inch display. This uses a more powerful Tegra 30 graphics processor and includes MMI Touch, which enables the driver to scroll and zoom in lists and maps via touchpad. A pity you have to do it with your left hand. There's also 'Audi connect' functionality that brings tailored Internet-based services and media streaming apps to the car via the LTE high speed data transmission standard for ultra-fast 4G click-through and download functionality. Other updates that were applied to this improved model included the acoustically-damped front and side windows that account for the impressive standards of refinement. And there was a more effective Deluxe four-zone air conditioning system. Otherwise, things are much as with the original version of this MK4 design, which is no bad thing. The leather-trimmed seats remain superbly supportive, at minimum 10-way adjustable with the optional capability for heating, ventilation and even massage. When this fourth generation design was originally introduced in 2011, the Ingolstadt designers lengthened its wheelbase by 70mm to improve rear seat accommodation and create a cabin that remains exceptionally light and airy in this improved model. There's ample leg and head room for a couple of six-foot adults to stretch out in comfort and, with the broad centre armrest tucked away, even enough room for a third to sit between without having to breathe in first, though that person will have to straddle a fairly hefty transmission tunnel. Out back, the boot is pretty big - curiously in fact, larger than you'd get in Audi's luxury A8 model that sits in the next class up. Raise the wide-opening lid and you'll find 530-litres in all, which is a fraction less than a Jaguar XF but a fraction more than a BMW 5 Series - and quite a lot more than a comparable Mercedes E-Class. Like all of the cars in this class, this one denies its owner the standard fitment of any sort of spare wheel, instead merely providing one of those fiddly tyre inflation kits. If you need more space, the trunk can be extended to 995-litres by flipping forward the standard split-folding rear seats. All of which may be enough to preclude some from having to consider the greater capacity of the Avant estate version. If not, then in an Avant, once you've raised the standard electric tailgate, you'll find 565-litres of space, which you can make best use of by going for a car whose original owner specified the optional Convenience Pack. This includes a reversible mat, tie-down straps and a load area fixing kit which includes a fixing set for the rail system with a telescopic pole and fastening strap for dividing up the luggage area. As standard, there's also a ski hatch for longer items but if you need more space, then flattening the rear bench frees up 1,680-litres.

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