Audi A6 2009, true to its heritage
The Audi A6, with us now for four years and counting, has undergone slight mechanical and aesthetic changes for 2009 in an effort to remain atop the European bestsellers list. At first glance you’ll notice the addition of LED lighting technology, which serves the dual purpose of acting as daytime driving lights and giving the new A6 what has become the brand’s signature look. This minor detail aside, however, and it’s hard to distinguish the 2009 model from the 2008. Sure, the headlights and grill have been changed, and the trunk lid and rear lights (also LED lighting) have been retooled, but to the eyes the 2009 A6 is just like an old friend that you haven’t seen for a while.
The biggest change is under the hood, where Audi has adopted a brand new 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine powered by a supercharger rather than a turbocharger. That said, it will still use the technical designation “T”, which will now be used on all of the brand’s supercharged engines regardless of whether they feature a supercharger or a turbocharger. For the Canadian market, this engine will only be available with Quattro all-wheel drive, now offering sportier vehicle handling thanks to the calibrations used for the recent A5/S5 and Q7. In normal driving conditions, the Quattro system on the new A6 now sends 60% of the torque to the rear wheels and 40% to the front, whereas the previous model featured a 50/50 split. In addition, the Quattro system can now direct up to 85% of the torque to the rear wheels and up to 65% to the front wheels, as surface conditions warrant. This new engine will also be featured in the sedan, and it will be the only engine available for the Avant wagons. The 4.2-litre V8 engine will still come with Quattro all-wheel drive but only on sedans, while the 3.2-litre V6 will also be available, but again only on sedans and only paired with simple front-wheel drive.
On German highways and byways it quickly became clear that the new 3.0-litre engine is more than up to the task. With its 300 horses and 310 lb.-ft. torque, it can go from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds – and all with that low gentle rumbling that is characteristic of supercharged engines. As for vehicle handling, the new A6 takes after its predecessor in that it still inspires confidence in normal conditions, but demonstrates a noticeable tendency for understeering when cornering at higher speeds. This can be explained by weight distribution: the car’s platform is relatively unchanged compared to the previous model and the engine position is quite far forward, making the A6 front-heavy. The power steering is still over-assisted and rather light, which doesn’t help the driver establish direct contact with the road.
With its top quality materials and impeccable assembly, the interior is pleasant and less drab than it used to be. The new chrome accents on the central console and around the central screen, which displays graphics in higher resolution and topographical maps that seem three-dimensional, are particularly nice. What’s more, the 2009 A6 offers a new system called Side Assist that warns the driver of the presence of a vehicle in the blind spot.
The 2009 Audi A6 will be on sale in Canada in January 2009, and although no pricing information has been made available as of yet, we can expect it to remain comparable to the 2008 models. Audi Canada expects that the model equipped with the new 3.0-litre engine and Quattro all-wheel drive will account for around 70% of sales, the V8 model for about 10%, and the 3.2-litre front-wheel drive model about 20%.
The 2009 Audi A6 remains true to its heritage with its emphasis on comfort, safe vehicle handling and quality of assembly, but it’s still no match for the BMW 5 Series in terms of dynamism and performance on turns. And a lot of drivers are just fine with that.