2012 Audi A6 3.0T Quattro - Road Test

Just over a year ago, an Audi A6 3.0T Quattro tallied winning marks in a three-way execucar rodeo versus two brand-new rides—a BMW 535i and an Infiniti M37 [“War Rooms,” August 2010]. This was remarkable because the Audi was basically a five-year-old design. An A6 of the same generation also prevailed in a five-way smackdown a year earlier [“Five at Fifty,” September 2009]. But for all its enduring virtues, with more than five years on its odometer, the A6 was clearly due for a trip back to Audi’s Ingolstadt design werke.
The challenge for this generation of Audi’s mid-size luxo­sedan—No. 7, dating to the Audi 100 back in 1968—was twofold. In addition to the fundamental requirement—upstaging traditional rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz—the latest A6 also had to make an appealingly distinctive contrast with its new A7 sister ship.
This was no easy assignment. Though the two cars are essentially identical in terms of mechanical and structural elements—as well as interior furnishings and most of the sheetmetal (save for the nose) back to the B-pillar—the hatchback A7 has a lot of  look-at-me flash.
“Flash” is not a word that comes to mind with the latest A6. Formal, yes. Sophisticated, yes. Flash, not so much. If  your professional persona runs to buttoned up, this is not a bad thing. But once inside, the distinctions between an A6 and an A7 get close to academic, with perhaps a small edge going to the A6 for seating capacity—five versus the A7’s four.  And there are dimensional differences between the sedan and its hatchback counterpart: The A6 is a little taller; the A7 is longer, lower, and wider.
The wheelbase, identical in both the A6 and A7, has been stretched by 2.7 inches, to 114.6. Compared with the old A6, width has expanded by 0.8 inch, to 73.8, and height is up 0.4 inch, to 57.8. But even with a taller roofline, the new design is more of a wind cheater than the gen-six version, with a 0.26 drag coefficient versus 0.29. Very slick.
One of the keys to the car’s aero improvement is its side mirrors. On average, according to Audi, side mirrors contribute about seven percent to a car’s aerodynamic drag. In the latest A6, it’s only three percent, which adds to the car’s quiet operation.
Of all the dimensional changes, the most visible is longitudinal. At 193.9 inches, the new A6 is a half-inch shorter—not much, but that shrinkage, combined with the substantial wheelbase increase, yields shorter overhangs, a more athletic look, and a better weight distribution.
Because they’ve been rooted in front-drive designs, Audis have always had a pronounced forward weight bias. The A6 that prevailed in our 2010 comparo had almost 57 percent of its mass over the front axle. This A6 has pared that back to 55 percent.
Like the A7, the new A6 body shell and some suspension elements include a substantial mix of aluminum—20 percent of total mass—which should contribute to a slight reduction in curb weight: 66 pounds in this model, per Audi. However, our test car, adorned with a heavy menu of options, weighed 4165 pounds, nearly 100 less than an A7 we tested recently but five pounds more than the similarly equipped 2010 comparo car. Still, in an increasingly tough regulatory environment—every new safety standard adds up at the scales—a new model that even manages to hold the line on weight is a rarity.
Even if the mass doesn’t ebb, the new powertrain propels it with better thrift. The mill here is Audi’s 3.0-liter, 24-valve V-6 (with direct injection, supercharging, and intercooling), an engine we’ve already experi­enced in several other Audis.
Rated for 310 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque—upticks of 10 ponies and 15 pound-feet versus the boosted 3.0-liter in the previous A6—the supercharged six is paired with ZF’s eight-speed automatic, replacing the previous six-speed. And of course there’s the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, with a torque-sensing center differential that automatically apportions front/rear torque (normally 40/60, variable between 15/85 and 70/30) as well as an electronically controlled limited-slip diff at each axle.
So equipped, the supercharged six hustles two-plus tons of sophisticated sedan to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, covers the quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds at 102 mph, and tops out at 129 mph when the governor says that’s enough.
This stacks up well with comparable six-cylinder competitors, though several players in this league offer V-8 power and sub-5.0-second sprints. If  haste is a big priority, wait for the S6 or S7, which are coming within the next 12 months.
But we’d bet that only one driver in 20 would characterize this car’s power as ho-hum, especially when making a back-road pass with a big rig bearing down in the oncoming lane.  And if the eight-speed auto is not quite in the same league as Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch unit—not available in U.S. models—the slushbox’s optional shift paddles produce generally brisk gear swaps.
Our only reservation with the eight-speed is an occasional uncertain response to abrupt changes in throttle position during full-automatic operation, but, hey, there are lots of gears in there; the choices can be confusing.
If there’s any other fault to find with this power combo, it’s the absence of aural reward at wide-open throttle; the exhaust note won’t have anyone thinking of  Wagner.
Fuel economy, though, looks good for a car in this class. EPA ratings are 19 mpg city and 28 highway compared with 18 and 26 for the previous A6 3.0T Quattro. We averaged 23 over the course of our two-week test.
During that time, we discovered that the optional sport-suspension tuning manages the car’s substantial mass very well, keeping cornering attitudes level and ride quality smooth without sacrificing the taut feel that distinguishes high-end Teutonocars. Credit the new unibody, which is even stiffer than the exemplary gen-six version’s, as well as an inspired orchestration of spring rates, anti-roll bars, damping, and bushings.
Directional changes, enhanced by the electrohydraulic power steering (numb at low speed, precise above 40 mph), are prompt, but as corner-entry speeds increase, the combination of two-ton mass, all-wheel drive, and forward weight bias inevitably dulls transient response and amplifies understeer.
Nevertheless, grip—delivered here by optional Pirelli P Zero tires (255/40R-19)—is admirable (0.89 g), and the predictability index is about 100 percent. No secrets, no surprises.  Anyone who stuffs an A6 into the hedgerows has simply ignored the car’s ample dynamic feedback and is probably a Darwin Award candidate.
A surprising minus in last year’s comparo-winning A6 was its interior, which we characterized as a “somewhat dreary, dour domain”—words you rarely hear about contemporary Audis. You won’t hear them in connection with this one. Our first drive of the A7 reported an interior that “oozes ­opulence and simplicity,” an observation that applies to the A6 as well. The ash-wood trim, with its raised graining, is a pleasant surprise; soft-touch surfaces enhance the sense of luxury; the ­nougat-brown leather seats—adjustable for body types ranging from Quasimodo to Kobe Bryant—hit a just-right ­balance between sporty and posh; and the wheelbase stretch means there’s more kneeroom for rear-seat passengers.
One caveat regarding the rear seat: That center-rear position would demand unusual fortitude for journeys of more than a few miles. The seatback doubles as a fold-down armrest, and the position requires the center passenger to straddle a driveline tunnel.

A sumptuous interior.

While comfort, quality, and appearance all rate improved scores, perhaps the most significant interior update is in the rapidly evolving area of infotainment. Introduced with the A7, the new Audi Connect system includes a deal with Google, encompassing Google Earth mapping, Google Search, T-Mobile in-car Wi-Fi, and other cool functions. Using Google and voice command—or by “writing” a Google keyword on the center console’s touchpad—you can give the car a general destination, such as the Henry Ford Museum, and the nav system will guide you there.
Audi Connect is baked into a large option group called the Prestige package. Which brings us to the money.
A base A6 carries a suggested retail price of $50,775 ($9350 less than the A7). If cost and fuel economy are more important to you than performance and all-weather mobility, Audi will soon offer a front-drive version with a 2.0-liter turbo four and CVT gearbox for as little as $42,575.
But our test car was loaded to the gunwales. The Prestige package (S-line exterior trim, nav system, Audi Connect, front and rear parking sensors, four-zone auto climate control, front-seat ventilation, adaptive xenon headlights, power steering-column tilt and telescope, ambient interior light, multicolor driver-info system) added $6880 to the bottom line. The Bang & Olufsen super-duper premium audio added $5900. Sport package (19-inch wheels and summer tires, sport suspension tuning, three-spoke steering wheel, paddle shifters): $1500. LED headlights: $1400. Blind-spot-warning system: $500. Aviator Blue metallic paint (actually, it’s kind of gray): $475.
Grand total: $67,430.
At $50,775, the A6 looks pretty alluring—quiet, comfortable, sophisticated, and supremely competent. At $67,430, it still looks alluring. But it may provoke a domestic debt-ceiling debate.

The new A6’s handsome exterior is nearly indistinguishable from that of its siblings, the A4 and A8.  by caranddriver.com

2012 Audi Q3 - First Drive Review

Not content with the success of the Q5, Audi is launching an even smaller crossover to compete with the BMW X1 and Acura RDX. The Q3’s underpinnings started with the VW Tiguan platform, but the architecture was significantly altered to be considered worthy of Audi’s four interconnected rings. “We have taken the most suitable parts from the components bin, and its architecture is basically a mix of the PQ46 [Passat, CC] and PQ35 [Tiguan, Mark VI Golf] platforms,” says development coordinator Thomas Soppa.
The electronics systems are largely taken from the A3 Sportback, and the front subframe and suspension are taken from the TT. Audi worked hard on reducing weight. The engineers used tailored blanks and high-strength steel for the passenger cell, and the hood and the hatch are aluminum. As a result, Audi’s version is said to be more than 130 pounds lighter than its VW sister model.
Engine choices for the Q3 are, for the most part, four-cylinders. The entry-level engine, a 140-hp, 2.0-liter turbo-diesel, is only available with front-drive, but at 236 lb-ft, it is so torquey that extra wear on the tires might offset any savings in the showroom or at the pump. With the 177-hp version of the turbo-diesel, the fully variable, third-generation Haldex all-wheel-drive system is obligatory. The same goes for the two 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engines, which make 170 and 211 hp. The less powerful diesel and gasoline mills come standard with the MQ350 six-speed manual, whereas the burlier engines come with the DQ500 seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. A hybrid model is possible but isn’t in the works. Audi isn’t currently planning to bring the Q3 to the hybrid-friendly U.S.—although there is still a chance—and European buyers are content with their diesels.
You Could Always Do That with a Manual Transmission
The “drive select” system, which allows the driver to fiddle with vehicle parameters, comes with an efficiency mode that packs some neat tricks. Lift off the throttle in cars with the dual-clutch transmission, and the clutches disengage for a “sailing” effect. In other driving modes, the system doesn’t manipulate the transmission, but it changes throttle response, power steering assist, and—if so specified—damping rate. A stop/start system is standard.
Although it’s not exactly in a different league from the already sporty Tiguan, the way the Q3 drives is rather impressive. With its front-drive layout, the entry-level model is a quick and reasonably comfortable cruiser, its diesel engine emitting a pleasant purr that other carmakers, particularly Asian ones, have yet to match. Truly quick it isn’t, but the fuel consumption is fantastically low, even when you’re not driving like an obstacle in the road. The electric power steering seems a tad more direct and precise than the Tiguan’s, and the XDS system, which simulates a limited-slip differential, suppresses the vehicle’s urge to understeer quite well.
High: Five
What could elevate the Q3 beyond the Tiguan is the 2.5-liter single-turbo inline-five developed for the TT RS and subsequently installed in the RS3. For reasons that are not quite clear—and, frankly, not important—the five will find its way into the Q3 only slightly detuned, from 340 hp to something in the neighborhood of 310. The exact horsepower rating is not yet confirmed, but Audi tells us that the engine and the auxiliary hardware carry over from the RS cars. The horsepower difference is due to different engine mapping. The turbo five churns out 310 lb-ft of torque from a low 1600 rpm and will be coupled to the DQ500 dual-clutch gearbox from other Q3 models but also the RS 3 and the TT RS.
Although the five-cylinder turbo model is still technically in development, we were allowed to take a prototype for an extended drive. The characteristic five-pot growl is only slightly more subdued than on the RS 3, meaning it is still clearly audible from in- or outside the car. Throttle response is immediate, and the car charges forward. Audi reps suggested that this Q3 will reach 60 mph in about five seconds and top out at a governed 155 mph. More than just the drivetrain is upgraded in the five-cylinder model, as we noticed when attacking corners, where it stays absolutely neutral, with significantly less body roll than in other Q3s.
Audi contemplated using one of its high-output 2.0-liter fours as the top engine in the Q3. Although it could have achieved the same power level with one of the four-cylinders, we applaud Audi’s decision to go with the five. The engine’s sound and character set it apart from the competition, especially the upcoming BMW X1 xDrive35i with its 300-hp N55 single-turbo inline-six. That’s a sweet engine as well, but with a far more civil personality.
Gimme an S!
Right now, the most powerful engine in the Q3 lineup is camouflaged by a regular body with the S line package—and that might remain the case when it launches. But given that this is an RS engine developed by Quattro GmbH, we’d say it is at least worthy of the Q3 S or SQ 3 moniker, and not just a 2.5 TFSI badge and S line body cladding. We hope the Q3 will make it across the Atlantic, but what we really want is for Audi to bring along the fantastic five.

 

 

by caranddriver.com

 

Shopping Tools Advertisement C/D Buying Guide C/D Videos Free Newsletter! Subscribe to Car and Driver 2012 Audi A7 3.0T Quattro - Short Take Road Test

As a stylistic distinction, the term “four-door coupe” has edged perilously close to cliché territory, and we’re grateful that Audi has managed to avoid reveling in it in connection with the new A7, although the company does still use the terminology.
Still, the descriptor—it first appeared in the automotive lexicon nearly eight years ago, when the Mercedes CLS-class concept dazzled sedandom—is more relevant here than in many applications that have come along since, with far less justification. (The Acura ZDX comes to mind.) After all, the A7 has the same styling that distinguished the original CLS—a flowing roofline that swoops down at the rear, disguising the presence of that second set of doors.
In fact, it can be argued that Audi’s take on the FDC genre is the best yet. The design preserves sedan proportions, but as a hatchback/wagon, it doesn’t have to make any compromises to accommodate a formal trunk. At any rate, regardless of whether you go along with this car’s solution, we think this description is beyond dispute: wunderbar.
A6 in Disguise
The foundations for this dramatic sedan are new but will soon see service in support of the next generation of Audi’s A6 sedan, due to go on sale here this fall. But compared with the forthcoming A6, the A7 is longer, lower, and wider—a design mantra that originated in the 1950s and still works today. Overall length is up 2.1 inches to 195.6, the roof—55.9 inches at its apogee—is 1.4 inches lower, and width is up by 1.4 inches—all contributing to the dramatic appearance.
Consistent with other Audis and, indeed, with nearly all German chassis, the A7 architecture seems as stiff as the royal wedding, a fundamental prerequisite of handling certainty. Audi literature makes much of the A7’s aluminum content, which includes 20 percent of the bodywork, and the company claims that its glamorous hatchback weighs some 15 percent less than comparable steel-bodied cars. Maybe so, but “lightweight” is not a term that comes to mind in connection with the A7. Our test car tipped the scales at a hefty 4260 pounds.
Mass vs. Muscle
Mass is always the enemy in vehicle dynamics, but the A7 seems to handle its two tons with better-than-average aplomb. Power, supplied by Audi’s supercharged and intercooled aluminum V-6—3.0 liters, DOHC, direct injection, 310 hp, 325 lb-ft of torque—and delivered to all four wheels via a seamless eight-speed Tiptronic automatic, deals surprisingly well with that A7 heft.
This is basically the same setup offered as the standard powertrain in the Q7 SUV. Compared with that one, the A7’s curb weight makes it a veritable wraith, and the supercharged six propels the new hatchback to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, to 100 mph in 13.5, and through the quarter-mile in 13.9 at 101 mph.
Acceleration is a little deliberate right out of the blocks—it’s hard to think of the A7 as quick—but comes on strong as momentum gathers. As an index, we recorded passing times—30 to 50 mph and 50 to 70—of 2.8 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. These are very good numbers and an aspect of performance that’s much appreciated when you’re exploiting a marginal passing window on a two-lane highway.
Fuel economy is another area where the A7 does well in spite of its curb weight. The EPA forecasts 18 mpg city/28 highway. We averaged 23 mpg in 873 miles of driving, much of it spirited.
Pretty, Yes, but Does She Dance?
Overassisted at low speeds, the steering comes to life above about 40 mph, delivering a more comprehensive menu of tactile information, as well as more weight. It’s gratifyingly quick at 2.7 turns lock-to-lock, and if the A7’s responses to inputs are a little deliberate, they’re decisive once they happen, and free of quirks.
The car’s mass is most apparent in a series of quick directional changes—autocross-level transient response isn’t its strong suit. And as we expected, the combination of curb weight, all-wheel drive, and a forward weight bias adds up to progressive understeer. However, we should mention that Audi has been working hard to correct its chronic nose-heaviness. The A7’s fore-to-aft weight distribution is 54/46 percent, which is approaching the split in some rear-drive cars.
We also were impressed with the A7’s grip, which came in at 0.91 g, delivered by a set of 265/35 Yokohama Advan Sport tires on 20-inch aluminum wheels. That’s not a lot of contact patch for a fast two-ton sedan, but the tires inspired confidence, and the car was at its best on sweeping turns at some eye-widening speeds.
There’s more. Braking performance was consistent and strong—157 feet from 70 mph. And ride quality was simply outstanding, particularly in view of those low-profile Yokes. Even on stretches of rural Michigan pavement resembling asphalt quilts, the A7 was composed and comfortable, damping the hard edges of the nastiest lumps and ironing out the rest.
The Inner Car
In our first-drive report, we noted that the A7 “oozes opulence and simplicity.” The word “stunning” also appeared, and these descriptors seem all the more accurate now that we’ve had more seat time.
The preview catalogued the A7’s garden of electronic systems—the touchpad that can recognize fingertip longhand script (except, perhaps, from doctors); blind-spot monitoring; lane-keeping assist; and adaptive cruise control that’s capable of bringing the car to a complete stop.
We also mentioned the head-up display, and with more experience, we’ve developed some ambivalence about this feature. The speedo repeater is helpful, especially in busy areas where glancing down at the actual gauge can be dicey. But the proximity warning that flashes when the car’s radar decides you’re too close to the car ahead gets to be pretty annoying when you’re dissecting traffic. “Mother, please! I know how to do this! Stow it!”
Speaking of stowing it, there’s a lot of stowage space under that rear hatch—24.5 cubic feet—and, as with all hatches, the cargo well is easier to get at than a conventional trunk’s.
Our test car did indeed ooze opulence. There are superb front seats with lots of adjustability, excellent audio, electronics galore, and rear seats with plenty of leg and headroom, the latter a pleasant surprise given the sloping roofline. We were particularly smitten with the optional, nearly matte oak interior trim. Score another victory for Audi interior design.
The Price of Prestige
Opulence, as you’d expect, doesn’t come cheap. We originally forecast a base price of $55,000. Wrong. Try $60,125.
That includes the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and supercharged V-6—the standard (and only) setup for U.S. versions of the A7—as well as a good array of features: heated leather seats, a power liftgate, a power sunroof, automatic climate control, and xenon headlights, among plenty of other kit.
But there are tempting options packages—Sport (20-inch wheels, firmer suspension); Innovation (LED headlights, adaptive cruise, head-up display, night-vision assist); Prestige (S-line trim, power-adjustable steering column, ventilated front seats, ambient interior lighting); and Bang & Olufsen sound (15 speakers).
Check all those boxes, and you’re looking at $81,530, or exactly the amount on our test car’s Monroney. At that point, you might be tempted to look at some other choices: The A8 starts at $78,925, after all, and the Mercedes CLS550 offers nearly 100 more hp for $72,125. You might also begin wondering what sort of price tag we’ll be seeing when autumn ushers in the new A6.
But A6 or something completely different, it’s clear there are few cars that will be able to upstage the satisfying A7 in sheer curbside wattage.

 

 

by caranddriver.com