Audi is keen to be in 1st place in the Malaysian luxury car segment, and it hopes to do this in 2010 with an interesting lineup of cars starting with the Audi A6 Quattro we are testing here. This car retails for RM468,000.00 and at this price you get ABS, ESP, BA, EDL, ASR, eight airbags covering front and rear passengers, an electronic handbrake, climate controlled air conditioning, a 13-speaker BOSE CD stereo and Audi’s easy to use MMI system. Ergonomically speaking, this Audi A6 is up there with the best of them. First and foremost the front end, which prominently boasts of its luxury aspirations with the shiny chromium grille work that is pierced by the quad rings Audi badge. Flanking the grille are the headlight clusters, featuring stylized projector lamps and daytime running lights. The rest of the front end is fairly conservative against BMW and Benz. The curves around the wheel arches carry chunky alloys shod with wide rubbers bolted on to a Quattro (4-wheel) drive system. The rear end continues the conservative theme with neat styling that steers clear of radical or dramatic elements.
Inside this A6 you get a mix and match of high quality material with superb build and feel leaving most test drivers to feel rather disappointed with the somewhat low rent interior that some competitors provide to buyers in this segment. The electronic push button handbrake removes the need for a great big handle sitting between the front occupants on the transmission tunnel, and getting rid of the handbrake opens up plenty of room up the front of the cabin, giving the car a more spacious feel. The Audi developed MMI, or Multimedia Interface, is a fairly intuitive system that controls just about everything inside the car, from the air conditioning, to the radio presets. The MMI’s main input device is a large dial, surrounded by four ancillary buttons and it is better than the equivalent iDrive system from BMW. You also get a BOSE 13-speaker stereo that delivers concert hall quality sound.
After a few short hours with the car on a back road to Kuala Selangor it was clear that Audi’s AWD system feels almost fool-proof. Slam the throttle part way through a corner and for the most part it pulls neutrally through a corner with the kind of acceleration you’re more likely acquaint with a sports car. There is little that can upset the chassis balance as we tried a few times along our test drive route. The brakes do a great job of slowing the vehicle down from various speeds whilst the engine delivers a note that is best described as exciting on the higher rev range. A burble emanates from its dual exhaust pipes when the revs go past 2500prm and builds quite quickly into a very sporty drone towards 6800rpm.
The engine has a very strong feel and is spritely and quick off the line, able to scorch the 0-100km/h sprint in an impressive 5.9 seconds. Reaching a top speed of 250km/h where possible open highways exist. Interested buyers should test drive this Audi A6 right after testing a competing brand in the same hour and only then will they realize its hidden talents and quality against its asking price. Don’t believe me, then take the test drive back to back and write back to me to say I am wrong.
Audi A6 Quattro SpecificationsEngine: V6-cylinder DOHC Turbo Displacement: 2995ccMax power: 290bhp @ 4850-6800rpmMax torque: 420Nm @ 2500-4850rpmTransmission: 6-speed tiptronic auto
Top Speed: 250km/h
0-100km/h: 5.9seconds
Price: RM468,000.00
