Audi A6 2.7 TDI V6 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Audi A6 2.7 TDI
Prices: £30,215-£33,935 - on the road
Insurance Group: 15
Emissions: 171g/km
Performance: Max Speed 141mph/ 0-60mph 7.9s
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 41.5mpg
Safety: Twin front, rear & side airbags, ABS, ESP, EBD
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height(mm)4916/1860/1460

BIG AND CLEVER

Our Rating: 7.6 / 10

Audi’s 2.7-Litre TDI V6 Version Of The A6 Offers A Smart Compromise For Those Diesel Buyers Wanting Pace And Economy. Andy Enright Reports…

Maybe the suits at Audi’s Ingolstadt HQ have been boning up on their product plans. Alternatively, one of them may well have been consulting Goldilocks and the Three Bears, for in slotting the 2.7-litre TDI V6 version of the A6 between the 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre diesel models already offered, Audi have created saloon and estate models that may well be ‘just right’ for a number of key buyers.

Essentially a downsized version of the 3.0-litre TDI unit, the latest, facelifted 2.7-litre A6 is the lightest in its class while still turning out a punchy 187bhp. It needs all that power and all of its 380Nm of torque as well, as the A6 is a seriously sizeable slice of metalwork. Unlike early TDI engines, which possessed a savagely spiky power delivery, this one does its best work in a comparatively broad range and will get the A6 to 60mph in just 7.9 seconds. A top speed of 141mph is a very creditable achievement for a diesel car although the fuel economy and emissions figures are predictably good. On the combined cycle – a simulation of town and open road driving – the A6 2.7 TDI will return an average of 44.1mpg. Business users will be keen to see that the 3.0-litre car’s carbon dioxide emissions are pared back to a more manageable 171g/km figure.

The engine is a very high-tech piece of design that uses a separate high pressure fuel pump serving each bank of cylinders. The common rail system permits up to five squirts of fuel to be injected on each stroke of the piston at a massive injection pressure of 1600 bar. Your car tyres are probably inflated to around 30psi. 1600bar converts to 23,206 psi. This enormous pressure atomises the fuel to a fine mist and ensures that it’s burnt in the most efficient, and therefore economical, manner.

Fully compliant with Euro4 emissions regulations, the A6 2.7 TDI offers, according to Emmox Carcost, the lowest running costs in its specific sector and also achieves the highest residual value after three years of ownership. It’s safe to say that although it starts at £30,215, you’re not going to lose your shirt on this car.

If you’re feeling particularly flush given the amount of money you’ll save on running costs, Audi have a tempting air suspension option to claw some of that money back into their coffers. It’s based on the system already offered on the A8 and features continuously variable dampers with four pre-determined settings selected by the driver via the Multi Media Interface. If you live in an area blighted by speed humps, you may well want to explore the possibility of air suspension, or at least test drive a demonstrator with it fitted. It renders sleeping policemen virtually redundant. If you really want to go the whole hog, you can get the 2.7 TDI engine with Quattro 4x4 transmission.

Equipment levels are comprehensive. Aluminium trim inserts brighten the interior and there’s a CD player located in the glovebox that’s linked to a 10 speaker 160 watt stereo system. Cruise control, electrically heated windscreen washers and door mirrors, rain sensing wipers and a Thatcham Category 1 ultrasonic alarm are also included. SE specification adds features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a 160-watt stereo with a glovebox mounted CD player and the Comfort Air-Conditioning System Plus. Opt for the slinky S line range topper and you’ll get 18-inch rims, reprofiled front and rear bumpers, headlamp washers, sports suspension, sports seats with black/leather/speed cloth, and an S line grille and badge set. Safety on all models is well taken care of with anti lock brakes, Bosch ESP stability control, EDL traction control, and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) with brake assist. Twin front and side airbags are also fitted.

The key styling feature is that prominent grille or, as Audi prefer to call it, the ‘single frame’. Look beyond that and you’ll notice the curvaceous flanks, topped and tailed by a sharp longitudinal crease line that forms a definite hip and the rising edge in the door sills that creates a great deal of tension and shadow in the A6’s profile. The