Audi's A6 executive express refreshed

AUDI has updated its A6 sedan and Avant wagon range with a fresh new look, a faster operating system and power increases to some variants, and it is set to hit local showrooms in March next year.

Full power and performance figures are expected closer to the Australian launch date, but the German car-maker has revealed that some TDI and S6 powerplants will get a power boost.

The current 180kW/500Nm 3.0-litre V6 TDI will gain 20kW, while the hot biturbo V8 S6 gets an extra 22kW, taking its output to 331kW and slashing the zero-to 100km/h dash from 4.6 seconds to 4.4s in sedan versions.

Firecracker RS6 power remains the same at 412kW and 700Nm, completing the 0-100km/h dash in 3.9 seconds.

A limited Competition Edition of the biturbo diesel will go on sale in Europe to celebrate 25 years of Audi producing turbo-diesel powered vehicles, and the high-performance 3.0-litre V6 variant will push power output to 240kW or 255kW on overboost.

The special version is unlikely to come Down Under but Australia is more likely to get a more mildly power-boosted biturbo, which takes the current output of 230kW up to 235kW.

Two new 'ultra' labeled engines will also join the A6 range in Europe and will offer the most fuel efficient options.

A 1.8-litre TFSI ultra variant produces 140kW while sipping 5.7-litres of petrol per 100km while the most frugal of the range – the 2.0-litre TDI ultra - needs just 4.7-litres of diesel per 100km in return for its 110kW.

With extensive aluminium construction extending to the engine cylinder block and head, the lightest 1.8 TFSI ultra variant weighs in at 1535kg.

All engines in the new line-up comply to new Euro 6 emissions regulations and Audi says CO2 emissions have been cut by up to 22 per cent.

No hybrid technology or variants are included in the range update, but the launch of Audi's first production hybrid in Australia – the A3 e-tron – could herald the arrival of larger hybrids in the near future.

Audi's MMI information and entertainment system has also gained a power boost, with a faster 'Tegra 30' graphics chip, manufactured by Audi partner Nvidia now running the system in all A6 variants.

Its eight-inch hide-away screen displays sharper images and information with a faster refresh rate and is supplemented by tailored online services, and a range of downloadable media applications.

More optional extras will also be up for grabs in the new range with ventilated and massage function for the front seats, head-up display and a sensor-activated tailgate all available at extra cost.

Aesthetic tweaks to the A6 range include revisions to the front bumper, airvents, lights and grille and side sills, while rear bumper, lights and exhausts also get a restyle.

Headlights will be available as either normal LED or Matrix LED versions, which incorporate an active LED turn-signal.

The Audi A6 will also be one of the first models to showcase innovative fibreglass suspension springs which replace conventional steel coils, saving about 4.4kg of mass, while improving handling and fuel-consumption.

Audi AG board member Professor Ulrich Hackenberg said that the new range would write the next chapter in “an excellent success story”.

“The Audi A6 sets new standards in many technical fields: the lightweight body containing many aluminum components, the powerful and highly efficient engines, the sporty chassis and the advanced assistance and multimedia systems,” he said.

Exact specification and variants are yet to be decided for Australia, but Audi's local arm told GoAuto that “all options are on the table”.