Review of the new Audi A6 2.0-Litre TDI

The spectre of tax has never loomed larger over the heads of UK motorists. Fuel tax, road tax, company car tax, value added tax, cup-holder tax, twin exhaust pipe tax, the congestion charge. OK, some of those may or may not be actual taxes but you get the general idea - people with cars pay lots of tax. It's almost as if the Chancellor has metamorphosised into some kind of latter-day Sheriff of Nottingham. Motorists can either pay up or abandon their cars completely, retreating to a simple life in the forests dressed in Lincoln Green. Fortunately, the tax burden has yet to reach an extent where car owners are practicing archery in significant numbers and there are still measures we can take to avoid the worst of the taxman's wrath. Buying an Audi A6 2.0-litre TDI for example.

A full size executive saloon is not a type of car that most people would instantly finger as being particularly tax efficient. Big cars with big engines and a generous helping of desirable but heavy equipment usually attract big taxes. If you really want to pay out the bare minimum in tax, then citycars, superminis and family hatchbacks will always be the way to go but the A6 with its latest 2.0-litre TDI unit is a car that delivers true-blue executive motoring without the associated financial penalties.

It's business users who get the most out of A6 2.0-litre TDI ownership. Unless you're lucky enough to be on the receiving end of a particularly stratospheric salary, signing on the dotted line for a V8 executive saloon as a company car in today's taxation climate would be tantamount to filing for bankruptcy. In the latest, facelifted A6 range, the 2.0-litre TDI produces 151g/km of CO2, far more efficient than a lot of petrol models out there.

"There's a certain smugness to be gleaned from running an executive saloon that's costing you a whole lot less than people think it is."

Fuel consumption is another area where the 2.0-litre TDI looks a cost-effective bet compared to executive saloons with the traditional big petrol engines. Its 48.7mpg average economy figure is far in excess of the mileage you can expect from Audi's petrol units. It sounds good but reading this, you're probably gearing yourself up for some disappointing news regarding the car's performance. Sure enough, it isn't the executive express that every young go-getter dreams about as they struggle up the corporate ladder but, as we've explained, that kind of power comes with some fairly prohibitive bills. The 2.0-litre TDI makes a decent account of itself with 0-60mph acceleration of 9.9secs and a 127mph top speed. The engine doesn't feel unduly troubled by the A6's substantial mass with a nice slug of torque low down in the rev range translating into impressive in-gear flexibility. Engine noise is well suppressed.

If you look to Audi's German rivals, you'll have to pay more for an E220 CDI from Mercedes with similar performance and economy. BMW, on the other hand, have the 525d which is also more expensive but offers far better performance with only a slight fuel consumption penalty. In the case of Jaguar, a £3,000 premium will get you the 2.7-litre twin turbo diesel in an S-Type - a package that's a match for the BMW in terms of power and parsimony. The upshot of all this seems to be that the Audi 2.0-litre TDI has affordability firmly on its side and buyers for whom cutting back on the tax they pay is the number one priority will find it hard to better. The majestic performance often associated with this type of car is largely absent but so are the monstrous running costs and that will be all that matters for some.

If we turn our attention to matters away from the A6 2.0-litre TDI's engine bay, the product makes an even stronger case for itself. We might be looking at an entry-level model but you wouldn't necessarily know it from sitting in the driver's seat. Electronic climate control, cruise control and a 10-speaker CD stereo system are just some of the creature comforts and outside there are 16-inch alloy wheels to raise the tone. There's Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) and an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) to keep the car on the right track. Along with ABS and EBD to stop it safely.

The key styling feature on this A6 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 Ingolstadt company claims the world's tightest shut lines and the panel fit around the door is indeed superb. Inside, although much of the look and feel is reminiscent again of the A8, the dashboard features a binnacle and centre console that angles towards the driver and is quite unlike anything yet seen in an Audi. The quality of the cabin remains top notch but there's a little more style and colour contrast here, Audi finally recognising that the coal hole dark plastic look was just that little bit too nineties to cut it these days.

It's often a moot point as to whether a prestige manufacturer should offer more affordable derivatives of their executive saloon. The thinking being that such models democratise the car, rubbing off some of that all-important lustre and exclusivity. With the current taxation situation, and the impact it has on company car drivers in particular, Audi's decision to go ahead with the A6 2.0-litre TDI seems sound. There's a certain smugness to be gleaned from running an executive saloon that's costing you a whole lot less than people think it is.

TOP 5 A6 DEALS

The results below show the top A6 deals on buyacar

Audi A6 2.0 TDIe SE 4dr Diesel Saloon
Price £24,777 Click for a A6 Review	Save £2,343
Audi A6 2.0 TDIe S Line 5dr Diesel Avant
Price £27,315 Click for a A6 Review	Save £2,625
Audi A6 2.0 TDIe S Line 4dr Diesel Saloon
Price £25,902 Click for a A6 Review	Save £2,468
Audi A6 2.0 TDI 170 SE 4dr Multitronic Diesel Saloon
Price £27,017 Click for a A6 Review	Save £2,588
Audi A6 2.0 TDIe SE 5dr Diesel Avant
Price £26,190 Click for a A6 Review	Save £2,500