Review of the new Audi A6 4.2 QUATTRO

When showcasing their latest wares, car companies tend to prefer that you drive the top of the range model, laden down with every imaginable extra on billiard table smooth roads under a photogenically perfect sky. In conditions such as these, it's a genuine workout for your objective faculties, yet even the most curmudgeonly road tester would be hard pressed to find Audi's 4.2-litre A6 anything other than impressive.

Powered by a potent lean burn FSI powerplant, this 350bhp unit deploys its power via a six-speed manual gearbox with the option of a six-speed Tiptronic automatic. Smoother and more refined than the old 335bhp 4.2-litre unit previously used in this car and even more powerful than the 340bhp power output of the old S6. This 40-valve unit is refined right across the rev range with only a distant yowl emerging when approaching the 6,800rpm redline.

Despite being a far bigger car than its predecessor, the A6 4.2 is even quicker off the mark, getting to 60mph in 6.1 seconds and on to an identically limited 155mph top speed. Fuel consumption is rated at 26.1mpg on the combined cycle, a very creditable figure for a car this big and powerful. Even the emissions rating of 257g/km isn't as horrendous as one might at first expect. Saloon prices start at £44,475 while Avant estate prices start at £45,745. You'll pay over £55,000 for the 430bhp V10 S6 so, in those terms, this model looks positively affordable.

S-Line buyers are confronted with a basic package that features 18" 5 spoke alloy wheels fitting snug to the wheel arches thanks to sports suspension that's a generous 30mm lower than standard. There are also upgraded 17" ventilated brake discs, aggressive new bumpers front and rear, a revised grille and headlamp washers. Half leather sports seats pop-up inside, along with a sports steering wheel, a leather gear knob and black headlining. The really observant will also spot the S-Line logos dotted around the place. It all makes for a car with real road-hugging presence.

"This A6 is massively more capable than its predecessor. In 4.2-litre guise it's also significantly more powerful"

Compared to key rivals such as the BMW 550i and the Mercedes E500, the A6 4.2 quattro's prices look very reasonable, especially given the fact that it's both bigger, better equipped and features surprisingly strong residuals for such a high-end vehicle. 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 Ingolstadt company claims the world's tightest shut lines and the panel fit around the door is indeed superb, the 2.5mm apertures between the doors and body panels being astonishingly uniform. Gone are the days when the 'pound coin test' would separate the best from the rest when it comes to panel fit.

The design isn't all show however. The neat integrated tail spoiler helps cut rear lift to a mere 19kg at 155mph. This represents a quarter of the outgoing model's lift and the drag coefficient has been cut too from 0.31 to a slippery 0.28. Despite its slinky profile, the tale of the tape doesn't lie and the A6 is now comfortably the biggest car in its class, dwarfing rivals such as the Jaguar S-TYPE and the Lexus GS series. The overall length has swelled to 4916mm, up a whole 121mm over the outgoing car. The boot is a whopping 546 litres in all saloon models (Avant estates to follow in 2005) which is not only bigger than the 5 Series and the E Class but also manages to put this car's big brother, the A8, in the shade.

There's a good deal of A8 in the A6's genetics. It too makes extensive use of aluminium to help trim the weight. The bonnet, front bumper, bootlid and firewall are all constructed in aluminium, although such are the volumes that Audi predict this car will sell in that an all-aluminium construction like the A8 would have proved too difficult to productionise.

Driver enjoyment is a key feature of the latest A6 line up and the car benefits from a quicker steering rack while retaining current suspension settings albeit with fifteen per cent more travel. Drivers used to previous generation A6 models won't recognise the feel behind the wheel and they can be excused for not feeling instantly at home with the interior. 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 and have included some very stylish pale woods and chrome finishes.

Although the old A6 was a very good car, it occasionally fell a little short of the best that Mercedes and BMW could produce, especially when spending serious money on the upper level executive versions. The latest model rectifies that mistake and the 4.2-litre FSI V8 quattro model administers a sound thrashing to its German rivals in a number of key areas. It's MMI control system shows BMW's iDrive up to be counterintuitive and fussy while the sheer amount of space makes the Mercedes E-Class appear mean. After trying this car, it would be very tough to shop elsewhere.

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