2012 Audi A6 New Car Test Drive
Audi once again nails its not-too-big, not-too-small
By Steve Siler
Audi butters its bread with the A6, its mid-sized luxury sedan, positioned between its “entry level” A4 and the grand A8. Yes, that technically makes it the middle child in the Audi sedan family, but as I found recently along the picturesque roads of the Italian island of Sicily, where Audi hosted the worldwide media first drive program, the A6 is hardly Audi’s “Jan Brady.” Rather, think Goldilocks, and her perennial quest for things that are “just right,” which is precisely how I would characterize the all-new 2012 A6’s blend of style, space, luxury and prestige.
On the outside
I confess that I was not at all impressed with the styling of the 2012 A6 when I first saw pictures of it last fall. And I wasn’t much more impressed with it even after seeing it at the Detroit auto show in January, bathed as it in light so bright I longed for my Persols. Out on the road, the A6’s wide stance, newly athletic proportions (the result of a reconfigured engine bay in which the engine and transmission essentially switched places), and beautifully rendered details all convey unspeakable confidence. In my view, it is still a bit too understated, but not so understated as to appear plebian, which is the mortal sin of the dull-looking A8. Easily the best styling bits of the A6 are the cool optional LED headlamps, which do away with standard bulbs in favor of a line of individual LEDs, underlined by a line of super-skinny LED daytime running lights that switch into amber turn signals when summoned. Available 20-inch wheels are a must, especially as they do not exact any penalties in the ride quality department.
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