New Audi A6L, heir to the throne

The person who can inherit the throne must not be simple. Not only must he have extraordinary intellect and ability, but he must also withstand the open guns and dark arrows of other usurpers. Audi has built the country in China for so many years, and now there are many people who are watching. If you want to hold the front, in addition to maintaining the consistent advantage, you must also come up with some new tricks. The new-generation A6 with breakthroughs in appearance and technology was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March last year, and the new A6L tailored for the Chinese market was launched at the Shanghai Auto Show this year, fully demonstrating Audi's confidence and determination.

Although I have seen countless pictures, large and small, when Dazhongwang, which writes the characteristics of the family in the future, really came into view, I felt the aggressive momentum for the first time, eh! With this vivid mouth, the new A6 has not lost to any opponent in the typhoon.

Strengthen the sporty style

Although the body size of the new generation A6 has been enlarged compared to the previous generation, the Germans have specially launched the long-axle version of the A6L for the Chinese market. "Extended" has tasted the sweetness, not only continued to follow the same method, but also made this practice justifiable, officially titled "A6L", and it is not impossible for it to be sold to the European continent and even other regions in the future.

The long wheelbase brings not only wider rear seat space, but also a more slender appearance. One of the characteristics of the roof arc has been perfectly preserved, and it is more beautifully stretched than before. The straight waistline runs through the side, and the skirt that is pulled up diagonally adds a strong sports brand to the new A6L. The rear of the car has abandoned the original sleek design. The square and straight taillights do not look rigid. Instead, the chrome trim that echoes the front of the car outlines the delicate and dynamic rear of the car. The small rear wing also improves the previous generation. Poor rear aerodynamics. It seems that the new generation of A6 is moving towards a sporty direction.

The transformation of the interior also reflects the sporty thinking of the new A6L. The most notable feature is the wraparound center console design that first appeared in the Audi family. Although such a design is generally regarded as a symbol of sporty style, the actual effect is not very strong. The huge multi-function display occupies the most eye-catching position, and the dotted function buttons are even arranged behind the gear lever. The function keys are a bit cumbersome to operate, but this is also the usual feature of Audi. At night, the button lights of various colors are as dazzling as the cockpit of an airplane, and it is impossible to guarantee that it will not tempt your vanity to expand rapidly.

Compared with the center console, the steering wheel has a very sporty feel. Not only is the thickness of the disk ring just right, but the delicate feel and moderate size can also arouse your interest in turning it, especially if it is hidden in the disk spokes. The two paddle shifters at the back are more high-end things to satisfy the driving pleasure.

Someone may object here: Is the word "sporty" appropriate for a sedan with an extended wheelbase? Regardless of whether the new A6L is a real sports sedan, just from the changes in its appearance and interior, it has at least the dynamic elements required by a sports sedan; besides, the sporty steering wheel and shift paddles are also clearly visible. It is showing its sporty nature, then its dynamic performance is even more exciting.

Luxurious space and sophisticated atmosphere

Before we start, let's take a closer look at the new A6L's cabin. Due to the increase of 100mm, the wheelbase of the new A6L has reached 2945mm, and people sitting in the back seat can cross their legs without any scruples! The seat is a little softer than the front, and it feels more comfortable to sit on. Besides, the front seat has a wide range of 8-way electric adjustment.

It's more than that. Audi's consistent fine craftsmanship and high-quality materials always make people feel impeccable. It is worthy of praise that the interior of the new A6L cleverly uses many chrome decorations to outline the lines. The black carriage was immediately radiant, adding a lot of color, and at the same time echoing some details of the exterior.

The fly in the ointment is that compared to the spacious and luxurious space, the storage compartment of the whole vehicle appears to be less, especially the center console, which can hardly hold anything. But in retrospect, probably "successful people" don't throw things in their pockets everywhere. However, the lack of independent control functions for the rear seat is a bit unreasonable. The lengthening of the wheelbase is to take care of the rear passengers, but when they sit in, they will find that apart from the air-conditioning vents and seat heating devices, they cannot get one. A little bit of control, would you be disappointed? Although the previous generation A6 used the "executive version" to solve this problem, we feel that even the standard version of the A6L should at least provide the function of remote control audio and air conditioning for the rear seat.

Running machine

Okay, back to the question of whether it can take into account the sporty personality while lengthening the wheelbase. The previous generation of the domestically produced A6 solved the contradiction between the two with its solid driving performance, and the new generation A6L aims to take it to the next level. The first thing the manufacturer offered us for a test drive was the top-level version of the domestic A6L, the 4.2 quattro. Why take the top model as a "stepping stone"? The reason is very simple, the V8 engine can elevate the status of the new A6L to the highest position of the domestic car, showing the attitude of the king; secondly, it can also divide the price range of the new A6L and the old A6, so as not to affect the final sales of the old A6.

It is undeniable that this set of 4.2-liter V8 engine and 6 front-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission power system taken from Audi's flagship A8 is the most advanced power source in China. Its maximum horsepower of 335hp and maximum torque of 420Nm are absolutely world-class series. Although the new A6L has an acceleration ability of 7.6 seconds (our measured data), and the shifting is relatively smooth, it is not easy to control the car smoothly.

At the beginning of the start, the engine did not have good power to propel the 1.9-ton car, but as the speed rose above 2000rpm, the surging power poured out, so I drove the new A6L to stop and go in the city. It's not an easy thing, stepping on the electronic accelerator, often can't grasp the moment when the power pours out, and drive the car forward and backward. Later, we found that using the S-gear sports mode or simply using the "+, -" manual shifting mode, the weak initial force will be improved, the starting process will become much smoother, and it is easier to drive more smoothly and comfortably.

Arriving on the highway, the large-displacement V8 engine has the opportunity to release a powerful power reserve. As soon as the accelerator is stepped on, the bright red pointer rises happily all the way, accompanied by a strong roar, the pointer points directly to the red line area , the whole process does not mean the slightest exhaustion, and the breakthrough of 220km/h is only between idleness. Step on the brake pedal, and the powerful braking performance gives you full confidence. With such constant acceleration and deceleration, the A6L 4.2 is like a "skilled man" with extraordinary bearing and skill, and the expressway is definitely the place where it will try to dominate.

Suspension is a big improvement on the A6L. The mechanical structure is still the front double wishbone and the rear multi-link, but the top version is equipped with an adjustable air shock absorber. This set of air springs has four modes: Raise, Comfort, Automatic and Dynamic, and the height of the vehicle can vary by 45cm. In dynamic mode, the body height is minimized, and high-speed driving and cornering can create higher stability, but when passing obstacles such as speed bumps, the body almost jumps over and the ride feels uncomfortable. Switch to comfort mode, and the stiff suspension still feels, but the raised body will bring some side-to-side sway, reducing some abrupt stiffness between the swaying.

It seems that the degree of flexibility of the suspension soft and hard is not too large, but the function of raising the chassis can give people more confidence when dealing with bad roads and full-load driving.

Transplanted technology

In addition to the daunting powertrain and adjustable air springs, the new A6L also transplants a lot of advanced technology from the A8. The MMI multimedia interactive system located in the center console has become the standard configuration of the new A6L, which is undoubtedly an eye-catching selling point. In fact, this system is exactly the same as BMW's i-Drive, which contains a wealth of information such as TV programs, radio, CD, air conditioning settings, tire pressure monitoring and air suspension mode selection, but the reserved GPS navigation function Not yet opened.

Although the culture in the system has been realized, the operation of MMI is still a bit cumbersome. Too many buttons can sometimes make people feel overwhelmed.

It is not too new for smart keys to appear in this class of cars. Before that, the domestic new crown had this function. However, this set of smart keys on the new A6L still has its own uniqueness. There are also door lock and door open sensing buttons hidden on the inner edge of the door handle, which can be locked and opened with a single touch. The start and stop operations of the engine are distinguished by two buttons on the new A6L. In addition, the original key jack is retained. If you like, you can still use the traditional method to start or stop the engine.

The operation method of the parking brake is also quite special. You don't need to operate the small paddle yourself. When you need to park, just push the lever to the P position, release the brake, and the parking brake will stop. It will start automatically; on the contrary, when driving, just push to D block, lightly step on the accelerator, the handbrake will be automatically released. During the test drive, we found that the automatic parking function will only be realized when the steering wheel is returned to the front. After the engine is turned off, long press the stop button to activate the mechanical locking device built into the steering wheel, which means that even the mechanical steering wheel lock is thoughtful for the car owner.

High-profile attack

Compared with the previous generation of domestic A6, the new A6L not only retains the longer wheelbase and exquisite craftsmanship advantages, but also has a stronger sports style, a higher sense of technology in the equipment configuration, and different specifications. promote. These are the magic weapons for the new A6L to fight against competitors of the same level. After all, after so many years of hard work in China, the extensive brand image recognition and perfect after-sales service system are also the capital of Audi's high-profile attack on the market.

From the current point of view, the only confusion is the price of this A6L4.2 quattro. Let's make a prediction: based on the "face" issue, I believe its price will not be lower than the BMW 530i's 598,000! However, according to Audi's own ideas, they also need a "shockable" model to establish the status of the rivers and lakes, and then use the 2.4 and 3.0 versions launched later to compete with their opponents. The king who can dominate the arena must be far-sighted. Audi, who has many years of experience, must know better than anyone else.