Visual changes to the new A6 are so subtle it would take an Audi anorak with a magnifying glass to spot them. However, the differences under the skin are significant.
Tweaks beneath the bonnet have reduced the carbon dioxide emissions of the whole range by an average of 12%. The new 2.0 TDIe is the real tax-buster, though. Official figures promise 53.3mpg and 139g/km, low enough to keep the Audi in the 18% tax bracket until 2010.
How’s it done? Audi has combined its latest generation common-rail diesel with a range of energy-saving measures. The ride height has been dropped by 20mm to help the A6 cut through the air more easily, and there’s an alternator to recapture energy that would otherwise be lost when coasting. Higher than normal gear ratios and a power steering pump that switches itself off when not needed also help.
The new engine is more…
