In a pleasant, subdued, almost invisible way, this car is like a drug. Even when unleashed, with the whip high up in the air, it retains a perfect jacket and tie composure. By now we really are moving. The A6 is dancing with the road: first leading with firm hands, then gently pushing and pulling in perfect accordance with the course of the concrete parquet.
The car seldom puts a foot wrong. Turn-in is slow – sometimes frustratingly so – but once the nose has started moving towards the apex the Audi hugs the tarmac and clings to the blacktop before it will start scrambling ever so subtly for grip. Keep your foot down if you like, spin that inside wheel, but be prepared to wind off some lock quickly if you hit a rough bump mid-corner, because in an instant the tail will step out in a neat arc.
The throttle action is superb: linear and attentive, making take-off smooth and not at all jerky. Throughout the rev-range, the motor and the accelerator constantly communicate with each other, making it an absolute pleasure to cruise with.
[color=#9900 !important]
And it’s quick. Real quick. There is already meat on the bone at low revs, but the main course begins at three-quarters into the pedal travel. And it lasts virtually relentlessly until you take your foot off. Amazingly, you almost never feel any upshifts, partly because the eight-speed automatic gearbox is so smooth, plus the fact that there isn’t a rev-meter to tell you the rpm has dropped.
Once the instant torque flows, there is not much that can stop it, and after a while the urge to free more and more revs becomes almost irresistible.
A good engine puts its stamp on a car and shapes its character. That’s exactly what the hybrid combo does to the A6. The petrol/electric powertrain is a joy to rev: smooth, potent and turbine like, it will spin freely without much mechanical or acoustic protest.
[color=#9900 !important]
The response to the electronic throttle is prompt and progressive. The accelerator is neither laser sharp or supersonic fast but meaty, nicely weighted and beautifully communicative.
Too bad the chassis lets the engine down. It’s not all bad though. Its set-up is controlled and taut and yet its movements are supple, its muscles compliant, and its responses rarely harsh and never exaggerated. It’s just that it’s not much fun to drive through bends. Not at all, actually.
In all its rear-wheel drive rivals bar the mushy [color=#9900 !important]
Infiniti M, you can play gung-ho by backing off in the middle of a corner tackled with aggression. In the A6 Hybrid, with all that torque coming through the front wheels, such brutal throttle manoeuvres upset the car’s balance too abruptly, the stability control kicking in sharply to control the loss of traction. A [color=#9900 !important]
BMW 5-Series this is not.
[color=#9900 !important]
Audi says we’ve entered a new era where it’s composure that counts, not bravery. Yes, you may enjoy a little power oversteer. But lurid tailslides are a thing of the past, apparently, at least as far its cool and not at all flamboyant clientele are concerned. Remember, it’s privileged business types they’re after, not driving enthusiasts looking for the next corner to terrorise.
Most of the time, this hybrid monster will handle in an impeccably neutral fashion. Going time warp fast is a surreal, almost sci-fi-like sensation that combines the unerring directional stability and a slot racer with the pulling power of a gas turbine – vroom, woosh and through, that kind of thing.
A more alert steering wouldn’t hurt, and the brakes are not in the league of the class bests, which at the moment is tied between the BMW 5-Series and [color=#9900 !important]
Lexus’ latest GS. Worked hard, they sweat plenty of smelly black dust, but neither the stopping power nor feel is anywhere near as sensational as the engine. In fact, it barely keeps up with the mediocre chassis.
[color=#9900 !important]
Speaking of the brakes, the kinetic energy recuperation system (the main source of recharging the battery) operates in an extremely intrusive manner, jumping into action at the slightest touch of the brake pedal. Slowing down in a smooth, imperceptible manner is a near impossible task, with the braking force actively changing even with constant pedal pressure.
Those who have experienced similar energy regeneration systems on Japanese hybrids will definitely know the disconcerting feeling. Only this time, with significantly more mass to haul down and a much more aggressive recharge regime in play, it’s even worse still. Remember this before you start screaming at your chauffeur for spilling your morning coffee.
It’s old news, but when it comes to drivability, you can’t have enough torque. The A6 Hybrid’s 480 Nm is quite clearly superior to the competition, beating even the most powerful petrol powered 5-Series, E-Class and GS sold here. It definitely beats the latter’s silky smooth but tardy V6 engine.
[color=#9900 !important]
On paper, the [color=#9900 !important]
BMW 535i edges the A6 hybrid, but on the road the blown straight-six is more highly strung, much rougher when pushed and definitely noisier than the ultra refined, if marginally slower Audi.
Having said that, this cheeky little hybrid is more than good enough to stand up in more exclusive company.
Measure your throttle input just right to avoid wheelspin, of which there will be plenty if you’re not careful, and the hybrid A6 will launch from a standstill to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, and rush on to a maximum speed of 240 km/h. A second quicker off the mark and you’re into [color=#9900 !important]
Porsche Panamera V6 territory; 10 km/h more at the top end and you can dice with the [color=#9900 !important]
BMW M3s of this world. It really is that close.
[color=#9900 !important]
As detailed in our [color=#9900 !important]
launch report, the A6 hybrid uses Audi’s venerable turbocharged direct injection 2.0 litre engine tuned to the state of 211 hp at 4,300 to 6,000 rpm and 350 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 4,200 rpm as its main power source. Providing motive assistance is a large electric motor with an output rating of 54 hp and 210 Nm. Working in tandem, the hybrid powerplant offers up a combined output of 245 hp and 480 Nm of torque. It certainly feels that quick, if not more.
Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system is a non-qualifier here, as it wouldn’t have fit with the lithium-ion battery pack being housed just above the rear axles. Besides, the weight saving is appreciated too, as the power cells aren’t exactly light. With the electric motor, battery and its cooling peripherals in tow, the A6 hybrid weighs a full 230 kg more than a standard A6 with the same (detuned to 180 hp) engine.
Surely that affects performance and fuel economy, no? Not one bit as it’s now 0.8 seconds quicker to 100 km/h and is capable of going 14 km/h faster than before. Being a performance hybrid, it uses less fuel while going faster too; rated at 6.2 litres per 100 km in the combined cycle versus the standard 2.0’s 6.4 litres per 100 km.
[color=#9900 !important]
The gains in fuel efficiency are more apparent in the real world than the figures portray, as the hybrid can operate in full EV mode with enough battery charge. Crawling through traffic or climbing up parking lots, in full comforts of air conditioning and stereo no less, uses no fuel at all.
The electric-only mode works at higher speeds too, and is capable of accelerating up to 100 km/h without turning the engine on. Achieving that feat requires a very subdued right foot though, but with enough practice you’ll be gliding on electric power more often than you’re aware of. The maximum range in EV mode is just three full kilometres, but driven sensibly, that’s more that enough to bring substantial fuel savings.
Simply lifting off the throttle while cruising turns off the engine and charges the battery. Gently feeding power, the hybrid system will then try to sustain that speed or even accelerate using just the electric motor. Everything works so seamlessly together that if you’re not paying close attention to the hybrid power display, you’d be completely oblivious to all the hard work it’s doing.
[color=#9900 !important]
If that doesn’t float your boat, maybe you’ll appreciate the hybrid advantage when you go to overtake a slower vehicle. The mega-magnets assisting the turbo engine will whisk you past more quickly than you can say ‘Michael Faraday’.
It’s not all good news, however. Ironically enough, the single biggest drawback of the A6 hybrid is caused by the very thing that makes it great in the first place – its battery pack. As the A6 was not designed to carry a large battery pack in the first place, the lithium-ion power cells are placed in the boot, forming a large intrusion in the cargo floor.
The available space drops for being near-class leading 530 litres to just 375 litres – and an awkwardly shaped one at that. Mind you, that’s still not as bad as the [color=#9900 !important]
Infiniti M35h, where the battery more than halves the available boot space.
[color=#9900 !important]
As it is, the hump on the boot floor deems it completely unusable for plus-size bags or large baby strollers. That’s a big pity as the rest of the A6 is perfectly comfortable for a family of five. On the plus side, drive the A6 Hybrid for long enough and it will teach you and your family the benefits of packing light.
This remarkable entry-level A6 (price-wise, uniquely in Malaysia only) is worthy of a sportier, more performance-appropriate nameplate. But the marketing department decided there is more to gain by pushing the eco-friendly nature of the vehicle.
Why? Because sporty is uncouth and being green is now cool. At least the nomenclature stand out and details the car’s key innovation – its excellent hybrid powertrain which is unique and a rare asset in this price point.
Post time 17-3-2013 10:12 AM
变色卡
wink wink
