The seventh-generation Audi A6 Avant will go on sale late this summer with a lighter weight and stiffer body. Available only in Europe the new wagon will be largely made of aluminum, high-strength steel and ultra high-strength steel. The body is supposed to be more rigid, safer and lighter than the previous model thanks to a composite construction. Named the Multimaterial Space Frame by Audi, the wagon body should be 66 pounds lighter and up to 150 pounds overall lighter for the entire car dependent on engine.
Engine options will all feature direct injection for both gas engines and all four diesel engines. The first gas engine is the 2.8 FSI which makes 204 hp utilizing Audi’s valvelift system. The top gas engine is the supercharged 3.0 TFSI with 300 hp. The base engine (and only four-cylinder) will be the 2.0 TDI with 177 hp that should reach 47 mpg when mated with the manual transmission. The 3.0 TDI will come in three versions: 204 hp, 245 hp or the top-of-the-line 313 hp option pressurized with a hefty 3.2 bar (47 psi) of boost from its twin-turbos! The top diesel engine should help the wagon reach 60 mph in less than 5.4 seconds and a governed top speed of 155 mph.
All the engines in the A6 Avant use Audi’s various technologies from its modular efficiency platform. Technologies include: an automatic start-stop system and a thermal management system to quickly bring the coolant and motor oil up to operating temperatures. Audi claims these all work to reduce fuel consumption by 18 percent versus the old model.
Available in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (with available sport differential for the rear) the A6 Avant also has four different transmissions available depending on engine: a six-speed manual, a seven-speed S tronic, a continuously variable multitronic or an eight-speed tiptronic.
The A6 Avant will be available with all of Audi’s latest technological and convenience options like LED headlights and a rear-hatch that automatically opens when the owner shakes his foot below the rear bumper and the key is in range.
The A6 Avant will go on sale for a base price of 40,850 Euros or about $66,275. Would you rather have the new A6 Avant come to our shores or do you prefer the A7 which is already on sale here?
Source: Audi
