Are you in the market for an executive saloon? No? Me neither – I’m not old enough yet, and I’m certainly not occupying a high-enough rung on the corporate ladder. With respect to the niche market that do own executive saloons, they usually have a fair amount of grey hair (ok, technically that qualifies me already), wear expensive suits (I’m out), and know the managers of all the finest weekly luncheon spots on a first name basis. Although my teenage “need for speed” desire has faded somewhat as I roll into my mid-30’s, I still consider a hot hatch, or low-slung coupé to be my first-choice mode of transportation. But, having recently attended the international launch of the new Audi A6, I’ve since gained a new-found appreciation for what these luxurious, high-tech vehicles represent.
The design brief is clearly to make these cars unmistakable ambassadors for their respective brands, while keeping things as clean and elegant as possible. The previous generation A6 was an unrivalled success for Audi as a class-leader in European markets, so the Ingolstadt-based firm was never going to play around too much with this winning formula when it came to designing the new car. That said, the latest Audi A6 does have some, dare I say, alluring, and even sporty, lines, particularly when viewed head-on (ie in the rearview mirror of the opposition cars). LED technology has been incorporated into the head- and tail lamps and Audi offers a wide variety of alloy wheel sizes and designs to complement the profile.
One of the reasons that I like hot hatches and sporty coupés so much has a great deal to do with the packaging – being seated in a cosy cabin where I can get a reasonable sense of the car’s extremities. On the contrary, an executive saloon needs to comfortably accommodate business people (both fore and aft) in maximum comfort and shouldn’t be pulling any lateral g’s whatsoever for fear of creasing those expensive suits. So why did I enjoy driving the new Audi A6 so much? Well, for starters, the new car’s seemingly air-tight cabin has been designed to wrap around its occupants, favouring the driver. The front seats, in particular, offer near unlimited adjustment, allowing me to sit snug and low in the cabin without intruding on rear leg space. Even though this is still a fairly large vehicle, it actually feels light on its feet. On this note, Audi has gone to great lengths to physically minimize the cars weight. Clever use of alluminium (making up 20 per cent of the body) and other reductions have ensured that the new A6 not only weighs less than the previous car, but also less than all its rivals (even with Quattro fitted).
Although each of the Teutonic Big Three in this segment offer feature-packed Grand Saloons for the ultimate in comfort (often focused on the back seats), it’s in the executive saloon class where much of the new innovation and technology eventually destined for mass production is showcased. Audi was determined to make the new A6 a veritable tour de force in terms of driver interactivity and innovation. To this end, the company teamed up with a small Internet firm called Google to bring the latest connectivity technologies to the new A6. Aside from offering WiFi access for up to eight laptops (who has eight laptops switched on at one time in one car?) the driver is able access the Internet via the large, full-colour, fold-out MMI display. One of the coolest applications of this new technology must surely be the incorporation of Google Earth Maps in the sat nav. It may sound a bit gimmicky, but being able to see an actual lay of the land ahead of you (from a birds eye view) gives you so much more confidence when approaching corners and intersections.
Other impressive technologies at play in the new A6 include is an integrated camera system, which can be used for an array of functions including parking sensors, night vision, adaptive cruise control, and also, impressively, to read oncoming speed limit signage and display this for the driver’s attention, on the heads-up display.
Audi will bring three 3,0-litre engine options to the local market at the new A6’s June launch. My pick of the bunch has to be the more powerful of the two TDI units. This model features the latest generation Quattro all-wheel drive technology (as introduced in the RS5) and a dual-clutch S tronic transmission. This unit develops a respectable 180 kW of power, as well as an impressive 500 N.m of torque between 1 400 and 3 250 r/min. Mated with a 7-speed transmission featuring paddles-shifters, this unit serves up so enough torque to give some of my favourite hot hatches pause for thought.
I still don’t think I’m quite ready for my first executive saloon ownership experience, especially as my Diners Club application was declined to lack of funds, but I can certainly see the appeal of such models more clearly now. These are the people who want to head to lunch (at 11am), tell their assistants to hold all their calls, close out the rest of the world with one gentle shut of the driver’s door, and relax as the their cars all but find their own way to the next destination. The A6 may not have yet reached the heights of success in South Africa that it has in European markets (where it is the class leader), but when you take into account the overall global growth that Audi has achieved over the past few years, thanks in no small part to the emphasis placed on its executive models, it surely won’t be long before our local execs sit up and take notice.
