Audi A6 2.0 TDI 2009 review

Audi is continuing to populate the Luxury Car Tax exemption parking area with prestige models that escape or partially avoid the slug. This brings their LCT-avoidance crew to 21, a number they are pretty happy to tell you is far above BMW’s nine and Mercedes-Benz’s eight.

The latest to join the four-ringed circuit are turbodiesel versions of the Audi A6 – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 2.7-litre V6, both mated to a continuously-variable multitronic’ transmission driving the front wheels. They join the A6’s current three petrol variants – 2.0, 2.8 and 3.0-litre – and a 3.0-litre turbodiesel. Both the new engines make sense in this car for those who want the economy of diesel. But the smaller of the two – which now becomes the entry level for the A6 range — is best restricted to subdued pootling around town and relaxed cruising on the highway.

It’s a very poised performer in normal driving, but this is a modest engine for a large car, and it can get a bit flummoxed if you try to push it hard too quickly – preferring plenty of warning when you need it to stir up a little. However the larger newcomer offers strong effort across the rev range, and you’d be hard-pressed to think of reasons to shell out more for the 3.0-litre.

The steering in both is light and accurate, but there’s little in the way of feedback – and possibly none demanded by most of the buying demographic.

The A6 has a strong focus on space and comfort, and with an interior full of quality surfaces you’re encouraged to waft along in prestige calm, with noise-damping good enough to prevent much intrusion from the diesel engines … or anything else from outside the cabin save some wind rush and tyre noise on poor surfaces.

Engines and pricing

The 2.0-litre turbodiesel is slightly noisier than its larger sibling, but this is really only evident when you push it hard up the rev range. But it’s happy to tackle most jobs with its 350Nm of torque coming in at a handy 1750-2500rpm, and the 125kW of power at 4200rpm. Acceleration to 100km/h is hardly blistering at 8.9 seconds, and the top speed sits well below the rest of the A6 range at 218km/h.

The 2.7-litre benefits from its 400Nm of torque coming in at 1400rpm – a level getting closer to those usually seen driving 18 wheels than four – and digging in there until 3500rpm, while the 140kW of power arrives in a fairly narrow band between 3500-4400rpm. It takes a full second less than the 2.0-litre to hit 100km/h and manages a top speed of 277km/h.

At $74,500 and 5.8l/100km, the smaller diesel gets the full LCT–free tick — and an approving nod for emissions at 153gm/km — while the 6.4l/100km larger-engined one pays the whack only on the difference between the dollar bar of $75,000 and its $84,500 price tag, and still does well with emissions at 169gm/km.

Audi has done well with its TDI engines, increasing sales across all models by more than 500 per year over the past three years, and they’re on track to do the same for 2009. The new A6 arrivals will lend a hand with that job, with Audi expecting each to take up 10 per cent of sales.

Audi A6 2.0 TDI
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel
Power: 125kW @ 4200rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1750-2500
Transmission: continuously-variable ‘multitronic’ automatic
Performance: 0-100km/h 8.9 secs, top speed 218km/h
Emissions: 153gm/km

Audi A6 2.7 TDI
Engine: 2.7-litre turbocharged V6 diesel
Power: 140kW @ 3500-4400rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1400-3500
Transmission: continuously-variable ‘multitronic’ automatic
Performance: 0-100km/h 7.9 secs, top speed 277km/h
Emissions: 169gm/km