JOE goes to… Dresden to test the new Audi A6 & S6

JOE’s resident petrolhead, Oisin Collins, was recently invited over to Dresden in Germany to test out the newly updated Audi A6 & S6 models. Here’s a look at how he got on.

Our trip started off with an overnight stay in Frankfurt before taking an early morning flight to Dresden. We transferred from the airport to the Ostrale Centre for Contemporary Art (basically Dresden’s equivalent of the RDS) where the stunning Audi RS6 was there to greet us upon arrival. Unfortunately, the RS6 was merely on show at the centre and it wasn’t on the press fleet itself, much to the disappointment of the journalist in tow. Still, there were plenty of cracking cars to test out on the day and we managed to get our hands on some absolute beauts. More on that later… The A6 & S6 line up has been given a slight exterior update, while most of the new changes have been made to the new, more efficient ‘ultra’ engines and refined interiors, so A6 fans will be able to spot the new beast from a mile away. The car looks fantastic, there’s no denying that, and the slight aesthetic update sees the A6 looking that bit meaner and sportier thanks to new front and rear lights, an updated grille and bold horizontal lines across the front bumper. The car is also 70mm longer giving it a more prominent stance on the road. It really does look absolutely stunning in the flesh. One seriously cool feature that you might miss unless you're driving behind a new A6 is the way the indicator lights blink. It reminded us of KITT from Knight Rider...

A video posted by JOE.ie (@joe.ie) on Oct 10, 2014 at 8:24am PDT

Audi boasts class-leading efficiency with their 2.0TDI ultra engine, which emits just 109g CO2 and they say the entire engine range gets more power with up to 22 per cent less emissions. As well as the improved engines across the range the new A6 now comes with €5,750 of extras as standard including: xenon lights, sat-nav and acoustic glass. We managed to get our hands on the A6 2.0 TDI ultra, which features a 190hp engine and the S-Tronic gearbox (the one with the ‘flappy paddles’), and we also got to test the S6 Avant 4.0 TFSI Quattro which features a MASSIVE 435hp engine along with the S-Tronic gearbox. Irish buyers may be interested to know that the S-Tronic gearbox, which is both great fun and highly responsive, is now available on the range at €2,300 above the manual price. Naturally, the power and acceleration from the S6 Avant was absolutely mind blowing and there really was no better place to test the car than on one of Germany’s many Autobahns. On the narrow, winding country roads, the S6 stuck to the road better than glue and in the city, the car was a real head-turner. Apart from its stunning good looks and incredible power, the S6 Avant also comes with a starting price tag of €93,660. The A6, on the other hand, starts at just €44,750, which is very reasonable considering what you’re getting for the money. The interior of both the A6 & S6 looks and feels great, it features more than enough room for both front and rear passengers in an elegant and comfortable surrounding, and they're also kitted out with everything you could need including Audi's MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch controls. It’s also extremely quiet in the cabin and you could hardly even notice the diesel engine revving away when driving along the motorways. All in all, we were very impressed with the new A6 & S6 and if you liked the car before you’re going to love it now. While the changes have been subtle, the age-old saying rings true in the case of the A6: “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it”. The new A6 and S6 are in Audi showrooms now and both are officially launching in November. Priced from just €44,750, the A6 can be yours on PCP from €429 per month with 4.9% APR. To find out more info on the A6 & S6, head over to Audi.ie or pop into your local dealer for a gander and a test-drive.