First look: New Audi A6

These are the first official pictures of the facelifted Audi A6, which will arrive in showrooms this October.Audi wants to boost the A6’s already proven appeal with more fuel-efficient engines, subtle cosmetic enhancements, extra equipment and an improved ride. Styling changes for the revised A6 include horizontal LED running lights, a different front grille, new bumpers, revised air intakes and new fog lights at the front. At the rear, the familiar LED running lights have been added, and on saloon versions there’s a subtle bootlid spoiler. The six petrol and four turbodiesel engines available with the revised A6 have been altered to boost fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. Audi says it’s improved consumption by 12 per cent across the range without compromising driver enjoyment.

Audi’s brand new 29mpg, direct-injection, supercharged 3.0-litre V6 TFSI petrol engine also makes its debut in this car. It’s got 288bhp and 309lb ft torque, and engineers claim this supercharged powerplant is more responsive than a turbo, and more efficient than an old school V8. It can propel the A6 from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and on to 155mph. An eco-friendly 2.0-litre TDI model will also be available. Audi has lowered the A6 bt 20mm to reduce drag, altered the gear ratios and introduced a decoupled alternator that improves fuel consumption by charging the battery only when the vehicle is braking.It returns 53.3mpg but can still manage 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds. To improve the A6’s ride Audi has added new large-diameter shock absorbers at the front, and revised the damper rebound rates all round. Adaptive air suspension is still an option. New technology includes a ‘Side Assist’ feature that detects other cars in blindspots when merging lanes on the motorway. Audi’s latest MMI in-car entertainment system and sat nav has also been added, which the company says is more intuitive than the old unit.

Will Powell