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Audi A6 Avant applies wagon style to a luxury touring sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. -- No time to notice details like make or model of the sleek silver station wagon delivered curbside by a valet at the Jacksonville airport because a tardy flight ruined the day's time schedule and there's only scant minutes remaining to make an appointment some thirty miles away on Amelia Island.
So we toss luggage in the back bay, slip into the driver's bucket seat, buckle the belt and zip out to the I-95 freeway, checking a map en route to figure out which exit leads off to the coastal barrier island.
Along the freeway, foot rides heavy on the accelerator, and suddenly -- with seemingly little effort exerted from the vehicle -- driver notices that the speedometer has risen way above the legal limit, so we ease off the pedal to temper the spirit of this vehicle.
That high-speed rush, characteristic of precise and powerful German machines, prompted me to look around the airy cabin and notice details like the crisp glow of backlit analog instruments, the polished aluminum ring around a gearshift lever and a discrete display of fine polished hardwood set in dash and console.
A plush bucket seat with power controls for multiple adjustments cradled me in superior position for reaching the leather-wrapped steering wheel and adjacent switchgear. Two individual front seats, divided by the center console, were followed by a rear bench with twin indented positions but a breadth that looked wide enough to hold three riders.
Overhead, a moonroof tilted up or slid back in response to power control of a ceiling-mounted rotary knob which let me dial in the exact amount of opening desired. Crank it back and feel the warm Florida sun shining through.
Although a beeline route to the island along the A1A, Fernandina-Amelia Highway 105, provided few bends to test the car's agility, steering was precise and quick to respond when changing lanes, and at higher speeds the straight-line stability seemed direct and true.
A sudden stop-light switch at the crossroads of Yulee produced an impromptu brake test, as wheels responded to pressure from obvious discs and an anti-lock controller kicked it to short-rein the wagon with pavement to spare.
At the turn-off for Amelia Island Parkway, a wide sweeping bend allowed driver to push the machine hard through the curve. It reacted with superior grip of tires -- keep pushing it, harder and faster, and the rubber never breaks tension with pavement, which indicates the power flows not only to one set of wheels, front or rear, but to both or perhaps an individual wheel through a sophisticated all-wheel-drive mechanism.
That realization -- the rarity of AWD control applied to the apparent innocuous format of a commuter station wagon -- sparked the ultimate question for this drive in a vehicle whose make and model remained mysterious to a driver: Just what kind of car is this, anyway?
Finally at my destination, a walk-around brought a close examination of the stylish exterior treatment and a check of nameplate and specific model badging.
It turned out to be an A6 Avant by Audi of Germany, representing a spin-off from Audi's superlative new mid-size A6 sedan with application of a station wagon's boxy rear format and the Avant label in Audi lingo denoting the same.
And in case you may wonder how the alphanumeric title was derived, A stands for Audi and 6 represents a mid-size platform with 6-cylinder engine aboard.
The A6 Avant also carries Audi's permanent all-wheel-drive system, called Quattro, which shifts the majority of engine torque to whichever wheel attains the best traction.
With such impressive mechanical hardware and a high content of luxury features in an elegant cabin, the intent from Audi suggests that A6 Avant could well be substituted for a truck-based sport-utility wagon, duplicating space and performance but also bringing the well-heeled ride quality of a touring sedan and the genteel comfort of a luxury car.
Peel away the sleek skin of Avant and you'll find a unibody structure which builds on innovations of light-weight aluminum components, as pioneered by Audi in the A8 flagship sedan. Door frames, bumper mounts, driver's frame module, side-impact beams in doors and the front hood: All are composed of aluminum -- stamped, extruded or sheeted -- in a complicated system which increases rigidity and also pares weight dramatically to boost fuel economy.
Eye the shell and you'll see this is no ordinary wagon: It's a graceful and fresh statement of strength and style.
The silhouette evokes images of Audi's crescent theme from sedans but with the roof extension for a wagon's rear end, plus blacked-out roof posts and muscular fenders with exaggerated wheel arches implying energy in motion.
Avant bulges at the rear with unusual contours highlighted by a forward-canted back window on the tailgate, which marks it with out-of-the-ordinary styling lines.
A sloping front hood tapers to dominant grillework with Audi's chrome badge of interlocking circles flanked by wrap-around halogen headlights with polycarbonate lenses.
Pop the hood and you'll find a high-tech engine aboard.
The 2.8-liter V6 -- rigged with belt-driven dual overhead cams, five valves per cylinder and variable intake valve timing -- consists of a cast iron block with aluminum alloy cylinder heads. It musters up to 200 hp at 6000 rpm, with a broad torque band peaking to 207 lbs/ft at 3200 rpm.
A sophisticated 5-speed automatic transmission borrowed from Porsche, with Tiptronic quick-flick shift control without a clutch, mates to the engine and produces optimum control for driver. Internal brains in this smart system figure out individual driving habits (such as quick takeoffs or extended run-up through the gears), then adapt shift patterns to accommodate those preferences.
The overall suspension package, independent at all corners and with a compact new double wishbone arrangement at the rear that consumes less cargo space, sets up a compliant and forgiving ride quality which, in European touring tradition, encourages an active style of driving. Yet it's stiff, in the German manner, and you will feel nuances of a road surface translated through suspension and steering mechanisms to driver's hands and body.
Audi's stylish wagon looks unique and behaves in an impressive way, but you must climb aboard to find the features that surprise and delight. A sampling includes the stylish decor with splashes of aluminum and wood trim, windows that move up or down with one touch to a switch, twin climate zones, heated windshield washer nozzles and retained power for operating accessories. Also, a rear-facing seat suitable for teenagers may be added optionally as a third tier to boost capacity to seven passengers.
1999 AUDI A6 AVANT WAGON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 AUDI A6 AVANT Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
108.6 inches |
| Overall Length: |
192.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.8-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/5 Tiptronic |
| Drive: |
All-wheel-drive Quattro |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side) |
| Gas Mileage: |
17/26 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 37,100 to $ 44,000 |
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