Audi A6 Avant
We're all accustomed to the idea that technology improves incrementally. Apple's new product announcements are as regular as clockwork, with new features and functions cloaked in a veil of strict secrecy until the CEO takes the stage to reveal them. In the auto industry, things are slightly different. To a certain extent, technology is strait-jacketed by legislation, and while something might be technically feasible, the means of mass-producing is the stumbling block. In advance of March's Geneva Auto Show, Audi showcased seven future technologies, with a rough roadmap as to when and how they would be implemented.
The driver of tomorrow can expect - legal hurdles notwithstanding - cars that park themselves (scurrying off into special garages without the need for a driver to guide them), charge wirelessly using magnetic coils embedded in parking spaces, use OLED technology for lighting and displays (just like your smartphone) and be fashioned from lighter, stronger materials and components. No massive surprises, perhaps, but unlike in the world of consumer technology, the wait for some of these particular innovations will be in years, not months.
Showcasing future innovation also highlights the current state-of-the-art, and one aim of all this techno talk is to encourage buyers into the company's existing models in the hope they like the look of the upgrades. Right now, we have cars like the new Audi A6 Avant, a massively slick estate car that represents the current status quo for the company's high-end offerings. Being Audi, that bar is set quite high.
The A6, like many of its stablemates, is an evolutionary design. The company rarely starts from scratch, except with all-new products, so there's a close relationship between the current generation (introduced in 2011) and that which has gone before. Proportions and general detailing are all instantly Audi, but there's a taut, stretched feeling in the way the sheet metal cloaks the car beneath it; from front three-quarters it's almost Zeppelin-like in suggestion of a bulging, tightly contained enclosure.
Inside, the old Audi mastery is immediately evident. Everything is ergonomically sound and deliciously tactile, while (mostly) heedful gadgets abound, from the way buildings are rendered in 3D on the satnav to the discrete heads-up display, integrated night vision cameras. Audi has also seen fit to load their test car with every conceivable option, taking its price from a base £41K to a remarkable £78,745. Technology does not come cheap.
Unappealing quirks include an intrusive transmission tunnel that cramps your left foot, and stop-start technology that is a very obvious presence. This is a very quick car, but it's not a sports car. Even with the dials switched round to 'dynamic', the steering and chassis just aren't set up for diving into the corners.
The 3.0 litre diesel means the A6 is never going to be wanting for power but the way it's delivered manages to steadfastly avoid any associations with adrenaline. That's no bad thing - not every car needs to be a hidden hotrod, but it makes us question whether the 2.0 litre diesel version isn't a more sensible choice.
If you really need more power, then the S6 will provide the focus, whereas (yet) more practicality will be served up by the forthcoming A6 allroad quattro, which provides the best alternative yet to a full-sized SUV.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Sarah Solis’ first furniture collection is an homage to art deco
‘Is it weird to call furniture sexy?’ Los Angeles-based designer Sarah Solis discusses her debut furniture line and new brand and store, Galerie Solis
By Dan Howarth Published
-
‘Very Roman, very Bulgari’: Mary Katrantzou on the ancient roots of her opulent first accessories collection for Bulgari
Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou, Bulgari’s new creative director of leather goods and accessories, breaks down her debut ‘Calla’ collection for Wallpaper*
By Jack Moss Published
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throws
Architectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
By Scarlett Conlon Published
-
We take Audi’s new Q6 e-tron quattro around and across the fjords of Norway
The new Audi Q6 e-tron quattro is a pure EV that marks a new design direction for the German brand, setting new tech standards along the way. Transportation Editor, Jonathan Bell, takes it for a drive
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A deep dive into the new Audi Q6 e-tron, revealed at Milan Design Week 2024
The Audi Q6 e-tron is the brand's latest all-electric car, a stylish powerhouse launched at Audi’s House of Progress in Milan
By Shawn Adams Published
-
Coming soon: a curated collection of all the new EVs and hybrids that matter
We've rounded up new and updated offerings from Audi, Porsche, Ineos, Mini and more to keep tabs on the shifting sands of the mainstream car market
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Farewell to the Audi TT, a design icon that evolved with the automotive landscape
For over 25 years, the Audi TT has been synonymous with the brand, a modern machine that initially favoured style over sport. The final editions are very different beasts to the original
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Audi RS6 Avant GT is an estate car that thinks it belongs on the track
With the Audi RS6 Avant GT limited-edition supercar, Audi Sport has gone all-out to create the ultimate hyper-estate
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Year in review: the top 10 cars of 2023, as selected by Wallpaper’s Jonathan Bell
What were the best four-wheeled offerings of 2023? Transport editor Jonathan Bell takes us through the year’s most intriguing automobiles
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Audi e-tron GT quattro still pushes all the right buttons. But what happens next?
Life behind the wheel of Audi’s elegant electric GT, plus a short history of the company’s e-tron series, from concept through to production
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Peugeot’s sparky 308 gets hybrid power and handsome lines
The Peugeot 308 proves that mass-market design needn’t be dull, blending hybrid power with sharp lines and excellent detailing
By Jonathan Bell Published