Audi A6 2.0 TDIe (2008) CAR review

There’s an all-important headline figure for the new Audi A6 2.0TDIe, and it’s not 53.3mpg – however impressive that may be. No, of greater importance is its carbon emission figure of 139g/km, sneaking this A6 beneath the 140g/km tax barrier. Its £24,800 list price is pretty impressive, too: this is a big Audi after all, and it comes with most luxury conveniences despite its ‘e’ suffix. This is no stripped-out economy car.

So how does this Audi A6 earn its name, then?

Like Ford’s Econetic models and with some similar tech to BMW’s Efficient Dynamics, this car is ‘optimised’. Think longer gear ratios (by five percent), low rolling resistance tyres, an on-demand power steering pump, a decoupling alternator and a 20mm lower ride height that contributes to aerodynamics so sleek, its 0.28Cd drag factor (remember those?) matches the headline-grabbing Renault 25 of 1984. No kidding.

Any clever lightweight stuff then?

No, it’s a full-fat A6, but 1550kg isn’t outrageous for a car that’s physically the largest in this class. And inside you get pretty much the same equipment level as the luxo-spec SE, bar leather trim and an auto-dipping mirror. Plain cloth trim means the atmosphere is sombre rather than plush, but every surface is pleasing to eye and fingertip.

Out front (right out front – this is an Audi) is the latest common-rail diesel engine, in place of the hammery old PD unit. In ‘e’ spec it produces 134bhp, and there’s a less eco-focused 168bhp version for £25,810 if you value turbodiesel oomph more than tax- and tree-friendly emissions and economy.

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