FWD Business takes Audi A6 matrix for a spin aro und the city.
We all know that Willingdon Island in Kochi is the largest artificial man-made island in India. That’s where we took one of the greatest engineered vehicle, Audi’s A6 Matrix for a spin. Test drove by our own expert, Mr. Aginov Mathappan, this test drive was the most promising one that we have done so far.
Audi A6 Matrix is a diesel car with no other variants. The name A6 Matrix is related to its fancy matrix headlamps that use multiple light sources which work coherently with the front camera to adjust illuminations without blinding the oncoming traffic. Pretty smart, right? There are few changes to this car from its previous version of a luxurious sedan that was launched a bit earlier this year. Both the front and back bumpers have been redesigned. The grill at the front is a single piece. Alloy wheels have also been modified.
A look inside and you notice the stylish wood finish dashboard that hows the class that Audi is all about. One thing particularly loved was the ergonomic design of the gear lever. I’m sure it gives a good feel to the driver.
The cabin is also part of a makeover with its new in-built infotainment system, an eight inch MMI touch interface Audi navigation system, power retractable monitors and an LTE port that offers
system you get in an Audi A6 Matrix is also my personal favorite, Bose.
Front seats are premium 12-way adjustable electrically. Which means a passenger sitting at the back can adjust the front seat position to give himself more leg space. The passengers are also protected with a total of eight airbags. The car provides four-zone air conditioning where each passenger can adjust the temperature to their liking. The car also has a sun sensor which detects the temperature outside and adjusts the temperature within. Enough with the fancy details and I say let’s get to the driving part. Aginov reckons that this has the most comfortable steering wheels he has ever driven. You can literally turn using your fingertips. It is that easy. A6 Matrix is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel car producing 190bhp and 400Nm. The speed the car gathers at a minimal time is very impressive. It touches 0-100 kph in less than five seconds. What’s different about this car is its seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission for front-drive. Aginov turned on the dynamic mode from the auto and voila! The car became a lot more responsive as it gathered pace. The steering weighs up at this mode he says and the suspension got a lot stiffer. It is definitely much faster than its older version. Yet it remains so smooth that you feel it’s floating.
Okay, now let’s look what else makes this car so unique. A look around the car and I was impressed with this new trick I found in the Audi A6. Swing your leg under the boot of the car with the key in hand and it opens! That is a neat trick, isn’t it? Boot space is enormous here. Gone are the days where you have to travel light to enjoy a trip. I can almost put a baby elephant in this trunk. Barely legal, though.
Another thing is that you can use the trunk like a locked space. High end cars come with reclining seats. The seats move back into the trunk space so that you can stretch yourself in comfort. If you are leaving your car with the valet to park, then you can lock the back seats and the trunk from the inside. Remove the metal key from the Audi advanced key and then lock the backseats from opening into the trunk. This way the car’s trunk cannot be accessed Your valet can park your car without the detachable metal key.
Then there is the reverse parking camera of the A6 Matrix which comes with night vision. The feed you get from it has such a good clarity that I don’t think any other car can compete with it. You might not even miss an ant crawling, with this camera..
The A6 Matrix is the only car in the segment which includes Mercedes- Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and the Jaguar, to come with dynamic damping. The ride height can be increased to drive over bad roads and modes in the drive select to control the suspension to offer a comfortable ride. Considering the Indian roads, any car lover would appreciate this.
Audi A6 Matrix is making all the right noise and is being absolutely mum when in motion. Whether it is style or comfort that you are looking for in a premium sedan car, Audi A6 Matrix definitely delivers both. This one is a sure winner according to us. We are sure you too will concur.
Text: Firdouz Hameed Photos: Arun Menon Test Driven by: Ajinov Mathappan Vehicle Provided by: Audi, Kochi