Audi has spread the official details about its A6 sedan new generation.

Audi’s evolutionary approach to car design may not meet with a big ecstasy, but at least the new car manages to distance itself a little further from the ultra-conservative A8.

The oval head-on profile, with its swept-back stepped headlamps, trademark single-frame-grille and curved bonnet with dual strakes, refers to the company’s upcoming A7. The rear is more generic-Audi, with rectangular brake lamps sitting atop a gently-bowed character line. In whole, the new car is a couple of millimeters shorter and lower than before, but the width and wheelbase have grown significantly which brings an additional cabin space.

A combination of lightweight materials, including hot-shaped steel and the mandatory aluminium components containing 20 percent of the body, supplement a lot of sound- absorbing measures that should provide the new car better modification and a noticeable raise in structural rigidity compared to the current model.

The cabin features finished with wood, leather and chrome highlights. Also A6 can be specified with ambient cabin lighting and a numerous of top-end features including the latest issue of Audi’s MMI infotainment system, a 7-inch driver information display in the instrument binnacle, dual-zone climate control, electrically-adjustable seats with heating and an optional heads-up display system with configurable readouts. Luggage space is 530 dm³ and as an extra electrically-operated tailgate is offered.

An option of five powerplants will be suggested for the world market. On the petrol front are a normally-aspirated 2,8 -litre V6 FSI unit (150 kW/280 N.m) capable of propelling the A6 from 0-100 km/h in 7,7 seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/h, and a supercharged 3,0-litre V6 with 220 kW and 440 N.m of torque. This model will complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in a claimed 5,5 seconds before reaching a 250 km/h top speed. The petrol engines return combined fuel economy figures of 7,4 and 8,2 litres/100 km – improvements of 12 and 13 percent over the outgoing units, respectively.

The diesel line-up kicks off with a 2,0-litre TDI unit (130 kW/380 N.m) that returns a claimed 4,9 litres/100 km and emits just 129 g/km of CO2. This is followed by two versions of the company’s 3,0-litre V6 TDI engine – a 150 kW/400 N.m variant capable of 0-100 km/h in 7,2 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h, and a 180 kW/500 N.m version capable of dispatching the 0-100 km/h run in 6,1 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. Both units are more fuel-efficient than before, returning 5,2 and 6,0 litres/100 km, correspondingly. An A6 Hybrid will come out in 2011 and will be powered by a 2,0-litre TFSI engine paired with an electric motor.

As the previous model, the next version Audi A6 will available with a broad range of drivetrains. Depending on the engine version, these include front-wheel and Quattro drive, as well as a manual six-speed transmission, a multitronic CVT, and seven-speed S-tronic with optional shift paddles. The hybrid version will usher in an 8-speed transmission option. It can be expected to see a small engine line-up – possibly just the 3,0-litre V6s – when the A6 arrives on our market towards June 2011.

The presentation of new A6 will take place at the Detroit autoshow in January 2011 and at the market novelty will be in spring. The basic cost of new A6 in Germany will be € 38 500.