Audi A6 Model History

The A6 has been Audi’s mid-line luxury product in the United States since 1995 when it replaced the Audi 100. Initially a rebadged version of the previous 100 model, the Audi A6 received its first dedicated redesign for the 1998 model year. The 1998 model had an aerodynamic four-door sedan and a practical premium wagon version propelled by a 200-horsepower, 2.8-liter V-6 engine. The A6 sedan had front-wheel drive as well as the Audi quattro all-wheel drive system options.

The 1998 model came standard with heated mirrors, leather seats and a power sunroof. In 2000, a V-8 variant of the Audi A6 sedan was introduced with a 300-horspower 4.2-liter displacement engine. The following model year, the 2001 model was a recipient of a 2.7-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that produced 250-horsepower. A 3.0-liter V-6 engine replaced the 2.8-liter powerplant resulting in an additional 17 horsepower for the luxury car.

The all-new 2005 Audi A6 sedan was the first to have Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface). By 2006, engine output for the 4.2-liter V-8 model had climbed to 335 horsepower. A 300-horsepower 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine was added to the line-up in 2009. In 2012, the Audi A6 received a radical redesign that included becoming the first vehicle in the Audi line-up to debut the new headlamp housings and a trapezoidal grille. The 2012 model arrived only in the form of a four-door sedan to the United States. Front-wheel drive versions of the 2012 model, were propelled by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged powerplant. For the 2014 model year, a 3.0-liter TDI diesel engine joined the Audi A6 line-up in North America allowing fuel economy of up to 38 miles per gallon on the highway.