First Look: 2012 Audi A6 Hybrid

Audi has given us a glimpse at its new offering into the market of hybrid vehicles, the new A6 hybrid. We gave you a first look at the new 2012 A6 last month and now we have the full specifications for what to expect when the new version drops later this year.
 
The A6 hybrid employs a parallel hybrid system. A 2.0T gasoline engine puts out 211 horsepower, and works in conjunction with an electric motor that delivers 45 horsepower and roughly 155 pound-feet of torque. The electric motor will be positioned directly between the engine and the 8-speed tiptronic transmission (where we would normally find the torque converter).
 
The compact, lithium ion battery will be contained in a crash proof portion of the trunk and it will be provide 1.3 kWh of nominal power and generate up to 39 kW.
 
Audi claims that that the A6 will have the power of a V-6 and the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder. We are excited to take it for a spin. We are also excited that Audi is casting another line of cars into the higher mpg ring to go along with the TDI’s, as we see the two being nice compliments to each other.
 
Scroll down for the press release.

Audi A6 hybrid

At a later point, Audi will begin series production of the A6 hybrid, its second hybrid model after the Q5 hybrid quattro. The A6 hybrid employs an efficient parallel hybrid concept: Its combustion engine, a 155 kW (211 hp) 2.0 TFSI, works together with an electric motor that delivers 33 kW (45 hp) and 211 Nm (155.63 lb-ft) of torque. The electric motor sits directly behind the TFSI, occupying the space of the torque converter upstream of the modified 8-speed tiptronic. The transmission sends torque to the front wheels.

A crash-protected area of the luggage compartment houses a light, compact lithium-ion battery that provides 1.3 kWh of nominal power and generates 39 kW. Depending on requirements, it is air-cooled in two ways – by means of a blower from the interior or by means of an internal refrigerant circuit coupled to the automatic air conditioning system. This technology largely maintains the rechargeable battery within the appropriate temperature range, thereby ensuring that the vehicle operates on electric power a comparatively large percentage of the time.

The Audi A6 hybrid can achieve speeds of up to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) purely on electricity; at a constant speed of 60 km/h (37.28 mph), it has a range of 3 km. It can also operate with the combustion engine only or in hybrid mode; in the deceleration phases, it recovers power and activates both the engine and the electric motor together when accelerating quickly. Special indicators on the instrument cluster and on the MMI monitor provide of detailed display of the different driving conditions.

16/22 www.audi-mediaservices.com

The Audi A6 hybrid provides the power of a V6, combined with the fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder engine. It accelerates in 7.3 seconds from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph), top speed is 238 km/h (147.89 mph) and the average fuel consumption is 6.2 liters per 100 km (37.94 US mpg), a CO2 emissions level of 142 grams per km (228.53 g/mile)(performance and fuel consumption figures are provisional).