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Adaptive cruise control with Stop/Go capability, night vision with pedestrian detection, and full LED headlights are just some of the trick features available on the A6.
SAFETY | 9 out of 10
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IIHS
Adaptive cruise control with Stop/Go capability, night vision with pedestrian detection, and full LED headlights are just some of the trick features available on the A6.
Inside Line
We're assigning a safety score of 8 to the A6 based on Audi's strong crash-test performance in the past, and a list of safety options that will give peace of mind to the most tech-enabled dangerphobe.
No official crash-test scores are yet available for the 2012 Audi A6 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) calls the big sedan a Top Safety Pick for the 2012 model year.
Every A6 has standard front, side and curtain airbags. Anti-lock brakes are standard, as well as traction and stability control. Bluetooth, which we consider a safer way to place distracting mobile phone calls, is standard. Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system is not available on four-cylinder A6 sedans, but it's standard on six-cylinder cars.
Audi's presense system tenses seatbelts and prepares the car when it detects an imminent collision. Couple that with the A6's available adaptive cruise control, and the A6 can completely slow down and accelerate when it senses obstacles changing speeds in the lane ahead.
Available in option packages are features like front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, blind-spot monitors, and night vision, which uses infrared sensors to pick out obstacles coming on the road ahead. A head-up display also is available.
Visibility to the front and sides is excellent, and the A6 has large glass areas and a low beltline. Large side rearview mirrors taper off in size but still give a good view to the rear quarters. We recommend rearview cameras even for cars with average to better than average visibility like the A6, which has a fairly open field of sight to the back, but a tall, stubby decklid that cuts into the view a bit.Conclusion
A strong reputation for crash safety earns the 2012 Audi A6 a score of 8 here, but we'll revisit its rating when crash-test scores have been published.
