Luxury sedan begins NAIAS run-up

(Audi)

German automaker Audi has taken the wraps off its new A6 sedan ahead of its planned debut at the Detroit North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January 2011.

The A6 is set to be the second Audi model equipped with hybrid technology, which Audi said will combine the power of a V6 engine with the fuel efficiency of a smaller four cylinder unit.

Drivers will be able to reach 100 km/h on electric power, although the all-electric operation will only manage three kilometres at a constant speed of 60 km/h.

At next year's launch, consumers will be able to choose between two gasoline engines and three TDI units, with Audi saying that the hybrid system will be released "at a later point."

The A6 is shorter, lower and lighter than its predecessor, helping to drive fuel consumption down by up to 19 percent across the entire model line with the help of technologies such as start-stop engines, an energy recovery system and a thermal management concept.

Inside, the A6 offers an optional heads-up display for the windshield and the MMI computer system, a partnership with Google which pulls route data and images from Google Earth.

The vehicle will be officially launched at the North American International Motor Show, which runs January 10-23 in America's capital of carmaking, Detroit, Michigan.

Organizers predict that 90 percent of the unveilings planned at the show will be worldwide debuts, with new models rumored from Volkswagen, General Motors brand GMC and Porsche.

It is one of the world's largest auto shows, having welcomed nearly 715,000 attendees in 2010.

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http://www.naias.com