Prices down, mpg up as 2012 Audi A6 seeks broader appeal

— -- Oh, what changes Audi has wrought to its 2012 A6 midsize sedan.

Size, price, power — all different.

Still has elegant Audi styling, though that, too, is different.

Still feels so seductive the moment you slide behind the wheel that it seems naughty, and you glance around to be sure nobody is looking.

Still runs hard when your right foot hits the floor.

A6 is the brand's second-best-selling model in the U.S., behind — way behind — the smaller A4 line.

Even though the 4s are outselling the 6s 4-to-1, the A6 is a key move-up model to sell those graduating from an A4 or outgrowing a TT coupe. Also for BMW defectors and for Acura and Infiniti folk who crave the real German experience.

Audi simplified and made the A6 line more accessible and appealing for 2012 by:

•Eliminating two of four sedan models and the wagon. The entire line now is just the base 2.0T front-drive sedan with a turbocharged four-cylinder and the 3.0T all-wheel drive with a supercharged V-6. An S6 high-performance model rejoins the line next year as a 2013 model, Audi says.

•Sliced the price of the new base model by $3,500, to $42,575 with shipping. The uplevel 3.0T drops $300 to $50,775.

•Enlarged the car, stretching the wheelbase to 114.7 inches from 111.9 in. But the change increased legroom just half an inch more in back, none in front. And you still can't comfortably fit three adults in the back if tall folks are up front.

Audi says the extra length came from shoving the front wheels forward in pursuit of better handling, a smoother ride and shorter front overhang that keeps the Audi proportions.

A nearly one-inch wider body does yield more shoulder room.

But the trunk is smaller than before. Ah, says Audi, but it's shaped differently so is more useful.

•Lightened the car for improved mileage. The base is 176 lbs. lighter, the 3.0T 78 lbs.

Audi says every new model will weigh less than the old one.

None of the changes seem to sacrifice the Audi-ness of the new A6.

It delights you the minute you slide behind the wheel, because the seats feel as good as they look, the dashboard is art (well, maybe the pop-up navigation screen isn't), and even the steering wheel feels exceptionally pleasing. The wheel's center hub, where the air bag is housed, is a trim sculpture, not the blob you see in some cars.

The 3.0T test car's V-6 was supercharged, not turbocharged, as the "T" signifies on some models. Superchargers are supposed to slam into action right now, eliminating response lag that you get in some turbos. The Audi engine feels strong under hard spurring, if less than thrilling from a dead stop.

The new eight-speed automatic helps keep the engine in its proper power range in most cases, provides additional fuel-saving overdrive gear ratios and shifts quickly up or down.

The base 2.0T engine is a turbo. Not tested in the A6 this time, but we've found it OK in other models. Still, will a potential A6 buyer bristle at the idea of a four-cylinder, no matter that it has a little more low-speed torque than last year's 3.2-liter V-6?

Gadgetry is in full bloom on the A6.