The new Audi A6 is an expensive proposition. Audi is still trying to cut costs at the expense of customers, and that's causing anger.
Audi is now receiving sharp criticism for the equipment level in the base model of the new Audi A6. Specifically, both German media and customers are mocking the brand for cutting corners on the passenger side.
If you choose the cheapest version of the new A6, the digital screen on the passenger side has been replaced with a black piece of plastic.
It's a far cry from the touchscreen Audi showed off when the car was launched. However, the price hasn't been reduced much by Audi stripping out equipment.
The base model Audi A6 Avant quattro Proline TDI S tronic costs from 58,000 euros in Germany. This corresponds to 432,000 Danish kroner.
The 10.9" passenger screen is only part of the so-called "Tech Plus" package for an additional 4,530 euros, equivalent to 33,000 kroner.
Germans are mocked for being stingy in many A6
Several German media outlets have pointed to the fact that the screen is missing from the base model, and have mocked Audi for trying to cut corners in that way.
In particular, the German media – including the German section of Motor1 – are upset that Audi is initially showing an A6 with equipment that is very, very expensive, without the brand making it clear that it is actually optional equipment.
– We had hoped that with the A6, which is a more exclusive car, things would have been done differently, the media writes, referring to the missing screen and the black plastic.
This also ties in poorly with the fact that Audi has recently acknowledged that the quality of their cars is not what it used to be.
– We have definitely been better in terms of quality before. But we will get there again, says Oscar da Silva Martins, head of product and technical communication at Audi, in an interview with Motor1.
Audi has also had to listen to a lot of criticism in recent years. Among other things, the Germans have been criticized for charging 'premium money' for an interior quality that is only decreasing.
This is not the first time that Audi has shown off the brand's cheapest side. Back home in Germany, the Q4 e-tron electric car is delivered on steel wheels from the factory. The fact that they are 19" doesn't help matters.
