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A swift summer it was.

June 10 was the date we drove a Range Rover between the 15-foot snowdrifts on Trail Ridge Road.

Here we were last week, three months later, in the 2012 Audi A6 quattro driving over Cameron Pass in light snow and both sides of Colo. 14 covered with white.

In reality, of course, the reference to a short summer simply showcases Colorado’s fascinating weather, for any native knows we’ve got warm days of Indian summer ahead – fine times, a prelude to winter.

Heavier snowfall last week would have been little deterrent to the new A6, for it is equipped, in addition to its all-wheel drive, with the new 310-horsepower, supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. Audi has been refining its Torsen-based quattro AWD system since 1980; in its latest form it can apply up to 70 percent of torque to the front wheels and as much as 85 percent to the rear when necessary. In normal conditions, torque is split 40/60 from front to rear.

The A6 displayed excellent grip on wet, dirt roads as we (Kathy Allen, Ruth Davis, Jan and me) pulled off to the north of the highway far up Poudre Canyon and twisted and dipped our way to the hunting camp of brothers Bill and Bob Allen. The soup was hot, the sandwiches were good and the “hosts,” including Sally and Dan Allen, were the best.

Power is unusually smooth, benefiting from the supercharged V-6 and those eight speeds, which almost mask the shift points. Paddle-shifting is a part of the system. The big sedan’s not overly quick, though very steady in acceleration. Suspension has been stiffened with a Sport package, and the car excels in cornering. The A6 averaged 24.6 miles per gallon in overall driving. Stopping capability is strong, with 14-inch ventilated discs in front.
Audi offers the sedan in front-wheel-drive configuration with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder for better economy.

Wheelbase of the ’12 A6 has grown by 3 inches to 114.7 inches; it is on the platform of the Audi A7 sport sedan introduced six months ago. There much of the similarity ends.

The new A6, with overall length of 193.9 inches, retains it muscular shape. Its huge up-front grille is flanked by sweeping LED headlights and the front bumpers have wide, low air intake openings, part of the Audi S line exterior.

The roomy high-tech interior is dressed up with beautiful beige leather and brown ash wood trim; it perhaps is more inviting than either BMW or Mercedes-Benz offer with their respective 5 series and E class. User-friendly navigation, Bose surround sound, rearview camera, four-zone climate control, heated and cooled front seats, sunroof, front and rear parking sensors are highlights.

Interestingly, the starter button is positioned on the passenger side of the shifter in line with the audio volume knob, while six audio-selection buttons are placed on the driver’s side. And console cupholders are so tightly side-by-side that one rests against the other at the rims.

Multi-adjustable front-seat headrests will move fore and aft at the push of a button, and the rear-seat headrests are manually adjustable. Trunk capacity is only 14.1 cubic feet, though the space looks much roomier than that; somewhat shallow.

The high-tech amenities, 19-inch wheels and LED headlights helped boost sticker price of the new A6 to $61,530.

Notes from e-mail

Bud, Audi is on a mission to make the road a more intelligent place. Challenging drivers to take a stand and champion responsible driving behavior, we have announced a national initiative that encourages drivers across America to take the “Driver’s Pledge.” By pledging to be a smarter, safer, more efficient driver, Audi hopes to make the road a more intelligent place and allow drivers everywhere to once again enjoy the road. The pledge is part of a larger campaign for the all-new 2012 Audi A6, which we believe is one of our most innovative and technologically-advanced models to date. Supporters can visit DriversPledge.com to participate. – J.K., Audi

A look back

Thirty years ago this month, I reviewed in The Denver Post the 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier four-door. Excerpts:

The 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier, introduced a couple of months ago, is a front-wheel-drive model competing with the Dodge Omni, Ford Escort and Honda Civic. The good-looking four-door sedan offered for review was powered by a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission; it averaged 29.4 miles per gallon. Sticker price was $7,926. The Cavalier, also available as a two-door, hatchback or station wagon, has replaced the rear-wheel-drive Monza in the Chevrolet lineup.

2012 Audi A6 quattro

$61,530

(price as tested)

MPG City 19 Highway 28

Vehicle type: Premium large AWD sedan

Wheelbase: 114.7 inches

Length/Width/Height: 193.9/78.1/57.8 inches

Weight: 4,175 pounds

Engine: 3.0-liter supercharged V-6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Fuel mileage: 24.6 mpg

Fuel tank: 19.8 gallons

Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic

Competitors: Mercedes-Benz E350 4Matic, BMW 535ix

Built at Neckarsulm, Germany

Parts content: Germany 75 percent

THE STICKER

$49,900 base

$6,880 S line exterior, navigation, 4-zone climate control, ventilated front seats, Bose surround sound

$1,500 19-inch wheels, sport suspension

$1,400 LED headlights

$860 Destination

PLUSES

Upscale interior

Supercharged V-6

8-speed automatic transmission

Quattro capability

MINUSES

Mild acceleration

Firmness with sport suspension

Cupholders’ tightness