The technical content of the new Audi A6, which went on sale this month, exceeds that of its executive class competitors, says Audi UK.

"It is without doubt the technology leader in its class," said product manager James Allitt in an interview with headlineauto.co.uk.

Allitt gave two examples of advanced features of the new car. The first is an adaptive headlight linked to the satnav that gives a short, fat beam in built up areas and a long beam on motorways and also turns on additional side lights when approaching crossroads. The second is a camera in the rear view mirror that reads speed limit signs, including temporary ones, and displays them on the head-up display.

Audi topped the UK premium segment in February with total sales of 3,783, just ahead of BMW on 3,577 and Mercedes-Benz on 2,661, according to SMMT figures quoted by Audi. While the UK car market is fairly static, the premium sector is growing.

Audi saw sales up 27.9 per cent in February from year-ago levels and recorded a market share of 5.96 per cent up from 4.31 per cent a year ago.