Part one of Audi’s double-whammy for today. Audi just announced the updated 2009 Audi A6 which includes both visual and performance upgrades including a new engine lineup that boasts efficiency and power tweaks. This is the type of news that you don’t really expect amidst all the green releases as of late.

Th A6 is available in with a dizzying array of powertrain options. 10 in total, six gas and four diesel engines (with some featuring different power outputs) that could be mated to either a manual of the Tiptronic option. The gas lineup includes the 2.0L TFSI (170 hp), the V6s in the 2.8L FSI (190 and 220 hp) and 3.0L turbo (290 hp), and the top of the line 4.2L V8 (350 hp).

The TDI (diesel choices) include an entry-level 2.0L engine dishing out (136 hp or 176 hp), two V6 engine that dish out 190 hp and 240 hp respectively, and a 2.0 TDIe eco engine that gets an amazing 44 mpg that still gets from 0 to 62 mph in sub-10 seconds.

The new A6 features a new grille, a new set of bumpers, vents and fog lights. Inside, expect another taste of Audi luxury that even features contours that help noise reduction. They’re also throwing in a variety of options like Xenon HID lamps with an LED strip.

Source: Audi

Edmund’s came up with another head to head to head to head comparison. This time with mid-sized sports sedan featuring the Jaguar XF Supercharged, the BMW 550i, Mecerdes-Benz E550 and Audi A6. They took into consideration performance, handling, styling, price, and some of the bells and whistles that come with the cars. To round up, here are giblets of numbers for each of the cars.

• Jaguar XF Supercharged: 4.2L V8, 420 hp, 408 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 at 5.1 seconds.
• BMW 550i: 4.2L V8, 360 hp, 360 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 at 5.4 seconds.
• Mercedes-Benz E550: 5.4L V8, 382-hp, 391 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 at 5.4 seconds.
• Audi A6 4.2: 4.2L V8, 350 hp, 325 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 at 5.8 seconds.