In the automotive realm, there are manufacturers that have an automatic association with particular engines or body styles. When talking wagons or estates, most people instantly think of Audi, they are one of the last flag bearers for this type of vehicle, particularly since Volvo gave up the ghost. Wagon, estate or ‘avant’ as Audi calls it, refers to a type of vehicle usually based on a sedan or hatchback platform but with an extended boot. Why does Audi have such a claim to this type of vehicle? A simply glance through their back catalogue will reveal icons like the RS2, RS4, RS6 and more. In particular, the A6 range is often referred to as the grail of wagons, certainly sporty ones. No pressure on this new electric one then!
Now let’s talk about Audi’s e-tron arm. This is the marque’s electric only sub-brand, a badge which has adorned the likes of SUVs and performance sedans previously but never a wagon. While Audi did indeed do an ace job of the two aforementioned cars, this one comes with a different sort of importance, one that could arguably make or break the brand’s future to some extent. If Audi is indeed going to pursue an electric wagon, then they have to bring their a-game, this is one they cannot afford to get wrong.
The A6 e-tron is starting off on the back foot as well because Audi initially changed the nomenclature of its entire lineup, only to change it back once customer feedback reported the new lineup as too confusing. Now we are back to square one and this A6 then is available as both an EV and as a petrol hybrid overseas.
This project was so important in fact that Audi leaned on the VW Group, particularly Porsche when it came to developing ‘PPE’ or ‘Premium Platform Electric’ which is what underpins this A6 Avant e-tron. Leveraging the expertise on offer meant that this A6 was able to benefit from improved interior space, driving dynamics, weight distribution and a far more efficient electric drive system. But first, let’s talk about the exterior.
Although it may be a sizable vehicle, the avant or wagon body style allows the A6 to get away with larger dimensions without appearing gargantuan. Length comes in just shy of 5m, 4.92m to be exact while height is 1.53m and width is 1.92m. All of this means the A6 will seat four adults comfortably with 502 litres of trunk space to boot! Clearly, it will carry plenty with ease, including itself! Generally speaking, it looks good. I’m not so sure about the front but its side profile is sleek and it has a rather wide stance at the rear.
The Audi New Zealand team have been on a roll with specifying their press cars this year, the Kyalami Green RS3, Chilli Red RSQ8 and District Green SQ5 all come to mind. Safe to say that they did not drop the ball with this A6 either! Painted in the elusive ‘Siam Beige’, a colour that has been an Audi offering for a while but is rarely specified for reasons that I cannot explain, my review model also came with 21inch 5-twin spoke Audi Sport wheels, a $2,500 option. Personally, ‘Mapelo Blue’ coupled with the standard 21inch 5-spoke wheels would be my pick. While on the topic of options, this car was also specified with the $10k ‘Vorsprung Package’ that included black accents on the grille, door mirror housings, window frames and handles along with a towing hitch as well as additions to the interior.
Sticking with the optional ‘Vorsprung Package’, the interior add-ons included a panoramic glass roof “with switchable transparency”, this basically means that you could digitally turn the roof clear or milky depending on the light. There were also various other designs/modes to play around with. I’m normally not a massive fan of glass roofs but this one did well to keep the UV out of the cabin despite my review period coinciding with some very warm days.
Still on the topic of said package, it also included the ‘Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System’ which is quite frankly the best audio system I have seen in an Audi to date. Yes, there’s a plethora of speakers to be expected but the ones in the headrest catch you off guard, I found myself turning my head to hear different aspects of the music playing. Set the system up correctly and you are in for an immersive treat, I put the system through its paces via Spanish pop, classical, soft rock and synth but it did well throughout. You can also change the level of the 3D and surround sound effects on offer, my recommendation is not to go all the way. Either way, the premium audio system perfectly complimented the luxurious interior of the car.
The interior of the A6 is genuinely a nice place to be, I found myself often lounging around even after I had parked up for a few minutes. Comfort is a strong point with the leather Audi Sports seats being both soft and supportive, they are heated too but I had little use for this feature seeing as we were coming into summer. You’ll also find an Audi Sport logo on the flat bottomed leather covered steering wheel as well which is one of the many surfaces to feature piano black plastics.
The touch capacitive buttons themselves work well and I had no major gripes when it came to accidental swipes etc. However, they have also used similar buttons on the door card for controlling the mirrors and door locks, not a hindering feature as such but I do fear they will scratch easily particularly if the driver wears a watch/bangle/bracelet etc. There’s plenty more of the material on the centre console as well which includes a placebo type ‘start stop button’ as the car does automatically turn off/on when you enter or exit with the key.
Technology is a big talking point with this new A6, it has a hugely improved heads up display which I steered clear of due to my motion sickness but can say that I appreciated the layout of the Virtual Cockpit, it allowed me to customize a view that centered around the car. Audi’s previous generation software was better in my opinion as it allowed you more layout options but hey, not really a complaint, more so an observation. The cluster and infotainment unit wrap around the driver nicely and while I was previously unappreciative of the features on offer during my review of the SQ5, I was able to spend more time wrapping my head around it all this time around. Most importantly, the air conditioning, audio, navigation and phone pairing are quite straightforward to use, even more a tech dinosaur like myself!
Then there’s the third screen, I still struggle to see its purpose and suppose it is a consequence of modern day’s screen reliant society but would happily pay to get rid of it if I was a prospective buyer. Still, it’s a small damper on what is an otherwise premium feeling and spacious cabin experience. The rear seat space is worth bringing up at this point as I drove my parents around, both of whom appreciated the legroom on offer as well as how easy it was to enter/exit the A6. However, their biggest compliment was actually for the car’s composure on the road.
Composure is the perfect word to describe the A6’s abilities when it comes to its drive, both for the car and the driver. With how busy and traffic filled the roads are these days, particularly in the ‘Big Smoke’, it was refreshing to get in the car and shut the door on the world. Everything just seems to fade away. My colleague Harry coined the perfect term to describe such a vehicle and that is an “isolation pod.” Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if doctors were prescribing an Audi A6 as the antidote to high blood pressure, it has such a calming ability about its drive.
Yes, it does handle well but bear in mind that this wasn’t the S6 and because it was so comfortable to pilot, I never really felt the need to push it to the ragged edge. Instead, the A6 is far more at home on the motorway, in traffic or around town, it excels at being a daily driver. It’s powertrain and delivery of said power was of particular remark to me. A 94.9kWhr battery underpins the vehicle and allows for 625km of WLTP range in this ‘quattro’ model, the single motor one has 650km of range for reference. It will put out 315kW of power and 855Nm of torque will catapult this thing to 100kph in 4.7 seconds. If you aren’t putting your foot through the floor, it will deliver a claimed range of 17kWhr/100km, I actually averaged 16.5kWhr/100km during my 400ish kilometre review period!
As I was saying, the A6’s real strength lies in both the powertrain and the delivery of said power, I recall describing it as “buttery smooth” to my friends. Guiding the car up to speed and holding it there can be done with ease, it progresses along effortlessly, despite being both a large and heavy vehicle, you never feel the weight. The car just glides along the road too with the air suspension doing a brilliant job of smoothing out speedhumps and potholes, you rarely ever feel the need to take it out of ‘Balanced’ mode.
Then when you’re coasting along, the car will continue doing so with no bother, the adaptive re-gen in particular does a good job of keeping you from having a fender bender. Earlier on in the article, I mentioned how Audi’s ‘PPE’ platform is more efficient and in this A6, the difference was evident, not just in its consumption of electricity but also in the way it returned charge back to the battery, either through coasting or regenerative braking. My week with this car actually highlighted to me how inefficient most EVs are when it comes to restoring power to the battery while on the move. And with 600+ kilometres of range on tap, you can keep going for longer too!
The Verdict
Thus far, EVs have still been a bit of a novelty for me. I have enjoyed driving many but bar two exceptions, would never consider owning one. Firstly because most have a claimed range of 300-400km which is simply too little for me and the mileage that I tend to cover, I also don’t have the ability to charge at home. In comes the A6 with 600+ km of range, tick the box there. Secondly, I used to think that Harry was nuts for wanting an “isolation pod” daily driver but as I age and the world gets more chaotic out there, I absolutely get the appeal of wanting some peace on your drive home from work.
The above begs the question, what exactly does a discerning A6 buyer want from their vehicle. They want it to look sharp, check, probably want the latest in technology too, check. Practicality is likely high on this list, check, so is comfort and luxury, check both of those as well. Then there’s its party trick, 600+ kilometres of range, because of course an A6 buyer will be doing intercontinental road trips in Europe and 300km on a charge simply won’t cut the mustard. The aforementioned checklist really sums up the A6 Avant e-tron perfectly. It is stylish, comfortable, luxurious, efficient and desirable. It has redefined my belief of what a perfect daily driver looks like and for that, it gets full marks from me as well as membership into the ultra-exclusive “would buy” club, only the third ever EV to do so.
2025 Audi A6 Avant e-tron quattro S-Line: 5/5 (+ would buy)
Thanks for reading! For more Audi news and reviews, visit Tarmac Life.
Car courtesy of Audi New Zealand, words and photos by Matthew D’Souza.
