Audi A6 Avant (2018) Review
Audi A6 Avant (2018) At A Glance
Insurance Groups are between 33–46
On average it achieves 87% of the official MPG figure
The Audi A6 Avant is now an even more stylish and striking machine. Its executive car appearance has been enhanced with bulging wheelarches and long, flowing lines, giving it an imposing look. It’s a tech-fest onboard as well, with multiple screens and touch-sensitive controls making a real step on from the previous A6 Avant. But Audi hasn’t forgotten the many strengths of the old car either, ensuring this latest model still has lots of space on board for passengers and, of course, a voluminous and practical estate car boot. It’s also good to see the choice of engines, which was vast in previous generations, has now started to grow from an initially rather limited level.
Although large estate cars aren’t quite as popular as they once were – blame the ascendancy of the SUV – Audi still hasn’t skimped on creating the latest A6 Avant. It is a beautifully finished machine with real presence. It arguably has more elegance than its supposedly more svelte four-door coupe counterpart, the Audi A7 Sportback.
Audi has a long history of building large estate cars (which it calls Avants), and this heritage is clear to see here. It is a car enhanced by its voluminous estate car rear end, rather than spoiled by it.
Inside, it has an extremely modern and high-tech feel, thanks to its array of colour screens instead of buttons and dials. There are two screens on the centre console alone, plus you can choose to have the instruments replaced by a third multi-function colour display.
It does all take some getting used to. There’s no longer a physical control to change the climate control temperature, for example – even this becomes a touchscreen operation. But it’s certainly sophisticated and futuristic.
Like its predecessor, this generation of Audi A6 Avant is a very roomy car. the driver’s seat has plenty of adjustability in all directions (it’s just a pity electric seats are optional rather than standard) and there’s loads of legroom in the rear.
It goes without saying that a big estate car should have a big boot, and the A6 Avant delivers here too, with a class-competitive 565 litres with the seats up. No, it’s not as roomy as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class estate, but the Audi’s more svelte rear end is a compromise most won’t consider a step too far. The rear seats fold flat for even more space, in a handy 40:20:40 layout.
The engine range is focused around the 40 TDI 204, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with mild hybrid technology as standard. Fuel economy is very good and it’s a more responsive and smoother-running engine than many expect. All latest Audi A6s come with an automatic gearbox and Quattro all-wheel drive is available across the range.
For those who prefer petrol, the 45 TFSI 245 is a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder, while there are two V6 motors: a 50 TDI and 55 TFSI.
Audi’s engineers tune the setup of their cars to be composed, effortless and assured. The grin-inducing tactility you get from something like a BMW 5 Series is dialled back in favour of a drive that remains calm and collected no matter what speed you’re driving, or what the weather is doing. Quattro versions are particularly strong in this regard.
Ride quality is surprisingly supple, even in sportier S line versions. In the previous car, S line spec could feel a bit lumpy in town, but Audi has tuned this out here. The options list features a range of suspension options, including a smooth air suspension setup.
Despite the popularity of SUVs, only the sophistication and carrying capacity of a large estate car will do for some.