Audi A6 Avant e-tron

• Report 1: Audi's new all-electric A6 estate joins the fleet
• Report 2: Are virtual mirrors the future?
• Report 3: Do noise cancelling EV tyres work?

Report 1: Audi's new all-electric A6 estate joins the fleet

We'll be running the new Audi A6 Avant e-tron - Audi's first electric estate car - for the next four months.

Date: 1 May 2025 | Current mileage: 2636 | Claimed efficiency: 3.7 miles/kWh | Actual efficiency: 3.5 miles/kWh

While the number of EVs on sale has sky rocketed in the last few years, there's been a conspicuous absence of electric estate cars. With SUVs very much flavour of the month, those of us who favour estate cars have had slim pickings to say the least. In fact up until recently there's only been one - the MG 5 - and while there's now the likes of the Peugeot e-308 SW when it comes to bigger family estate cars there's been nothing.

Thankfully that's changing. Last year BMW launched the excellent BMW i5 Touring and hot on its heels, Audi has now introduced the Audi A6 Avant e-tron. This sits alongside the standard petrol and diesel Audi A6 Avant. In 2027 we will also see an electric Mercedes E-Class Estate.

But back to our car. We've gone for an Audi A6 Avant e-tron performance Launch Edition finished in Daytona Grey - traditionally a trademark colour choice for performance Audi models. With options including virtual mirrors, 21-inch black Audi sport alloys and the B&O Premium Sound System, it comes in at £87,360. 

That's far from cheap, but then this is a fully loaded launch edition. Go for a standard Sport model and prices start at around £65k. Over the next few months we'll have a chance to find out whether all the extras fitted to our car are worth the money.

So what about range? Well the A6 Avant e-tron line-up is a little confusing when it comes to range as it's dependent on trim. The performance models get a bigger battery than the Sport which means a better range - somewhere between 390 and 408 miles according to official figures. Which goes to show just had much EV range is rapidly improving.

Despite being the performance trim, this isn't the quickest version. Somewhat confusingly there's a quattro variant that has the same battery but is quicker (although with a shorter range as a consequence). Not that our car is exactly slow, with 565Nm of torque and 367PS it will cover 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. The quattro manages the same in 4.7 seconds - on par with the Volvo EC40 that I previously ran.

First impressions are very positive - I'm already loving the huge boot and the lack of a transmission tunnel in the rear, which is a deal breaker for us with three children under 12. Our three-year old is already a fan of the red brake calipers and the fact that he can sit in the front thanks to Isofix mountings on the passenger seat.

With summer holidays looming, one thing I need to look at is fitting a roofbox. There are no roof bars on our A6 Avant e-tron, plus it has a panoramic roof, so I need to find out whether I can safely fit our Thule Motion 3 roofbox for our trip to Europe in August.

Report 2: Are virtual mirrors the future?

Our A6 Avant e-tron is fitted with Audi's virtual mirrors but are they actually better than traditional mirrors or merely a fancy gimmick?

Date: 2 June 2025 | Current mileage: 3722 | Claimed economy: 3.7 miles/kWh | Actual economy: 3.1 miles/kWh

I'm not someone who never embraces change or hates progress, but when it comes to new cars - and new tech - I occassionally have a Jeff Goldbum from Jurassic Park moment. "Just because you could, does it mean you should?"

Of course, if there was no progress, we'd still be happily driving around in Ford Model Ts - but I often feel like we've got to a stage with modern cars where there's very little else to improve. Take door mirrors as a case in point. While modern cars usually have electric and heated mirrors, the basic concept - look in mirror, see behind - hasn't changed since car mirrors become a thing in the 1920s.

But that hasn't stopped technology looking for an alternative solution. Step forward 'virtual' mirrors. First seen on the Lexus ES in 2019, Audi first featured them on the Audi e-tron but they remain a rare feature. In fact you'll likely see them most often on HGVs, where a smaller camera replaces the bulky mirrors required on big trucks. 

Fitted as standard to our A6 Avant e-tron Launch Edition, the virtual mirrors have certainly taken some getting used to. I don't have any issues when just driving along, the passenger side one works really well and I've now learnt to just look a little lower on the driver's side rather than out the window. 

But when it comes to manouvering, I'm finding it more tricky. I've had 30 years of parking using normal mirrors so my muscle memory usually takes over. I'm not sure if it's the different perspective but I don't have the same confidence for a quick reverse into a parking space. And usually end up on the wonk.

I also find issues when checking my blind spot if I'm joining a busy road at an awkard angle. Usually I'd lean forward for a wider view, but obviously that doesn't work when it's a camera. And while you can adjust the view, there's not as much movement as with a standard mirror.

There are of course benefits. They reduce drag and are quieter than standard mirrors plus they're easy to adjust as you can just move your finger across the screen. The OLED screen also gives better visibility in bad weather.

I like the idea, but in reality I think standard mirrors are just as good and, for most people, probably easier to use. Will they be the future instead of the traditional mirror? I think that's a long way off right now.

 

Report 3: Do noise cancelling EV tyres work?

Our A6 e-tron is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres but a recent slow puncture highlighted the cons of advanced tyres.

Date: 4 July 2025 | Current mileage: 4780 | Claimed economy: 3.7 miles/kWh | Actual economy: 3.2 miles/kWh

Tyres are tyres right? Well you'd think that but with the advent of EVs, we've seen the innovation of noise cancelling tyres. Because when you don't have the sound of an engine, the next most noticeable thing you hear is the road.

Our Audi A6 e-tron is fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres which come with what Michelin calls 'acoustic technology' designed to reduce road noise resonance. In fact it claims they reduce the perceived noise levels by 20%.

Basically, noise cancelling tyres have a layer of foam for sound dampening built into them. The idea being that it will work the same as the sound deadening material found in your car.

Do they work? Having very unscientifically compared the A6 Avant e-tron and our own Audi e-tron - fitted with similar 21-inch wheels but on standard Continental tyres - there's slightly less road noise on the move. But then one is an SUV and the other a newer estate. So who knows...

To be fair, I usually have the accompaniment of three children arguing about what to listen to next on Spotify, so a few decibels less tyre noise won't make much of a difference to me. I'm clearly not the target audience here.

However, there is another side to noise cancelling tyres that I didn't realise. A recent slow puncture on the A6 e-tron meant a trip to the local tyre fitters for - what I hoped - would be a simple repair. As expected, the tyre had a screw in it - right in the middle of the tread. Now usually this would be a straightforward repair costing around £30. 

However, as this is a noise cancelling tyre, things are a bit more complicated and repairs aren't as simple due the layer of foam. The long and short was that after much to-ing and fro-ing, a new tyre had to be fitted. And being a Michelin Pilot Sport it cost £330. The price of progress it would seem...

Still, at least with a new tyre on I can drive with the assurance that I don't have to worry about the slow puncture anymore. With lots of long drives coming up over the summer, including a family holiday to Holland in late August, I'm happier with a brand new tyre on.