New Audi A6 Avant revealed

Following hot on the heels of the recent Audi A6 Sedan unveil in Europe, Audi has revealed the elegant new A6 Avant. The striking model showcases Audi’s new design language, taking many cues from the A6 Sedan, but melding them into the sleek Avant shape.

To that end, a wider and lower interpretation of the distinctive Singleframe grille dominates the front of the car, while the elongated silhouette and trapezoidal window surfaces dominate the side view. The muscular contours, or ‘blisters’ flare out from the wheel arches to emphasise the quattro drive, while the long sloping roofline is reminiscent of a coupe.

But this vehicle offers all of the versatility that has made Audi’s Avant configuration famous, with a flexible luggage compartment concept that offers 565 to 1680 litres of capacity. Measuring 4.94 metres long, 1.89 metres wide and 1.47 metres high the interior of the new A6 Avant is even larger than its predecessor  and ‘best in class’ front and rear elbow room as well as knee room in the rear seats. 

Indeed the interior accommodation, design and appointment are first class, with the new minimalist architecture fusing harmoniously with the new operating concept. Twin MMI touch panels finished in black form part of the design but also serve to allow the driver to control a vast array of functions.

Infotainment and navigation are controlled using the top display with its 10.1-inch screen – if MMI navigation plus is fitted – while the 8.6-inch display below is used for climate control, comfort functions and text input. Thanks to its haptic and acoustic feedback, the MMI touch response technology is fast and reliable and the MMI menu structure is logical and flat, just like a smartphone. 

MMI navigation plus also includes the fully digital Audi virtual cockpit with its 12.3-inch screen diagonal, which is operated with the multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The optional head-up display projects information onto the windshield. The natural language voice control turns the new A6 Avant into an intelligent dialog partner. It replies to commands and questions in two ways: with data stored onboard and knowledge from the cloud. The standard personalisation offers up to seven individual profiles, allowing several drivers to store up to 400 settings. 

The A6 Avant is also offered with the optional MMI navigation plus – the top-of-the-line component in the infotainment range for the new Audi A6 Avant. Its data transfer module supports the LTE Advanced standard and incorporates a WiFi hotspot while the navigation system recognises the driver’s preferences based on previous journeys and generates intelligent suggestions from this information. The Audi connect portfolio offers numerous online services, including Car-to-X services and the optional Audi connect key locks and unlocks the new A6 Avant via an Android smartphone. The myAudi app connects the car with the owner’s smartphone. The Audi phone box supports telephony with the highly convenient Voice-over-LTE protocol. The Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System delivers fascinating 3D sound through a total of 19 loudspeakers, including in the rear. 

Like the A6 Sedan, all powerplants offered in the A6 Avant are fitted as standard with a mild hybrid system. The belt alternator starter, the heart of the MHEV system, recovers up to 12kW with the 48 V system during braking and feeds the electricity into a separate lithium-ion battery. With the engine switched off, the new Audi A6 Avant can coast between 55 and 160km/h, with the  start-stop reactivating at 22km/h.

Making the most of performance without compromising comfort, with a choice of four suspension variants: the standard steel-spring suspension, the sport suspension, the suspension with shock absorber control and the adaptive air suspension, also with controlled shock absorbers. In addition to the shock absorbers and the air springs, the electronic chassis platform (ECP) also controls the dynamic all-wheel steering and the updated sport differential, which actively distributes the drive torque as needed between the rear wheels during fast cornering.

Steering too is progressive, becoming increasingly direct with increasing steering angle, while dynamic all-wheel steering as also available as an option.

Driver assistance and safety equipment is state-of-the-art as you would expect. In addition to the standard emergency braking assist Audi pre sense front, the driver assistance systems also include adaptive cruise assist with narrowed road assist, while the adaptive cruise assist predictively factors in speed limits, bends, roundabouts and – if route guidance is active – also turnings as part of the cruise control function. 

Emergency assist enhances safety by recognising when the driver fails to act, and provides a visual, acoustic or haptic warning. If the driver fails to respond, the system takes over, turns on the hazard warning lights and automatically brings the A6 to a stop in its own lane. 

LED headlights are standard on the new Audi A6 Avant. Three versions of LED headlights are available on the A6 Avant, with the HD Matrix LED headlights with high-resolution high beam the top-of-the-line version. 

*At time of writing, Australian launch and specification was not confirmed.