Audi's new electric version of a classic is worth the asking price

Sunday World

14-05-2025

The joy of A6 |
The A6 Avant certainly goes the distance, is packed with storage and looks the part too
​Like a lot of the premium car brands, Audi likes to offer options. And that is why I am now here to tell you about the latest version of the A6 whose USPs are that it is an estate (or Avant as the German manufacturer likes to call it) and it is full EV.
Weirdly though, most of my week is spent discussing the colour as this new teal-like 'Malpelo' blue was used and certainly caught most people's eye.
Yes, it is available in 'Sportback' mode too, but I had the pleasure of the Avant, which completely won me over as the week dragged on.
Loaded with a humungous range of 737km in the Performance (S or Sport line) when it is fully charged you can own this and take comfort in the knowledge that you can drive anywhere in Ireland without the stress of running out of juice. And you'll more than likely be able to get back home too before plugging it in.
Audi's A6 Avant e-tron is stylish
Onto the looks…they say: 'The Audi A6 e-tron's clean design focuses on dynamism, progressiveness, and elegance. The front is simultaneously harmonious and expressive. The slim design of the daytime running lights and the wide grille make the A6 e-tron appear flat and wide on the road.'
I say: 'Ding dong. Hook it up to my veins'. If I want to be super pedantic, I might suggest that the roofline could dip a bit more at the back (there is a mild spoiler on the Avant). But I'm really clutching here, and I'm blessed that I've tested a few super-sporty estates this year already.
The grille, or lack thereof, is one of the reasons for so much head-turning during my test week.
The main headlights and other functional elements, such as the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensors and the air intakes, are integrated into a dark (yet complementary) mask, making them almost invisible.
Audi's A6 Avant e-tron has a sunroof that turns opaque at the touch of a button
As you would expect, the car offers bucket-loads of space, premium levels of comfort and everyday Audi-usability. Anyone who has driven an Audi from the past six to eight years will know what this is.
It stretches 4,928mm in length and 1,923mm in width (without mirrors), and a height of 1,527mm which is 40mm taller than the Sportback model.
It comes with 19-inch five-arm dynamic wheels, designed as aero wheels, as standard but my S line gets 20-inch 'five-spoke tripod' wheels in graphite grey.
The cabin is most definitely geared towards the users' needs and anyone who travelled with me can attest to that.
The MMI panoramic display, with a curved design and OLED tech, consists of the 11.9' Audi virtual cockpit and a 14.5' MMI touch display and, together with the 10.9' MMI front passenger display (yes, you read that right), forms an unmatched digital stage with visually-clear design.
It offers plentiful storage space and various compartments too, making it as practical as it is pretty.
The centre console includes two cup-holders, a phone charger, and a storage compartment below the armrest with over 5ltr of space.
The boot boasts 502ltr of storage space (don't forget there is a big old battery in there to house) in both the Avant and Sportback models. The as-standard frunk under the bonnet offers an extra 27ltr of space, ideal for small travel bags or charge cables.
And one of my favourite features in a new car is the smart panoramic glass roof that has the ability to become opaque at the touch of a button.
The Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with headrest loudspeakers ensures optimum sound for your daughters to blast Tate McRae and Sabrina Carpenter songs. A highly efficient amplifier drives 20 loudspeakers with 830 watts of power.
Audi's A6 Avant e-tron comes with the option of side cameras instead of wing mirrors
Speaking of power, let's talk range. Full confession, my busy schedule meant I couldn't take this on the road for any long journeys during the week, but I can confirm that you won't have to worry much, thanks to the giant battery.
I managed 300km of driving over eight days and the range only came down 330km. Which is really impressive. And they claim 17 – 14.8 kWh per 100km.
There is a gripe though. It's not perfect. But luckily, harping back to the opening paragraph today and in the spirit of 'choice' you can opt out of my personal grievance.
In an attempt to reduce the drag coefficient to 0.21 (it's important to some, apparently) they have installed fancy cameras where there should be wing mirrors.
Impressive huh? Well, actually it is an unnecessary evil on an otherwise gorgeous car. I watched a fellow motor journalist's review the previous week and he declared 'it's weird at first, but you get used to it really quickly'.
Well, I certainly didn't. The high-def cameras inside each window are perfectly clear, but is not natural and unless drag coefficient floats your boat, I wholeheartedly recommend you don't opt for them.
Leave those behind at the dealer and you have yourself one of the best estates on the market and considering it's fully electric you can justify the €76,325 asking price.