Audi A6 Avant e-tron Review & Prices

If you’re looking for an electric estate car with a massive range to keep you on the road for longer, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron might just be the perfect car for you. It’s sleek and stylish, comfortable to drive and has a useful boot, if not the biggest in class.

It’s a bit like The Proclaimers, because it’ll travel (almost) 500 miles for you, and after a quick charge, it’ll go (almost) 500 more.

If you’re shopping for an electric estate car your choices are fairly limited, with the BMW i5 Touring being the only direct alternative, though the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo is a more expensive option and the Volkswagen ID7 Tourer is a slightly less posh, more affordable choice. You could consider electric SUVs such as Audi’s own Q6 e-tron, while there’s also the saloon-shaped A6 Sportback e-tron if you don’t need the extra boot height.

So how does a big, heavy estate return an official range of up to 437 miles between charges? It’s in part thanks to the sleek design, which has really low drag and therefore takes less energy to push through the air. Where Audi has really excelled is in making a streamlined car that’s genuinely good looking, with slim lights and interesting angles, unlike the smooth pebble look some manufacturers (looking at you, Mercedes) have come up with.

Audi A6 Avant e-tron: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 325-437 miles
Efficiency: 3.9-4.2 miles per kWh
Battery size: 83kWh / 100kWh
Max charge speed: 225kW / 270kW
Charge time AC: 8h, 0-100%, 11kW / 10h, 0-100%, 11kW
Charge time DC: 21m, 10-80%, 225kW / 21m, 10-80%, 270kW
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 326hp / 380hp / 462hp

Inside it’s a bit difficult to actually make out the dashboard design because it’s smothered in screens, particularly in top-spec models. All trim levels get one for your instruments behind the steering wheel and a big infotainment display in the middle, while top-spec models get a third screen for the passenger. There’s also the option to upgrade to virtual mirrors that place an extra screen in each door, as well as a head-up display (which is excellent).

Beside the screens, the cabin is built from quality materials and feels sturdy and solid. The seats are comfortable and there’s loads of space for those in the front. However, the rear seats aren’t quite as capacious and the boot, at 502 litres, is adequate rather than impressive. The BMW i5 Touring and Volkswagen ID7 Tourer both have it comfortably beat.

Where the Audi really wins is battery range and charging. Even in basic form, with a smaller battery, the A6 Avant e-tron can go up to 361 miles according to official numbers, while the longest range version will go up to 437 miles. The ID7 Tourer gets close, but nothing else does.

Charging is impressive too. At up to 270kW it has one of the fastest peak rates of any car and this helps it go from 10-80% in just 21 minutes.

Ultimately, the range means you’ll only have to stop to charge on the longest of road trips, and even if you do, you won’t be stopped for long. Fortunately, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron is a delightful companion for long drives, because it’s quiet, comfortable and refined, making motorway miles a breeze.

It’s not the most engaging car on a twisty road but it’s perfectly capable of gripping keenly in corners, so you can make swift progress despite its hulking presence on the road.

Entry-level models are reasonably priced against alternatives, but opting for the big-range, big battery versions pushes the price up quite rapidly. You’ll want to check out the latest Audi A6 Avant e-tron deals on Carwow, then, to get a great price. You can also browse used Audis from our network of trusted dealers, and when the time comes to sell your current car, Carwow can help with that, too.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron isn’t unreasonably priced in standard form, with prices starting around £64,000. A BMW i5 Touring starts at a bit more than this, while the Polestar 4 and Audi Q6 e-tron SUVs start for a bit less.

If you want the big battery and big range, there’s quite a leap in price, so even in the base trim it starts at over £70,000. If you want the top specification, with all-wheel drive and the big battery, it’s more like £85,000.

Quiet, comfortable and refined at high speeds, but won’t make you grin on a fun road

In town

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron is a big car, and it feels it from the driver’s seat, so it can be a touch intimidating to thread down tight streets. However, it’s so well set up that it feels really natural to drive, which helps a lot. The steering is light without being vague, the pedals make it easy to judge your inputs, and potholes pass by with a subdued thud, so smooth is the suspension.

If you’ve gone for the virtual mirrors they can make it difficult to reverse into spaces because they don’t give you such a wide view and it’s tricky to judge the car’s width, so you’ll be relying on the suite of cameras. Fortunately these are high quality so you get a crisp overhead view of any obstacles, and a system to park the car autonomously comes as standard.

On the motorway

At high speeds, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron is in its element. Even on the German autobahn, it would effortlessly cruise at triple-digit speeds with little in the way of wind and road noise, and the suspension soaks up imperfections like something much more luxurious.

All trims get adaptive cruise control to take the strain out of long journeys, as well as a lane departure warning system.

On a twisty road

If you’re looking for an electric car that will put a smile on your face on your favourite country road, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron is not the one. The BMW i5 Touring is a bit more engaging, but both are big, heavy cars, so they’re capable rather than exciting.

But the A6 Avant e-tron certainly is capable. Much like it helps around town, the well-judged steering weight and pedals mean it feels natural to get into a flow, and the suspension soaks up bumps nicely so even the most broken of B-roads won’t shake you about.

Space in the front is decent, the boot capacity is so-so, and rear seat space is a bit of a squeeze

If you’re sitting up front then life’s pretty good in the Audi A6 Avant e-tron. You get plenty of space and it’s easy to find the right driving position, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel.

Storage is okay; you get all the usual cubby holes but none are particularly massive. The door bins are a bit on the small side, there’s a wireless charging pad beneath the infotainment screen and a narrow covered area next to the gear selector. The space beneath the armrest and in the glovebox are pretty good, though.

Space in the back seats

Given the size of the car you might expect limo-like space in the back, but it’s actually a bit more cramped than most alternatives. This is in part because the chunky battery beneath the cabin means the space between the seat cushion and floor isn’t particularly huge, so your feet sit unnaturally high.

Headroom is pretty good, at least, and because kneeroom isn’t too bad you should be able to fit a child seat comfortably. However, if it’s rear seat accommodation you need, the i5 Touring is a better bet.

Boot space

Boot space is decent at 502 litres, and the Avant (estate) body shape means that if you need to carry large items such as flat pack furniture, it will be much easier than it would be in the A6 Sportback e-tron.

However, all alternatives offer a good chunk more capacity. You get 570 litres in the BMW i5 Touring and a massive 605 litres in the VW ID7 Tourer. If you’re considering an SUV, both the Polestar 4 and Audi Q6 e-tron have 526-litre boot capacities.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron does win points back for its 27-litre front boot, though it’s not good for much more than charging cables or a small overnight bag.

Interior quality is high and the infotainment system is slick, but it can be tricky to find your way around menus

The cabin is smart and elegantly simple. It’s classically Audi but for the digital age, because as standard you get two large displays ahead of you.

The first is the 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit, which is your digital instrument display, while the second is the central infotainment touchscreen. It’s huge at 14.5 inches and while the graphics are quite dark, the display is crisp, fast and has a clever haptic feedback system that almost tricks your brain into feeling like you’ve pressed an actual button.

Unfortunately it’s the typical modern car complaint, because the menus can be quite confusing to navigate around, and physical buttons are few and far between. You also get touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel that work better than those found on some Volkswagen models, but are still too easily triggered by mistake.

That all sounds rather negative, but on the whole the A6 Avant e-tron’s cabin is a lovely place to sit. It lacks the theatre of a Mercedes cabin but it’s functional and clutter-free. You get some lovely materials, comfy seats and everything feels well put together.

If you go for the top-spec model you get a third display that sits ahead of the passenger. It lets them choose music, check navigation and even watch videos, though we’ve tried it in a few Audis now and our passengers have never touched it.

You can also opt for ‘virtual mirrors’, which use cameras on stalks to replace traditional mirrors, with small displays in each door. They reduce drag so help a little in terms of efficiency, but they can take a lot of getting used to. Far from a necessity.

If it’s all looking a bit dark you can specify a light beige upholstery in a combination of real and synthetic leather. Top-spec models only have a choice of dark upholsteries, but you do have the option of a microfibre cover, which is soft to the touch.

You have a choice of three motors and two batteries, but whichever version you go for a heat pump is standard-fit, which helps your range in cold weather.

The basic ‘e-tron’ configuration combines an 83kWh battery with a 326hp motor powering the rear wheels. In official tests it’s the most efficient setup by a tiny margin, but the smaller battery means the range is 361 miles.

This is still good compared with alternatives, to be fair. The BMW i5 Touring has a maximum range of 343 miles, while the ID7 Tourer can go up to 373 miles in its basic trim.

Next is the ‘e-tron Performance’, which isn’t the most powerful model, despite the name. It’s still a single-motor, rear-wheel drive setup, though its output is increased to 380hp. More importantly, you get a bigger 100kWh battery, so these models get the biggest range at up to 437 miles. Only the ID7 Tourer gets close, with the long-range version recording up to 424 miles.

The most powerful setup is the ‘e-tron Quattro’, and because this is a dual-motor system you get all-wheel drive and a 462hp output. The extra performance does dent the range, though it’s still mighty respectable at 417 miles thanks to that big battery.

If power is more important than range, you could consider the Audi S6 Avant e-tron, which has even more performance and a sportier ethos.

If you go for the 83kWh version, you get fast charging at up to 225kW, which is very good. However, the 100kWh version has a peak charge rate of 270kW, which is up there with the best in the business. These models can charge from 10-80% in 21 minutes.

Because it’s a zero-emission vehicle, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron benefits from the lowest Vehicle Excise Duty rates as well as favourable Benefit-in-Kind for company car choosers.

Although the Audi A6 Avant e-tron has not been put through Euro NCAP safety testing, the Q6 e-tron SUV has. It’s based on the same underpinnings as the A6 and therefore it’s safe to assume it will inherit the same five-out-of-five score, barring any major issues.

Standard safety kit is good, with lots of driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control, self-parking, surround-view cameras and collision avoidance tech. Top-spec models get Matrix LED headlights that can maintain full beam without dazzling oncoming drivers, as well as enhancements to some of the basic assistance systems.

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron sits on an all-new platform, so it’s not possible to judge its reliability just yet. However, Audi performed poorly in the 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, finishing 27th out of 32.

All new Audis come with a three-year / 60,000-mile warranty, while electric models get an additional eight-year / 100,000-mile warranty for the main battery. You can pay extra to extend the warranty out to four or five years, too.