New Audi A6 Avant: more interior space, comfort and sportiness with hybrid engines

Audi previews details of the new 2018 A6 Avant, a model that gains in available space, habitability and flexibility on board, improves both comfort and sportiness, joins the current trend towards electrification with the introduction of the light hybrid system mild hybrid across its entire engine range to increase efficiency, and will increase its equipment of safety and driver assistance features to the point that it will place it among the most advanced models on the market.

Aesthetically the model keeps the continuity line that has brought so much success to the manufacturer from Stuttgart, although perhaps that is where the secret lies: in the slight but cleverly intentional changes that are being introduced so that the car’s design stays fresh and up to date and its image looks increasingly modern, elegant and attractive without losing its classic stamp and style.

The A6 Avant is presented just one month after the launch of the saloon it mirrors in everything except the rear, where it stands out because in addition to the greater slope of its roof-line, its design reflects the new family look that Audi has been introducing in the brand’s latest models. The A6 Avant measures 4.96 m long, 1.89 m wide and 1.47 m high, dimensions very similar to those of the previous model which, however, translate into a clearly greater amount of space on board.

The front view is markedly dominated by the Singleframe grille habitual to the brand, while in the side view it is the trapezoidal side windows and the distinctive wheel arches that stand out most. The roofline of the A6 Avant finishes at the rear with a new spoiler which, besides visually ‘lengthening’ the whole, helps give it a more sporty image. The new A6 Avant is also distinguished at the rear by the decorative insert that helps join the lights. The exterior finish of the car, available in up to twelve colours, can be enhanced by opting for the optional sport and design trim lines, both combinable with the S line exterior package.

More comfortable and spacious interior for enjoying journeys

Inside, the greater space on board has not reduced the capacity of its cargo area, which slightly exceeds that of the previous model. It now offers 565 highly usable litres, thanks to the wide 1,050 mm loading opening and the possibility of folding down the rear seat backs to provide up to 1,680 litres of cargo capacity on board. Tailgate and boot cover are electrically operated, activated from the comfort key or, in the case of the latter, by passing a foot under the rear bumper. As a good estate, the A6 Avant has rails and tie-down points, a net and a tensioning strap to secure the load as required.

As with the saloon, the body of the A6 Avant is built using aluminium and steel parts, which gives it high rigidity and torsional resistance. Audi takes advantage of that greater safety of the chassis and complements it with a wide range of safety systems, assistance systems, lighting technologies,…

Lighting, technology and driver assistance systems

As standard, LED headlights are offered, but there are up to three different types of technology for the headlights, among which the HD Matrix LED stands out, offering a high-resolution light beam. The daytime running lights consist of five horizontal lines, the indicators are dynamic, and Audi has introduced light animations that activate when the doors are opened or closed, as well as an ambient lighting pack around the car’s outline that gives it a very personal and distinctive image.

Regarding the assistance systems, the A6 Avant offers a broad list of them on board, which in addition to forming part of the different levels of standard equipment can be complemented with others available in the City and Tour packs. Pending the definition of the different levels, the new family saloon from Audi may be fitted with the pre sense front emergency braking system, and the adaptive cruise assistant (which controls the car longitudinally and laterally both in stop-and-go traffic down to a complete stop and at speeds of up to 250 km/h, accelerating or braking the car by itself). It will also feature an efficiency assistant, whose function allows greater fuel savings to be achieved.

The dashboard is practically identical to that of the A6 saloon. It features “black panel” technology and is practically free of controls. Functions are activated via the two large screens of the MMI Touch response system (10.2 inches for the upper one and 8.6 for the lower one), complemented by the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit to provide all the necessary information. As an option, the navigation system can incorporate an integrated LTE modem with wifi hotspot.

Like every new car, the A6 Avant already comes with the E-Call or emergency assistant service and up to five additional functions of great use to the driver in urban traffic: Audi cross assist, Audi pre sense 360º, Audi rear cross traffic assist, exit warning and lane change warning, which alerts of exits and entries onto the road and warns the driver of a lane change. All of them are controlled by state-of-the-art software and through the central controller of the assistance systems developed by Audi’s engineers on the zFAS platform.

With autonomous driving in mind, five radar sensors, five cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner read the road and its surroundings, and receive, store and analyse the data received to offer routes and services.

All hybrid powertrains with MHEV

For the time being Audi has not specified which powertrains it will fit to the new A6 Avant, but it is logical to assume they will be the same as those available for the A6 Saloon. All of them will come as standard with the mild hybrid (MHEV) system, which provides greater driving comfort, efficiency and helps reduce fuel consumption in real-world use of the car. The system consists of a belt-driven alternator that recovers up to 12 kW with the 48-volt system during braking. The recovered energy is stored in a small secondary battery. The A6 Avant’s powertrains can also coast with the engine switched off at speeds between 55 and 160 km/h.

The A6 Avant range will offer versions coupled to Stronic seven-speed or tiptronic eight-speed transmissions in combination with the quattro traction system. Optionally, these can be complemented with a sport rear differential. Two optional extras help improve driving dynamics: the aforementioned sport rear differential and four-wheel dynamic steering, which improves handling at speeds above 60 km/h while making parking manoeuvres easier thanks to the counter-steer effect of the rear wheels at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

Technical specifications of this car

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