–– EV DIARY ––
Suttie’s seven days with an… Audi A6 Avant e-tron
Audi’s fleet stalwart recently morphed into an all-electric executive car to bring the fight to the BMW i5. Our man Al gives it his verdict after spending a week with one
Audi A6 Avant e-tron Performance 270kW Launch Edition
List Price
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0g/km
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mile-range test efficiency
MONDAY
You don’t get much more of an establishment pillar for fleet drivers than the Audi A6 Avant. Reliably good, spacious and classy, it’s a do-it-all choice for so many for very good reason, so this new all-electric e-tron version should be bang on the money for the German estate car faithful. The one that arrived today is in Launch Edition spec, so has a hefty price attached along with its generous kit list.
TUESDAY
Finished in metallic Plasma Blue paint, with a black leather interior, this A6 Avant e-tron looks suitably understated. It’s a handsome car, too, in my eyes, but it’s also broad. This means it fills out a parking bay to the edges and needs a little care to slot it in centrally. Maybe it’s my mild obsession with parking properly, but it does take a few goes to get used to the A6’s girth.
WEDNESDAY
Usually, the sight of 21-inch wheels on any car has me wincing in anticipation of an overly stiff ride quality. Not so in the A6 Avant e-tron Launch Edition. Audi has absolutely nailed comfort with this car in the way it brushes aside any niggles in the road. It’s impressively competent and composed – and none of this comes at the expense of handling, though the steering is a little too light and excessively assisted for my taste.
THURSDAY
With 367hp of power and 565Nm of torque on hand, this A6 Avant e-tron is no sluggard. It nips from zero to 62mph in 5.4 seconds, so is in that sweet spot of being more than quick enough for most needs without straying into the ridiculous excesses of some EVs when it comes to acceleration. The rear-mounted single motor also pays dividends in the way the A6 handles and drives, putting it right alongside the BMW i5 in this respect.
FRIDAY
A few bits and bobs to take to the local recycling centre, or council tip as we used to know it. The A6’s boot has no issues swallowing it all, though the boot floor is noticeably higher-set than previous generations of Avant due to the battery underneath. It’s the same with the cabin floor, which feels a fraction too high initially, though it’s something you become accustomed to very quickly.
SATURDAY
One thing I have not got used to in the A6 Avant e-tron is this car’s optional ‘Virtual Mirrors’. They might gain a fraction in aerodynamics, but they just seem like reinventing the wheel to me. The in-door screens are positioned too low, while the view they provide from the exterior cameras simply isn’t as good as traditional mirrors. If you’re ordering an A6 Avant, don’t tick the box for this dreadful high-tech solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
SUNDAY
During my week with the Audi A6 Avant e-tron, I’ve had to double-check the battery charge a few times. Not because it’s going down too quickly, but because the mileage to empty on the dash seemingly refuses to budge. It’s proved amazingly efficient and accurate – and instils the confidence you could take the Audi on a very long drive with no thoughts of charging. It underlines just how good this latest A6 Avant is.
