Audi A6 Avant e-tron – sexy space travel

DESCRIBING a car as having limo-like appeal can often turn out to be an exaggeration, but that’s not the case with Audi’s super smooth electric estate, the A6 Avant e-tron.

It’s a model that has you reaching for the superlatives, so let’s just say it’s another masterclass in engineering from the German auto maker.

But first things first, Avant equals estate in Audi speak and you don’t realistically go down that route unless you require space, plenty of it.

Does the A6 Avant fulfil that need? Absolutely, to the point that the boot can devour 502 litres of clobber with all the seats in position and expand to a warehouse-like 1,422 litres with the back row folded flat.

And a couple of neat touches are a light to guide your foot if you want to open the boot using the waggle method and at the opposite end of the car the ability to shake your hand above the Audi four rings badge to open the bonnet, where there’s a 27-litre ‘frunk’ container for cables.

Of course Audis don’t come cheap so you can pretty much guarantee heaps of equipment and a premium feel to the fixtures, fittings and seats, though it did come a surprise that a car costing north of £80K didn’t include an electrically operated driver’s seat.

What you do get in the cabin though is a lovely calming ambience and ample passenger space, particularly in rear where headroom is plentiful and there’s no transmission tunnel to hinder a centre occupant.

Another attractive feature is the full-length panoramic roof with glass that can be switched from clear to opaque at the touch of a button.

Up front the cabin is dominated by a digital display of multiple screens within a slightly curved panel. It’s wide, attractive and free of buttons, apart from a volume knob for the sound system.

While going button and dial-free isn’t always a good thing, it works well in this case largely because the menus are simple to operate, though there are some things you need to get used to – principally the driver’s door panel with controls for the lights and wing mirrors.

Out on the road the fully electric A6 Avant e-tron line-up starts with a 322bhp motor and 75.8kWh battery combination offering performance figures (0-62 in 7.0 seconds, 130mph top speed). Prices start at £65,165.

Our tested Performance model, however, with its 375bhp motor, 100kWh battery and rear-wheel drive boosts those figures to 0-62 in 5.4 seconds and in the higher S line trim grade costs a princely £80,455.

What you also get for that outlay though is a car with a level of engineering and refinement that’s difficult to match. It’s silky smooth, commendably comfortable and copes with uneven or potholed surfaces with ease – even with 21-inch wheels.

It’s also nimble round country lanes, relaxing in heavy traffic and at its best on the motorway where the car feels spirited, stable and has the power to complete overtaking manoeuvres with silent efficiency.

There’s also the ability to switch between four drive modes of Balanced, Dynamic, Comfort and Efficiency plus the reassurance of a 430-mile electric range, though it takes some very disciplined driving to get near that mark.

As for charging, the e-tron has a maximum ultra-rapid DC rate of 270kW, so you can complete a 10-80 per cent charge in just 21 minutes, adding at least 158 miles of range in 10 minutes.

And there are charging sockets (Type 2 for AC charging and CCS for DC and AC) on each rear wing.