First drive: The Audi A6 e-tron Avant is a comfortable, refined load-lugger with massive range

January 23, 2025 by

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If you do big miles then electric cars are a tough sell, but the Audi A6 e-tron Avant could be the answer to your zero-emission prayers

This is the all-new, all-electric Audi A6 e-tron Avant, a car that positively encourages you to do big miles behind the wheel. That’s because it’s incredibly comfortable and refined to drive, but also because it promises a massive range between charges.

It achieves this in part thanks to a big battery, but the real story is the aerodynamic design. It manages to look sleek, smart and desirable while also cutting through the air with all the drag of a slippery pebble (without looking like one… looking at you, Mercedes).

So how far will it go between charges? For maximum range you need the Sportback version, which can go a whopping 463 miles according to official tests. Even the Avant (estate) model we tested can go up to 437 miles, which is almost 100 miles further than a BMW i5 Touring.

The entry-level A6 e-tron, with a smaller battery, has an impressive range of 383 miles in Sportback form, or 361 miles for the Avant, and if you do need to top up on the road, 270kW fast charging is up there with the very best of them, so it won’t take long – about 20 minutes to go from 10-80%.

The Audi A6 e-tron Avant is no one trick pony, though. Because it’s so good to drive you’ll be more than happy to make the most of that range. Our test route in southern Germany took in high-speed autobahn where wind noise was impressively kept to a minimum, though it remains to be seen how it handles the broken and battered M25.

Even when the road twisted itself inside out up a snowy mountainside the Audi handled respectably – it’s not particularly fun, with little feedback through the steering wheel, but you can hustle this big, comfortable estate along at impressive speeds without feeling like things could go wrong at any minute.

But it’s plugging along motorways for hours on end that most Audi A6 e-tron Avants will be employed for, and here the refinement extends beyond the way it drives to the interior ambience. You get big, comfy chairs, high-quality materials all around and loads of space to relax into. A wide bank of screens make it feel suitably modern, too.

It’s not as spacious in the back as you might expect, but it’s adequately roomy for carrying teenagers or child seats as required. And at 500 litres in both Avant and Sportback form, the boot capacity is fine but comfortably down on what you get in the i5 Touring, though the BMW doesn’t get a front boot like the Audi.

If you’re looking for an electric car that’s relaxing and refined and won’t require a top-up on a trip from Edinburgh to London, the Audi A6 e-tron Avant is a fantastic option. Fully loaded models can get a bit expensive, but if you stick to one of the rear-wheel drive options prices are in line with alternative electric estates and SUVs such as the BMW i5 Touring, Polestar 4 and Audi’s own Q6 e-tron.

You can get the best price with Carwow’s Audi A6 e-tron Avant deals, and browse used Audi models from our network of trusted dealers. Carwow can help you sell your current car when the time comes, too.

Wowscore: 9/10