New Audi A6 Avant Petrol and Diesel Models Revealed

Take a breath: this is the new Audi A6 Avant with an internal-combustion engine. Crucially, it is not badged Audi A7 Avant, Audi A6ICE Avant or Audi e=MCEstate. You get the idea.

Ingolstadt has abandoned its plan to reserve even-numbered model names for electric cars and odd numbers for the oily combustion alternatives. Naturally, as a new-generation Audi, these versions should be cleaner than their predecessors.

Audi A6 Avant petrol and diesel powertrains

The petrol A6 Avant uses a mildly revised form of the long-serving 2.0-litre, 200bhp four-cylinder engine. It sends power to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, delivering 0-62mph in 8.3s and a 149mph maximum speed.

A second launch engine is a 200bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which brings several extra components: a 1.7kWh battery, a belt alternator starter and a powertrain generator. In other words, the diesel A6 is a hybrid. It can drive partly on electric power alone, recover energy under braking, reach 0-62mph in 7.0s flat and continue to 148mph.

At launch, the diesel is the only version offered with quattro, at least until the hefty S6 arrives. It also uses a dual-clutch gearbox. Both variants are based on the Group’s ‘Premium Platform Combustion’ - a premium platform intended for, yes, combustion.

You can identify this as a PPC model by its working grille, which feeds air to both four-cylinder engines, unlike the sealed ‘Singleframe’ front end on the A6 e-tron. It is just as handsome as that car, with a crisp LED-heavy headlamp signature, huge front-bumper air intakes, a broad stance, pronounced shoulders and a sleek, extended roofline.

That roofline is so slippery that this is Audi’s most aerodynamic combustion-engined estate ever, recording 0.25Cd. Airflow has been carefully managed around the new estate, while cabin noise has also received attention, thanks to a 30 per cent increase in insulation.

Audi A6 Avant chassis and interior

Audi has enlarged the new A6 Avant slightly, too, claiming better comfort on longer journeys. Its aluminium suspension is available in standard or sport form, with the latter sitting 20mm lower, and adaptive dampers are optional.

The steering has been revised and brake torque vectoring is included. The diesel hybrid also gains an ‘integrated brake control system’, which can disconnect the hydraulic brakes when the car judges that regenerative braking alone can do the job. When it cannot, and proper Brake Brakes are required, the A6 simply applies its… brakes. Straightforward enough.

Inside, the centre console is dominated by a huge 14.5in MMI touchscreen, joined by an 11.9in virtual cockpit for the driver. A head-up display is optional. Passengers need not feel neglected either, as ‘Edition 1’ cars alone can be specified with an additional 10.9in MMI display.

‘Softwrap’ covers the full width of the dashboard and also features on the seats, although ‘sustainable’ materials can be chosen instead. There is a sophisticated interior lighting display as well; Audi apparently marks its return to sensible names with a cabin disco. That disco can be powered by the optional Bang & Olufsen stereo, which is probably worth selecting from the extensive options list.

Audi A6 Avant UK prices and on-sale date

Pricing for the petrol A6 TFSI starts at £52,510 for the entry-level ‘Sport’, rising to £55,310 for the ‘S Line’ and £60,210 for the ‘Edition 1’. The 2.0-litre TDI costs £56,780 in ‘Sport’ specification, £59,580 as an ‘S Line’ and £64,480 as an ‘Edition 1’. As expected, spending more brings additional equipment.

The new medium-sized combustion-powered Audi, called the A6 for now - and apparently until further notice - goes on sale in the UK on 1 April.