Audi Avant estate: the best of both worlds?

This next generation A6 Avant looks set to build on past successes. The interior is plush, quiet and very spacious, with masses of luggage capacity, stacks of standard equipment and the latest technology. The use of aluminium has saved weight and improved efficiency in all models; the 3.0 TDI quattro SE has the lowest running costs in its class.

That latest technology even provides a little interactive gym session for you: as an optional extra, you can open the boot by 'gesturing' your foot under two sensors beneath the rear bumper. While you try and find the sweet spot for the first time, there's a moment or two where you might appear to be doing the hokey-cokey in a layby, before the very satisfying ‘open sesame’ moment.

Once you are in, the boot space, at 565 litres, is the same as the previous A6 Avant. It will not win the award for the largest luggage capacity in class – that particular honour goes to the Mercedes E-Class – but the Audi is still pretty huge, especially with the rear seats down. If you can’t get all your stuff in the back of this car – maybe get a van instead.

Where the Avant does beat the opposition is with its class-leading interior space – and what a place to while away the miles. Apart from 
the classy standard leather and wall-to-wall tech, the cabin is library quiet. From the outside, the Avant may be big but it’s curvy, and with its sloping roofline it beats its 
saloon sibling in the looks stakes. It might
 be a large load lugger, but thanks to the use 
of aluminium, it has shed up to 70 kilograms 
in weight which also improveds efficiency across the range.

Depending on your budget, there is plenty to choose from 
in the line-up, and I tested a few of them. 
The entry-level model and biggest seller is 
the 2.0-litre TDI engine, which can be a bit noisy, but is nonetheless nippy and frugal. There are also two different 3.0-litre TDI engines (201bhp and 242bhp) that pack 
even more of a punch. The efficient 242bhp engine actually outperforms its 236bhp predecessor by 13 per cent. However, if you want petrol-powered performance, the speedy and throaty 3.0-litre TFSI quattro is a whole lot of fun. There is also an all-new 3.0-litre twin turbo TDI with a potent 309bhp and a rapid 
0–62mph of just 5.3 seconds. The difference with this diesel engine is that Audi have developed it to offer more of a ‘petrol’ roar than a ‘diesel’ rattle, but it still pumps out masses of torque. The best of both worlds.

Another way the car surprises is that although it’s an estate, it doesn’t feel any less nimble than the A6 saloon, and weight-wise the diesel models are the lightest in their class. The ride is smooth, and if you opt for a quattro model, you will enjoy oodles of grip. So the Avant might be for you, if you want a classy, refined big-load lugger that is rather light on its feet.