Audi's range expansion continues apace as the firm unveiled its new A6 Avant (estate) in Berlin last night (May 18). The new load-lugger joins the four-door saloon in the showrooms at a premium of £1,840.
Coming loaded with the same features and beautiful interior as its saloon relative the more practical Avant benefits from a huge 1,680-litre maximum load carrying capacity.
That aces its BMW 5 Series Touring rival by 10 litres, but falls short of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class' gargantuan 1,950-litre load space.
Access to that boot is made easier thanks to the availability of a 'gesture control' boot opening system. Two sensors and a convenience key allow the user to wave a hand or swipe a foot to open the boot.
Other features include full internet accessibility that allows Google Maps and real-time traffic reports for the satnav system.
Lighter by around 70kg than its predecessor, the new Audi A6 Avant uses a lot of aluminium in its body.
Efficiency and performance across the range is improved too, with the biggest selling 2.0-litre TDI delivering 56.5mpg capability and CO
2 emissions of just 132g/km.
Two petrol and three other diesel choices are offered initially, with the range-topping 3.0-litre two-stage turbocharged TDI unit giving the A6 Avant 5.4-second 0-62mph capability.
Typically, at such an unveiling, the designers talked of outside influences shaping the car - the boot line apparently inspired by fencers (those with foils, not wooden stakes). Regardless of where the inspiration came from the A6 Avant follows its predecessor in offering an elegant, well-proportioned stance.
The current range starts at £32,100, rising to £43,480, though that'll increase when the more sporting S and RS models arrive. When that'll be Audi isn't saying, but nobody denied their existence when pressed at the Avant's Berlin unveiling.
Kyle Fortune - 19 May 2011
