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By Jonathan Crouch

Audi rejuvenates its big A6 Avant estate - for those who don't want an EV. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 51

Audi proves that - for the moment - it also remains committed to combustion power, at least with this car, the rejuvenated C9-generation A6 Avant. It's not the most practical large premium badged estate you could choose, but it's the sleekest, possibly the smartest and certainly the nicest to sit in.

Backgroundword count: 239

You might not expect one of the most aerodynamic combustion models Audi has ever made to be a big A6 Avant estate - but perhaps you should. Slippery bodywork has always been a calling card of this model line. The very first C4-series version of 1994 was a re-badged version of the most slippery big car of the '80s and '90s, the Audi 100. And the first bespoke design with an A6 badge, the C5-series model of 1997, set another new standard for how slippery a big estate could be. It's successors, the C6 design of 2004, the C7 model of 2011 and this current car's predecessor, the C8 design of 2018, continued the trend of form over function. Customers could fit much more in a rival Mercedes E-Class Estate, but the A6 Avant always vastly out-sold that model in our market, whilst also trumping the other big segment player, BMW's 5 Series Touring. This C9-generation model, announced in early 2025, was originally supposed to switch to 'A7' badging so as not to cause confusion with the all-electric A6 e-tron launched in 2024. But a last-minute change of policy by Audi saw this combustion model keep the 'A6' moniker. It's still offered in diesel form as well as in petrol guise - it'll actually be one of the last diesel models Audi will ever launch. And there's a saloon version too. But here our focus is on the Avant.

Driving Experienceword count: 569

There's something of a 'back to the future' feel here. For years with the A6, Audi has been trying to match the sharply-responding feel of rival rear-driven BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-Class models. Which it was never going to fully do with a fundamentally front-driven-platformed car. With this C9-era A6 though, the emphasis has returned to something that Ingolstadt is properly good at - exemplary refinement through super-sleek aerodynamics. Which is just as it was in the very first A6 of 1994, a re-badged version of the sleekest executive car of the 1990s, the C4-era Audi 100. This is a much better selling point for the brand to aim at. Thanks to a huge 30% improvement in refinement over the previous generation model, no other rival in the segment is quieter and as you can imagine, an awful lot of engineering effort's gone into achieving that result, including special acoustic glass and noise-absorbing foam rings in the tyres. Even if you opt for the diesel version we tried, you'll struggle to hear the engine in front of you once underway. You might be surprised that there's a diesel offered at all; rivals BMW no longer sell such a thing in this segment, but this A6 shamelessly continues to celebrate the black pump. Indeed, Audi reserves arguably its most sophisticated engine tech for the TDI version, which uses the company's usual four cylinder 2.0-litre unit. As with the Q5 and the A5 Avant, this means installation of the brand's 'MHEV plus' system, which offers a big step forward from Ingolstadt's previous mild hybrid technology. For one thing, it uses a much bigger e-motor, providing 24PS and 230Nm of torque. For another, it acts as more than just a starter generator, also able to drive the car on its own at parking speeds. Plus, using a brake-by-wire set-up, the system can also regenerate energy at up to 25kW, so the compact lithium battery will always be topped up. Another trait of the 'MHEV Plus' system is the way that it primarily slows the car using brake regen. The friction brakes only kick in when the brake pedal is pressed harder. As we said, the 2.0 TDI unit in question is a familiar one - and the quattro 4WD system it must be paired with is familiar too. Total output is 204PS, which is the same as the alternative four cylinder engine on offer, the 2.0 TFSI petrol, which uses the brand's usual 7-speed S tronic auto transmission. Sadly here'll be no allroad SUV-themed version this time round. Another disappointment is that the UK won't get the creamy-smooth 3.0 V6 TFSI petrol unit offered on the continent. But we do get a PHEV e-Hybrid powertrain, which is based around the 2.0 TFSI four cylinder petrol unit, has quattro 4WD and offers 299PS and up to 63 miles of EV range from its 25.9kWh battery (20.7kWh of which is usable). Across the A6 line-up Audi claims drive dynamics have been improved with this C9-era design. To that end, there's a stiffer torsion bar, stiffer control arm bushings and increased front camber. All of this is supposed to improve response from the more rigid variable-ratio Progressive steering rack and offer more road feedback, but the helm here still isn't especially feelsome. A more fundamental aid to handling is the stiffer new 'PPC' or 'Premium Platform Combustion' chassis this sixth generation model sits upon.

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