Aesthetics and functionality – the exterior design
Attractive station wagons go by the name of Avant – the new A6 Avant continues this aspiration of the Audi brand. With sharp lines, large surfaces and the distinctive low-profile rear window, the exterior design reflects new design language of the brand. At just under five meters long, the Avant exudes elegance, sportiness and sophistication with its long front end and gently sloping roofline.
A wide, low Singleframe grille dominates the front, while the elongated silhouette and trapezoidal window surfaces dominate the side view. Distinctively shaped blisters, which visually emphasize the quattro drive, extend over the wheel housings. The muscular roofline flows into the low-profile D-pillar. The roof edge spoiler extends the silhouette and underlines the sporty look of the A6 Avant. At the rear, a decorative trim provides a link between the lights. In addition to the twelve paint colors, customers can choose from the optional sport and design exterior equipment lines as well as the S line exterior package.
Inviting – body, spaciousness and luggage compartment
The new Audi A6 Avant is 4.94 meters long, 1.89 meters wide and 1.47 meters high. Its interior is even larger than on the predecessor model. It beats the competition with front and rear elbow room as well as with knee room in the rear seat area.
Despite the sporty lines, the new A6 Avant retains the spacious luggage compartment capacity of its predecessor. The luggage compartment provides a loading width of 1,050 millimetres and a capacity 565 liters in the basic configuration, increasing to 1,680 liters with the backrests folded down. The tailgate and the luggage compartment cover open electrically as standard; an optional sensor control is available for the tailgate. The rear seats can be folded 40:20:40 as a standard.An electric release function is available for the optional trailer hitch.
The luggage compartment is equipped with the proven rail system as a standard. Customers can individually position four variable lashing points to secure objects. The A6 Avant also includes a tensioning strap, a net and two hooks. The optional load-securing kit with telescopic bar and strap allows individual sectioning of the luggage compartment.
The new A6 Avant is at home on long journeys, also thanks to the low interior noise level. The aerodynamics and aeroacoustics are top-class; the drag coefficient of the entry-level engine, which will go on sale after the market launch, is 0.27. The body made of steel and aluminium components offers extraordinary rigidity.
Safety first – lighting technology and driver assistance systems
The A6 Avant comes with a comprehensive package of safety systems, including lighting technology, assistance systems and passive safety. LED headlights are standard on the new Audi A6 Avant. Three versions are available, with the HD Matrix LED headlights with the high-resolution high beam as the top-of-the-line version. Five horizontal lines draw the daylight running light signature with this option. The dynamic turn signal and the pulsating coming-home and leaving-home sequences emphasize the distinctive character of the A6 family. The optional contour ambient lighting package brings the interior design specifically to life.
With frequent drivers and commuters in mind, the A6 Avant provides an extensive range of driver assistance systems, divided into the “City” and “Tour” packages. In addition to the standard emergency braking assist Audi pre sense front, the driver assistance systems also include adaptive cruise assist with narrowed road assist. It supports longitudinal and lateral control in stop-and-go traffic right down to a standstill and at driving speeds up to 250 kilometres/hour and supports the driver by accelerating and braking. The assistance function also helps maintain the set speed and the distance to the vehicle ahead in congested traffic as well as in narrow situations.
For the additional efficiency assistant function, the adaptive cruise assist predictively factors in speed limits, bends, roundabouts and – if route guidance is active – also turnings as part of the cruise control function. Besides the predictive information in the instrument cluster, the efficiency assistant also provides haptic feedback via the active gas pedal. Together with the MHEV system, these assistance functions can help promote fuel economy.
Emergency assist enhances safety by recognizing when the driver fails to act and providing a visual, acoustic or haptic warning. If the driver fails to respond, the system takes over, turns on the hazard warning lights and automatically brings the A6 to a stop in its own lane. The system activates Audi pre sense protection measures, such as seat belt tensioning, window closing, and automatically makes an emergency call.
Five functions support the driver in urban traffic: Crossing assist detects critical crossing traffic in front of the car; the Audi pre sense 360° system detects collision hazards; rear cross traffic assist monitors slow reversing, such as exiting a parallel parking space. Exit warning and lane change warning supplement the package.
These functions are managed in an Audi high-end module, which is fitted in the new A6 Avant as a standard: the central driver assistance controller, which continuously computes a differentiated image of the car’s surroundings. To do this, depending on the equipment level, it uses data from as many as five radar sensors, five cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors and the laser scanner.
Intuitive and logical – the MMI touch response operating system
The driver executes nearly all functions on two large displays in the MMI touch response operating concept of the new Audi A6 Avant. The driver manages infotainment and navigation on the top display with its 10.1-inch screen diagonal – if MMI navigation plus is fitted.
The 8.6-inch display below is used for climate control, comfort functions and text input. The driver’s wrist can rest comfortably on the selector lever while operating the functions. Thanks to its haptic and acoustic feedback, the MMI touch response technology is fast and reliable. The MMI menu structure is logical and flat like on a smartphone; the driver can customize the arrangement of many icons on the bottom start screen.
MMI navigation plus also includes the fully digital Audi virtual cockpit with its 12.3-inch screen diagonal, which is operated with the multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The optional head-up display projects information onto the windshield. The natural language voice control turns the new A6 Avant into an intelligent dialog partner. It replies to commands and questions in two ways: with data stored onboard and knowledge from the cloud. The standard personalization offers up to seven individual profiles, allowing several drivers to store up to 400 settings from many areas.
