Audi unveils all-new A6 Avant 19 | 05 | 2011
AUDI HAS lifted the wraps from its all-new A6 Avant at an official event in Berlin. Scottish Audi dealerships will be taking orders from next month for the A6 Avant, which starts at £32,100, with first deliveries expected in November.
The new model, according to the company's chairman Rupert Stadler, delivers more interior space and greater fuel efficiency of up to 18% than the old A6 estate.
In an effort to increase the cabin and luggage space, the new a6 Avant boasts a 7cm increase in its wheelbase over the outgoing model; the new car is 4930mm long, 1870mm wide and 1460mm tall.
Significantly, although the new car is very close in its dimensions to the current A6 Avant, the newcomer is actually up to 70kg lighter in weight thanks to a greater use of aluminium. It's understood around 20% of the new car's body is made from aluminium.
With the rear seats in position there's 565 litres of boot space; fold them down and this increases to 1680 litres, that's more than rival BMW 5-series Touring delivers, but close to 300-litres less than the cavernous class-leading Merc E-class estate.
While two petrol models will be available — a 201bhp 2.8FSI, and a supercharged 3.0TFSI pumping out 295bhp — understandably by far the biggest volume of sale will be diesel-powered.
The big seller will be the 174bhp 2.0TDI. Available only in front-wheel drive format, teamed with its six-speed manual gearbox it will deliver 56.5mpg and 132g/km of CO2 emissions.
And while there's also the choice of two regular V6 turbodiesels, producing 201bhp and 241bhp, a new twin-turbocharged 308bhp 3.0-litre diesel engine makes its debut in the A6 Avant. With its top speed limited to 155mph, it will hit 62mph from standstill in 5.4secs; it also comes with an eight-speed automatic 'box. Other transmissions in the line-up include the six-speed manual, a CVT and a seven-speed dual-clutch.
As you would expect, the interior of the Avant mirrors the new A6’s layout and materials. Options for the Avant include a power hatchback with an integrated, powered boot cover, a load-through hatch, and a gesture control system that responds to a foot movement and opens the boot.
CLICK HERE to see more official pics of the new A6 Avant
CLICK HERE to read our roadtest of the new A6
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Jim McGill