2025 Audi A6 e-tron Avant S line quattro Review

The latest Audi A6 is battery powered. That will immediately rule it out for some, but those after refinement, absolute effortlessness and sleek styling will like this.  

Do you find luxo SUVs all a bit common? As choice in the premium sedan/wagon space continues to dwindle, SUVs proliferate. But here is a new, low-riding five-door in the luxury mould; the Audi A6 e-tron Avant S-line quattro.  

The A6 e-tron is the second model on Audi’s Premium Platform Electric following on from the Q6. Available in Sportback and Avant overseas, it’s just the latter we get here. And rightly so, Audi does well in the wagon space. You might be wondering about the conventional A6, the new gen available with petrol, diesel and plug-in powertrains. Audi NZ says; ‘We are planning to bring the new (petrol) A6 back next year for a limited time, but it won’t be a model readily available on the fleet going forward.’ We guess with well-healed New Zealanders loving the fast and furious RS 6, the A6 e-tron will help balance the CO2 budget. So, if you’re energy agnostic and looking for something that’ll be more exclusive than everyone else’s SUV, read on.  

The A6 e-tron is available in three flavours starting with the S line (RWD, 270kW/565Nm, 650km, $144,990) topping out with the S6 (AWD, 370kW/855Nm, 623km, $202,990) while this S line quattro is the middle child. It goes for $167,990 and with two motors, outputs 315kW and 855Nm. All models use a 94.9kWh battery with max charge rates of 11kW AC and 270kW DC. Range for this model is a stated 625km. It’s a big car, just over 4.9 meters long, 1.9m wide while the wheelbase is just under 3m. The form is not only attractive but also efficient with a Cd of 0.24.  

Flash inside too?  

Up front the A6 is remarkably like the A5 with a similar layout and just a few tweaks to the contoured shapes of the upper dash and doors. Like the A5, we find there’s a bit much piano black plastic used. And while the build is solid, the cabin is dark and plasticky. Some of the touch points feel similar to what you might find in a nicely appointed Geely. The S line comes with accomplished seats, sporting plenty of power adjustment (the steering column too) with just the right amount of bolster. The squashed wheel carries over too and the haptic control pads. There’s a trio of screens. The kids love the one on the passenger side, keeping them happy. The driver display is clear with a few differing views but it’s not as configurable as it could be. This had the augmented reality head-up display that will highlight all the potential dangers ahead. But it’s another case of health and safety gone mad. It’ll put a red line on a road marking it think you might cross, and highlight the vehicle ahead, while big red arrows will encourage you not to tailgate (even though you’re miles off their bumper). And yet most of the same information can be relayed via the regular display in a much less distracting manner. And so we turned it all off.  

The optional panoramic roof is trick with its ability to turn from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. It lightens the cabin while effectively cutting the glare, but it’s a pricey $5000 option.  

They say the platform allows for a flat floor but there’s still a decent sill to get your foot over when getting in both the front and rear. Once in, rear seat passengers will find good legroom (not masses however) but a pair of adults or three kids will be seated in relative comfort. The boot isn’t massive, a quoted 502L up to the window line, and it’s a little bit narrow for how big the car is. There’s some storage underneath the floor for cables but no spare wheel. The back seat springs forward at the pull of the lever, folding to present a reasonably flat load area. Optional is a retractable tow ball (that seemed to be stuck when we tried to deploy it), allowing for a 2100kg braked tow capacity. 

Just so easy  

While it has different drive modes, you’ll keep it in the default Balanced, which is aptly named. It brings a measured approach to the ride, power delivery and steering heft. This is just what you want from your luxury machine. It’s just easy. There is a heap of torque, though it’s delivered smoothly, not just dumped on you. Unless you really hit the gas that is, then it powers forward. If you’re wanting max thrust off the mark, you need to hit the ESP button and pretend to stall it up on the brake. This accesses ‘launch mode’ granting brief access to an additional 25kW. And then you’ll whip to the limit in 4.5sec.  Want more? The S6 is for you, dropping that to a claimed 3.9sec. 

Air suspension is standard giving it a broad range of abilities in the ride and handling department. The ride is well sorted around town, plush for what it is. Yet it’s also controlled while able to glide over most speed bumps too.  

Most of the braking is handled by motor regen, the brake pedal well balanced in its feel and assistance. Using the paddles, you can add mild or strong regen or turn it off altogether. It’s good when it’s that easy, allowing you to mix it up to suit your mood. 

The turning circle is on the large side (no RWS help here) and it does ride low, so watch your approach to drive ways. While the side mirrors are small, this has a good surround view camera and blind spot monitoring. 

This has all the nanny state features yet we didn’t hear a peep from the driver monitor system and the speed recognition doesn’t issue endless audible alerts. The lane keeping is mostly well behaved, but is easily defeated by tapping the button on the end of the indicator wand twice. The active cruise is pretty easy to manipulate via its own separate wand but it lacks the intelligent lane assist when you’re on the motorway. 

On the charge 

The balanced approach continues on the highway; it’s a comfortable cruiser. There’s more road noise than you experience in a higher riding SUV but it’s not intrusive. With the regen set high, a throttle lift is all you need for the corners, the steering is accurate, and there’s plenty for the easy overtake.  

If you up the ante, you’ll want to access the Dynamic mode which controls the mass better. And yet the ride doesn’t go to custard. Yeah, it hits the bigger bumps harder, but the A6 retains its refined demeanour. The steering adds more resistance, helping you negotiate the bends more precisely, and this turns in well for what is a big car on a long wheelbase. And there’s not much understeer to contend with either. You don’t want to force the issue however; it’s not the S6 (which gets S-specific air springs and a few other athletic enhancements), but keep it smooth and this covers ground rapidly. You notice its mass under braking, but it manages to haul up well.  

It’s a large car with powerful motors, and so it sucked through an average of 23kWh/100km during our week with it.  You’d want to invest in a wallbox to take advantage of the 11kW AC charging at night. At one of ChargeNet’s 200kW machines, it took 23mins to lift the battery from 30 –80 per cent (adding 260km to the DTE), with the average rate of charge being 129kW. 

Worthy then? 

Certainly. It’s what a premium car should be; effortless to drive, refined, comfortable and well specified. It has real presence too. People will likely find it hard to look past the Q6 e-tron if they want four electrified rings in the garage. It has that more commanding seat height, it’s not as long but just as practical. And it’s cheaper. That will make the A6 more exclusive however.  

Audi A6 e-tron Avant S line quattro
$167,990  /  17.0kWh/100km  /  0g/km
0-100 km/h 4.46s
80-120 km/h 2.65s (74.6m)
100-0 km/h 36.98m
Speedo error  97 at an indicated 100km/h
Ambient cabin noise  71.0dB@100km/h
Motor output  315kW
Max torque  855Nm
Battery  94.9kWh
Range  625km
Drivetrain  Single-speed auto / AWD
Front suspension  Multilink / air springs
Rear suspension  Multilink / air springs
Turning circle  12.3m (2.1 turns)
Front brakes  Ventilated discs
Rear brakes  Ventilated discs
Stability systems  ABS, ESP, TV
Safety  AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB
Tyre size  f-245/40R21  r-275/35R21
Wheelbase  2946mm
L/W/H  4928 / 1923 / 1523mm
Track  f-1663mm  r-1623mm
Luggage capacity 502-1422L  
Tow rating  750kg (2100kg braked)
Service intervals  2yrs / 30,000km
Scheduled servicing  3yrs / 150,000km
Warranty  5yrs / 150,000 km
ANCAP rating  ★★★★★ (2025)
Weight (claimed)  2295kg