Audi A6 Avant - Practicality, comfort and boot space

​The five-seat Audi A6 Avant will appeal to buyers who don’t see the value in a high-riding SUV. Audi has given the A6 Avant a more rakish look than the car it replaced, but thanks to greater width and an extended wheelbase, real gains have been achieved with regard to cabin space.

Size

The A6 Avant is 4,940mm long, 1,890mm wide and 1,470mm high, creating a larger cabin than the previous model. Meanwhile, the newer Mercedes E-Class Estate measures in at 4,950 long, 1,880mm wide and 1,469mm high.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Audi A6 feels noticeably larger than its A4 sibling, perhaps even more so in Avant form. The feeling of space is enhanced by the more minimalist approach to the cabin, although the wide centre console running between the two front seats can make it feel a little snug in the front.

Not that the driver or passengers will find any reason to complain about the amount of headroom and legroom. Indeed, legroom is up by 17mm over the old model, although the middle rear passenger will still have to sit with feet on either side of the central transmission tunnel.

Our only real complaint concerns the limited storage options. The door pockets are a little on the small side, while the storage bin between the front seats is a little shallow. Aside from the two cup holders, there isn’t much storage space in the centre console. At least the rear seats feature a pair of storage nets.

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Boot 

The boot in the A6 Avant is 19mm longer than in the old model, but you still get the same 565 litres of luggage space with the rear seats folded up as you did in the old car, and 1,680 litres with the 40:20:40 split-and-fold rear bench folded down. Buttons in the boot enable you to fold the rear seats from the back of the car. The boot space as a whole is less than the 615 litres you’ll find in the Mercedes E-Class Estate using one of its mild-hybrid engines.

Opting for the 50 TFSI e plug-in hybrid A6 Avant reduces boot space even more compared with its equivalent E-Class Estate rival. The electrified A6 Avant has a mere 405 litres of boot space versus the 460 litres of capacity in an E 300 e Estate.

On the plus side, the standard-fit electric tailgate opens to reveal a large and wide opening, including a loading width of 1,050mm. The boot also includes a handy standard-fit luggage compartment system, comprising a rail system to organise luggage and shopping, lash down points and, if you opt for the £100 storage pack, a cargo net.

Towing

An electrically swivelling trailer towing hitch is available for around £800 and includes trailer stabilisation with electronic stability control. Every A6 Avant has a braked trailer load limit of 2,000kg, which is good enough to pull a large caravan.