Audi A6 Avant review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The five-seat Audi A6 Avant is the kind of car that will appeal to buyers who don’t see the value in a high-riding crossover or SUV. That said, a rugged A6 Allroad version complete with raised ride height is available. Please see our separate review on the off-road A6 Allroad.

Audi has given the A6 Avant a more rakish look than before, but thanks to greater width and an extended wheelbase, greater 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 cabin that is larger than the previous model. The E-Class is wider and taller at 2,065mm and 1,475mm respectively, but the A6 is 7mm longer.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Audi A6 feels noticeably larger than its A4 sibling, perhaps even more so in the Avant. 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.

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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 either side of the 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 a great deal of storage space on the centre console. At least the rear seats feature a pair of storage nets.

Boot 

The boot in the new A6 Avant might be 19mm longer than in the old model, but you still get the same 565 litres of luggage space with the rear seats folded up 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 you’d find in the BMW 5 Series Touring (570 litres) and Volvo V90 (575 litres), and significantly less than the class-leading Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate (640 litres). It’s a bit miserly with the seats folded down, too, with the 5 Series extending to 1,700 litres and the E-Class to a cavernous 1,820 litres.

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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.

An optional sensor is available for the tailgate, which enables it to be opened using a swipe of the foot – handy if you’re arriving back at your car with bags full of shopping.

Towing

An electrically swivelling trailer towing hitch is available for a little over £800 and includes trailer stabilisation with electronic stability control. Both diesel models have a braked trailer load limit of 2,000kg, which is good enough to pull a large caravan.