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 emphasise 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.
The new Audi A6 Avant is 4.94 meters long, 1.89 meters wide and1.47 meters high. Its interior is even larger than the predecessor model. It beats the competition with front and rear elbow room as well as 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 millimeters 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 with sensor control. The rear seats can be folded 40:20:40 as a standard.
The new A6 Avant comes completes with comprehensive safety systems, including lighting technology and assistance systems. LED headlights are standard on the new Audi A6 Avant 55 TFSI and HD Matrix LED lights are standard on the 55 TFSI S line model. The dynamic turn signal and the pulsating coming- home and leaving-home sequences emphasise the distinctive character of the A6 family on the Audi A6 55 TFSI S line model. 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.
The new Audi A6 Avant has launched with a V6 TFSI quattro engine outputing 250kW and 500 Nm of torque. The Audi A6 Avant 55 TFSI engine is fitted as standard with a mild hybrid system, which further increases comfort and efficiency and can reduce fuel consumption in real-world driving. The belt alternator starter, the heart of the MHEV system, recovers up to 12 kW with the 48 V system during braking and feeds the electricity into a separate lithium-ion battery. With the engine switched off, the new Audi A6 Avant can coast between 55 and 160 km/h; the start-stop already kicks in at 22 km/h.
The suspension on the new A6 Avant offers an even larger spread between dynamics and comfort than its predecessor. The standard progressive steering is highly comfortable to use. With an already sporty steering ratio, it becomes increasingly more direct. The new control concept for the electromechanical steering also provides intense feedback from the road while eliminating unpleasant jolts from the steering wheel.
Audi offers the dynamic all-wheel steering as an option, which makes the A6 Avant highly maneuverable. At speeds up to 60 km/h, the rear wheels turn as much as five degrees in the opposite direction. This reduces the turning circle of the nearly five-meter long Avant by up to one meter to 11.1 meters. Whether parking, maneuvering or driving in urban traffic you do not notice the size of the A6 Avant in everyday situations. The dynamic all-wheel steering also increases agility in corners and driving stability at higher speeds above 60 km/h. In this situation, the front and rear axles steer in the same direction to enhance stability.
The interior of the new Audi A6 Avant features stylish, minimalist architecture which fuses harmoniously with the operating concept. A black panel surface with the embedded top MMI touch response display dominates the sleek instrument panel. Just like the bottom display on the center tunnel console, it is angled slightly toward the driver. The horizontally oriented lines in the interior reinforce the impression of a large space where all elements relate logically to each other.
Audi New Zealand, General Manager, Dean Sheed, says he is excited to land the new model in the New Zealand market. “The A6 Avant combines innovative technologies, functional equipment and progressive design to deliver an extraordinary experience for every driver, no matter what the journey. And with New Zealand being a country for adventure, it couldn’t be more suited to our nation.”
The new Audi A6 Avant is available at Audi authorised dealerships now. The Audi A6 Avant 55 TFSI is priced from $116,900 + ORC and the S line model is priced from $134,500 + ORC.
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