There’s a glaring hole in the market for all-electric, fully-fledged estate cars - but this new Audi A6 Avant e-tron could well be the answer lease customers have been looking for.
Electric SUVs are being released left, right and centre, and with a commanding driving position and ‘do it all’ attitude, there’s every reason why you’d want one.
But if you’re looking for the maximum bang for your buck when it comes to load-lugging abilities, a super-practical estate is often an even safer bet.
The problem is that if you’re hankering for an all-electric estate, your options aren’t quite as diverse as they might be, particularly if you want a luxurious one. You’ve got, of course, the estate variant of the Porsche Taycan, as well as the new MG5 EV, but there isn’t really an equivalent in the BMW or Mercedes-Benz range and with Audi the closest you’ll get, thus far, is the e-tron crossover.
Things could be about to change, though...
Audi has this week released details of an A6 Avant e-tron estate, with a projected electric range of up to 435 miles and which also has super-fast charging capabilities.
It’s just a concept, for now, but with a lot of lease customers clamouring for just the thing, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the A6 Avant e-tron becoming a copper-bottomed reality in the months to come.
It will sit on Audi’s ‘PPE’ electric platform, which uses the entire vehicle base to house the enormous battery.
Oliver Hoffmann, Audi Board Member for Technical Development, says:
“With the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept, we are offering a completely tangible look at future production models on our new PPE technology platform.
“We’re not just electrifying the Avant’s successful 45-year history. What we want most of all is to use technical skills to add an exclamation point. In particular, this includes powerful 800-volt technology, 270 kW of charging capacity, and a WLTP range of up to 700 kilometres (435 miles).”
The Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept has two electric motors capable of delivering power of up to 469 PS and 800Nm of torque. To put that into context, it’s almost on a par with the Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, which has power of 476 PS and a range of up to 283 miles between charges.
Audi says its PPE technology means that charging times ‘come close to a conventional stop to refuel a car powered by a combustion engine’.
And that’s almost true. Just 10 minutes is enough time to charge the battery to a level sufficient to power the car for more than 186 miles. And in less than 25 minutes, you can charge the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept’s 100kWh battery from 5 to 80 percent.
As Audi points out, it makes the A6 Avant e-tron real-world comfortable when you’re either running to the supermarket or heading for a fully-loaded family holiday.
Entry models should be able to accelerate from 0-62mph in less than seven seconds. And in the top-of-the-line, high-performance versions, this sprint can even be reduced to well under four seconds.
You can also expect large 22-inch wheels and short overhangs, a dynamic roof arch that gives the Avant ‘proportions that are distinctly reminiscent of a sports car’, and high-tech flourishes throughout, including turn signals projected onto the ground, and the ability to project video games or movies onto a wall in front of you via the Matrix LED headlights, rather than having to watch it on a small screen in the cabin.
We’ll bring you further details as and when they’re announced.
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