► Full details on new Audi A6 saloon and Avant estate
► Combustion partners to A6 e-Tron EV
► On sale in April, priced from £52,510 for Avant
Audi’s new A6 model range is complete, as the covers come off the sleek new saloon. As always, the A6 saloon sits alongside the A6 Avant that was unveiled in March 2025.
Naturally, the A6 is designed to compete with the BMW 5-series and Mercedes E-Class. For this generation, after some fumbling of names, there are also battery-electric models badged as A6 e-Tron.
What’s new with this A6?
Interestingly, Audi decided to unveil the A6 Avant first. Europe loves the estate model; around 87 per cent of demand for the A6 Avant comes from Europe, with nine per cent in China and just four per cent for the rest of the world. Yes, the world. That said, there is plenty of appetite for the saloon model in markets like China and North America.
The design profile of this new A6 isn’t that much of a surprise, following other recent models revealed by Ingolstadt like the Q6 e-Tron SUV and A5. Interestingly, there’s a little more distinction from the A6 e-Tron than we predicted, with a subtly different front-end design and an entirely different rear light arrangement, for example.
In fact, it’s the lighting that shows off the most differences. As well as unique signatures over its e-Tron counterpart, the A6 Avant comes with some quite overtly industrial-looking headlight lenses with exposed metal fins and mesh in them. Naturally, like those other recent Audi reveals, you can customise the light signatures front and rear – including one that’s perpetually animated. There’s also a machined look to the headlights, with exposed pieces of metal in the headlights that are designed to give a structural look to them.
The saloon’s shape at the rear is very interesting, and reminds us of the C5-generation A6, almost as if Audi’s looking back through some design classics. The rounded-off tailgate is – like the Avant – furnished with Audi’s latest lighting tech. OLED lights can display graphics like warning triangles, or come with a clever (and permanently-animated) daytime running effect.
While the exterior design may be something we somewhat expected, it’s the smoothness of the look that enables Audi to claim this as its most aerodynamic car with an engine.
What’s it like inside?
If you’ve read anything on the latest-generation A5, Q6 e-Tron or the A6 e-Tron then this’ll sound a bit like a broken record. Why? Because the new, combustion-powered A6 features largely the same interior as those other cars. Solid materials, lots of gloss black panelling for your haptic and touch-sensitive buttons and a MASSIVE panel named the Digital Stage that houses the instruments and central infotainment screen are all present and correct. Just like they are in those other cars.
One of the people responsible for this is Mattijs van Tuijl, interior creative co-ordinator. ‘I’ve been working on these projects [i.e.: A5, Q6 e-Tron and A6] at the same time, and you want to create a family feel between them,’ he says. ‘Especially with the A6, though, we were keen not to overload with technology – it has to be there for a reason.’
The huge Android-based infotainment looks glossy and modern, with a useful homepage that will show your most used functions and a fixed touch panel bar at the bottom of the display for climate controls. We’d still prefer physical controls, and a lot less gloss black plastic, but there you go.
With the A6, the driving position feels very adjustable with the ability to sit low and visibility feels better than a comparable 5-series Touring. Rear space is impressive, with reasonable headroom and good legroom even when sat behind a tall driver.
Boot space isn’t that impressive for either bodystyle. In the saloon, Audi claims a 492-litre luggage area – smaller than a 5-series and E-Class, which is then lowered even moreso if you spec a model with the MHEV Plus system. For the Avant, Audi rates it to 503 litres from floor to parcel shelf – a chunk smaller than an E-Class Estate or 5-series Touring.
Any performance and trim specs?
For the UK market at launch, we’ll only get 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines – a shame when Europe benefits from a V6, too. The launch engines are the top tier engines available for the A5; a 201bhp TFSI petrol and a 201bhp TDI diesel.
The front-wheel drive-only petrol sprints to 62mph in 8.3sec and tops out at 149mph. Choose the diesel and it’s fitted with quattro all-wheel drive and Audi’s MHEV Plus system that increases the electrification element to allow for low-speed driving with the engine off, and 22bhp of electric boost.
After the initial launch of these combustion engines, expect a TFSIe plug-in hybrid model to join the range later. Want something Audi Sport flavoured? You’ll have to wait a bit for an S6 or an RS6. Both will use a fiery twin-turbo V6, with the latter benefitting from some potent electrical assistance. That’s as well as the upcoming, fully electric RS6 e-Tron model.
As for other engineering details, you have a choice of suspension options: standard, sport or air. Standard is fitted to Sport trim models, and Audi claims it’s designed to be ‘even more comfortable than its predecessor.’ Go for S line or Edition 1 trims and the spot setup is fitted by default. Want air springs? You’ll need to pay extra for that.
When can I get one, and how much?
Audi says the new A6 Avant goes on sale no in the UK, priced from £51,510 for a basic Sport model with the petrol engine, while a base diesel clocks in at £56,780. If you’re after a flagship Edition 1 model, you’re looking at a price north of £60k. We’ll have to hang on a smidge for saloon prices, but they’ll be a couple of grand cheaper.