Image: Audi
Using last year’s A6 e-tron Sportback concept, Audi teased us with a possible forbidden fruit: the EV wagon. The German luxury brand has unveiled a versatile version of its A6 e-tron concept dubbed the A6 Avant e-tron.
Image: Audi
Avant e-tron is a preview of a future model that will go on sale in two years. Everything about the design is amazing. From the slanted D-pillar to short overhangs and huge 22-inch wheels, this is a rolling supermodel.
Image: Audi
Even the lights are bright. In addition to the digital matrix head and tail lights, which have a design based on the OLED element inside, anyone who opens the car doors will get a light show. From the press release:
Three small, high-resolution LED projectors are built into each side of the bodywork, turning the ground below them into a stage when the doors are opened – small, extended dynamic lighting effects greet passengers with messages in their own language.
Despite the fantastic design, what really matters is how it performs in the real world as an electric car. In just three years, Audi plans to sell 20 electric car models worldwide. And if they want people to take them seriously and buy them, the brand will have to. The Avant e-tron promises this with impressive battery technology.
Image: Audi
The A6 Avant e-tron rides VW’s new personal protective equipment (which stands for premium electric platform) that will also underpin the Porsche Macan EV and Q5 e-tron. An important feature of this platform, at least for Avant, is the battery located between the axles of the car. Audi says it holds 100 kWh of energy. With its two electric motors, the power output is 469 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Audi also promises some serious charging and range, claiming some models can go 435 miles on a single charge.
… in the future, the Audi A6 e-tron will shine with a range of up to 700 kilometers (435 miles) (WLTP), depending on the drive system and model variant. And the strongest members of the series will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than four seconds. The meanings of Sportback and Avant are only slightly different from each other. The drive system and battery technology also live up to this title. With its 800-volt system and up to 270 kW of charging power, it can get enough power in just 10 minutes at a fast charging station to travel about 300 kilometers (186 miles).
Rumor has it that a production release in 2024 does not hope this thing will appear in the US. Unless it’s a crossover or crossover equivalent, consumers don’t want it. And we all know that vans are not for sale here. The best we could hope for is to see a version of this car as the next generation electric A6 Allroad. But even that is questionable, as I’m pretty sure Audi doesn’t sell many of them here.