The New Audi A6 Avant | Part Two

Audi say the new A6 Avant is the largest estate in the executive sector, moving it closer to the luxury D segment and it will become the benchmark model for the industry.

Around 25 per cent of Avant customers will be private buyers, up to 20 per cent will be small owner-operator businesses and the remainder will be company car sales.

Customer profile interests, apart from motoring, include watching football and rugby, walking, hiking and climbing, playing golf, gardening and listening to music.

68 per cent of sales for the Avant are expected to be to users aged between 35 and 54 years, slightly older than A6 Saloon owners. 47 per cent of Avant customers have an annual income in excess of £99,000. Customers will predominately be Company Directors and Managers and 23 per cent of customers have a Masters degree or Doctorate. Customers will be almost exclusively male and married and 74 per cent of them will have children.

The Audi A6 Avant is longer and wider than the BMW 5 Series Touring. With the seats up, the Avant has 65 litres more luggage space and with the seats down, 10 litres more space. There are 565 litres of space behind the rear seats and 1660 litres with the rear seats folded down. A collection of load area equipment, from a neat cargo area mat which folds over the rear bumper to stop loading and unloading damage, through to cargo nets, adjustable belts, lash barricades and an aluminium divider, enable valuable or fragile loads to be carried in safety.

The A6 Avant is also longer and wider than the Mercedes E Class Estate, says Audi. Over the outgoing model the new A6 Avant is 120mm longer overall with a wheelbase increased by 83mm for improved rear seat legroom. The bodyshell is 34 per cent more rigid than the outgoing model; it offers 13 per cent less drag with 43 per cent less high-speed lift.

The new Audi A6 has a five star NCAP safety rating matched by the Mercedes E-Class but one star ahead of the new BMW 5 Series, Saab 9-5 and Volvo S80.

Audi also say the new models have the lowest depreciation against the competitor BMW and Mercedes models and the lowest benefit in kind taxation levels.

At launch, no less than 14 models make up the A6 Avant range. Currently there is a choice of four V6 engines, 2.4 and 3.2 petrol, 2.7 and 3.0 TDI and a 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine for top of the range models. Eight Quattro models are included in the range. Specification levels are the comfort orientated SE and sporting S line. The main seller is expected to be the yet to be introduced 2.0-litre TDI which will be delivered to customers from June onwards this year. Additional models to be added in the future say Audi, will include an Allroad, a V8 diesel and an RS version.

Current prices range from £26,510 to £46,270.