Audi A6 Avant e-tron previews all-electric estate coming in 2024

Audi has confirmed that it will launch an all-electric version of the A6 Avant within the next two years, revealing a thinly disguised concept of how the car will look.

The marque said that the A6 Avant e-tron concept “offers a glimpse” of the production model due in 2024 but it is thought that the final model will closely resemble the concept car.

The new car will not be based on the same platform as combustion engined versions of the A6 but instead will be built on the new PPE platform that will also underpin the new Q6 electric SUV and the next-gen Porsche Macan EV, as well as the saloon-style A6 e-tron Sportback.

At 4.7m long and 1.96m wide, it is the same size as the existing A6 Avant and Audi says that clever packaging of the electric drivetrain and batteries mean it will offer similar passenger and luggage space as the current car.

Audi has made a lot of the wind tunnel work that went into giving the car an efficient aerodynamic profile, which has resulted in a low, sleek body design with softer edges than the current generation car.  Among high-tech features, the car has cameras in place of wing mirrors, the brand’s latest matrix adaptive LED headlights and OLED tail lights that have a 3D “spacial effect”. The car is also equipped with LED puddle lights which project a welcome message to passengers and can be used to display warning symbols outside the car – for example, to warn a bike rider that the car door is about to open.

A number of different drivetrain options will be available on the new A6 e-tron, including a single-motor rear-wheel-drive version optimised for the longest range, and all-wheel drive variants using two motors. The concept car is fitted with two motors with a combined output of 463bhp and a massive 590lb ft of torque, good for a 0-62mph time of less than four seconds.

Audi is targeting a maximum range of 435 miles from the single-motor version of the A6 Avant e-tron. Due to the PPE platform’s 800V architecture, the car will be capable of charging at up to 270kW, meaning a 10-minute charge will be enough to add 186 miles of range.

Oliver Hoffman, Audi board member for technical development, said: “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.”

The PPE platform used for the A6 will also be used for smaller and larger vehicles in future, with Audi confirming that it will underpin B-segment and D-segment cars as well as SUVs and crossovers.

Currently, the only all-electric traditional estate is the MG 5 EV, with other car makers focusing on electric SUVs and hatchbacks.