Audi has taken the covers off the A6 Avant e-tron concept, offering a preview of the production electric A6 estate which is due to arrive in 2024.
The concept's unveiling comes following the reveal of last year's A6 e-tron concept, the all-electric saloon version of the A6 which is set to land in 2023. Both models will go on sale alongside combustion-engined counterparts.
Slippery looks
Its dimensions are roughly the same as those of existing A6 and A7 models and, as expected, the Avant's design language is very much in keeping with that of the saloon. There's the same single-frame grille, for instance, crowned by an illuminated Audi badge; deep vents either side of the grille are finished in contrasting black and send cooling air to the brakes, battery and motor; the slim LED matrix headlights can, when the concept is parked, project videos onto a wall, allowing the passengers to play games.
Along the side, LED projectors beam messages and signals onto the ground such as indicator signals to alert pedestrians and cyclists as to the driver's intentions. A full-length OLED light bar runs across the rear below the steeply tapered rear windscreen and above the bumper with the large, integrated rear diffuser, the latter working as part of the car's overall aero package to cut more cleanly through the air, thereby improving efficiency. The Avant e-tron concept's drag coefficient is a relatively slippery 0.24 - the same as the Tesla Model S and Toyota Prius.
The whole car sits on a set of 22-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.
Rapid charging
The Avant e-tron concept is built around new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture, co-developed with Porsche, which will also provide the running gear for the forthcoming Audi Q6 e-tron SUV. The 800V system enables rapid charging at up to 270kW meaning top-ups from five per cent to 80 per cent take less than 25 minutes, and an additional 300km of range can, at a high-capacity DC rapid charger, be gained in just ten minutes. This is in line with some of Audi's existing models such as the e-tron GT quattro.
The powertrain in the concept, Audi says, is broadly the same as that of the production model and with its all-wheel drive system utilising motors front and rear, can deliver peak power of 469hp, maximum torque of 800Nm and a 0-100km/h time of "less than four seconds".
While the 100kWh battery sitting beneath the Avant concept's floor is the biggest which will be seen in the line-up, only a more frugal single-motor version will deliver the battery's maximum range of 700km.
Boot space
Audi has yet to reveal details of the A6 Avant e-tron's interior, so there's no indication yet as to that all-important figure for an estate car - boot capacity. Given the car's dimensions though, it should be at least comparable with the current model's 565 litres with the rear seats in place. Because of the underfloor batteries and lack of a transmission tunnel, the company says that the interior will offer more space and legroom than combustion models.
When is the Audi A6 Avant e-tron arriving in Ireland?
Because this is just a concept and the production version isn't going to be hitting Irish roads before 2024, any announcement on pricing for the A6 Avant e-tron is obviously a long way off. Audi has said, however, that it aims to keep prices more or less in line with the company's current combustion-engined cars, so perhaps expect a starting price for the electric A6 Avant when it arrives of a bit north of the €70,000 mark.