Safe, practical, the Audi A6 Avant
An ideal leisure vehicle, this family model is also at home in the city.
An ideal leisure vehicle, this model intended for family use or long excursions with (sporty) pals is nevertheless right at home in the city.
What distinguishes the new Audi A6 Avant from the saloon ? In fact, very little… The estate car has the same chassis and engine versions (three petrol and three diesel, including a new one, the V6 2.7 TDI 180 hp). It is however larger than the earlier generation : 13.5 centimetres longer, 4.5 centimetrese wider, it offers a bigger trunk and more space for the passengers. It benefits from an extra 110 litres and proposes several storage compartments on either side of the afore mentioned trunk. It is above all in the vehicle’s modularity that Audi has gone one better. Loading has been facilitated and made more adaptable thanks to two aluminium rails fitted with four sliding rings, on which one can install a baggage net and a “box” accessible from the ski fixture. One can also stash away voluminous objects with the help of a telescopic bar : adaptable for all positions, either straight or diagonal. Electric opening and closing of the trunk tailgate comes as an option.
Good marks for safety
The German manufacturer hasn’t skimped on safety, neither in the standard version nor in the array of options. Torsion rigidity has been raised by 25% and there are now six airbags in the standard version. Those installed at the front of the car have two trigger thresholds, depending on the intensity of the impact the head-rests are “active” and the steering column has been strengthened to resist head-on collisions. In the event of an accident, the battery’s electricity supply cuts off automatically. Options include Adaptative Light, Adaptative Cruise Control and Adaptative Air Suspension. The first offers a curved dynamic light which reaches up to 15° of the inner side of the bend. Active as soon as the car attains a speed of 10 km per hour, it provides ideal driving conditions. The Adaptative Cruise Control is a safe distance regulator with a radar captor. From 30 to 200 km per hour, it detects another vehicle within 150 metres and then controls the safe distance at 4 different levels. For example, for fast motorway driving in dense traffic conditions, it will program a time interval of one second between the two vehicles. An interval which becomes 2.3 seconds when driving on national roads while pulling a trailer. Finally, the Adaptative Air Suspension option allows for sporty and dynamic driving. Installed on all 4 wheels, it is combined with a shock absorber system. The Audi A6 Avant offers five finishes : Attraction ; Ambiente with onboard computer ; Ambition, a sportier version with Alcantara leather seats, multi-function 3-spoke steering-wheel ; S-line (extra-sporty) with its own decorative applications, Speed leather/fabric seats, optimized braking system ; Ambition Luxe with leather seats, metallic paintwork and storage pack.
By Cécile Olivéro - photos : press
