Luxury station wagon shares German automaker’s all-new ICE platform with sixth-generation A6 sedan, but it won’t be on sale in Canada
- 2025 Audi Avant A6 MHEV powerplant mates 2.0-litre diesel engine with 48-volt battery system
- Total power output is 226 horsepower
- New A6 Avant is slipperiest ever, with a 0.25 drag coefficient
The new A6 Avant MHEV’s upgraded powertrain mates a 2.0-litre TDI four-cylinder with a 48-volt battery, a belt alternator starter (BAS), and a powertrain generator (PTG) with integrated power electronics. The generator is engineered to provide just electric power for parking, slow-speed maneuvering, and slow-moving traffic, which translates to improved fuel economy and lower carbon emissions. The direct diesel injection four-banger’s power rating is 201 horsepower, while the hybrid system adds in 25 hp for a total power output of 226. The base model gets a turbo-charged TFSI 2.0-litre engine rated at 201 horsepower.
Aiding that improved efficiency is a new body style with a slippery drag coefficient of 0.25 — the lowest in Avant history. Other exterior upgrades include with new digital lighting arrays, large air curtains, controllable cool-air intakes at the front, a new roof spoiler and aerodynamic panels on the sides of the rear window.
Mechanical upgrades include a more direct progressive steering system, with a heavier steering wheel feel to achieve an improved steering response, more feedback from the road, and according to Audi “light-footed handling.” Optional upgrades include all-wheel steering and adaptive air suspension, the former working in conjunction with quattro all-wheel drive. At low speeds, the rear wheels turn up to five degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels, resulting in more agile handling in city traffic and in tight curves. At medium and higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction, enabling stable and even more precise handling. The turning circle has been reduced by up to one metre.
If you’re wondering about the word ‘Avant,’ its origins are from the French word for “forward” or “ahead,” and Audi has used it for its station wagons since the debut of the A6 in 1994.
The entry-level engine TFSI 150 kW will start at 58,000 euros, while the 2.0 TDI with MHEV plus technology will start at 61,700 euros. The first vehicles will be delivered to customers at the end of May 2025. But alas, not in Canada.
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