Audi A6 Avant estate - Practicality & boot space
It's not the most practical car in its class, but the Audi A6 Avant mixes luxury with ability
The A6 Avant must satisfy customers with its luxurious comfort and excellent practicality, and most prospective buyers should find it hits both targets. If you're just after the biggest boot, however, there are rivals that serve up even more space.
Audi A6 Avant interior space & storage
Tall drivers and passengers should have no issues getting snug in the A6 Avant, which is almost five metres long. It's also slightly taller than before, allowing Audi's designers to improve headroom front and rear. There are also plenty of thoughtful features, like the powered tailgate.
Boot space
The A6 Avant comes with a 40:20:40 split-and-fold rear bench as standard, with a flip-down centre armrest for added comfort when two people are sat in the back. Folding down the central portion almost makes a handy load-through for long items like skis or snowboards, only sacrificing the back middle seat.
Open the boot and there's 586 litres of load space behind the rear seats – more than the Volvo V90 but less than the Mercedes E-Class Estate (640 litres). If you can do without all the Audi's luxuries, the Skoda Superb Estate also boasts a bigger 660-litre boot. Cargo room extends to 1,680 litres with the rear seats folded down, but again this can't quite match the 1,820 litres of the E-Class. It's a well thought-out space, though, with rear seats that fold down flat, the wide tailgate aperture gives a loading width of just over a metre and there's standard rail system to organise luggage.
Be prepared to leave some luggage at home if you choose the plug-in hybrids. The positioning of the batteries means that boot space decreases to 405 litres, which is little more than in a family hatchback like the Audi A3. The boot floor is flat, however, unlike the stepped floor you’d have to put up with in a hybrid Mercedes E-Class estate.
Towing
A factory-fitted tow hitch is available for the A6 Avant, swivelling electrically from under the bumper and costing around £800. Both diesel versions are competent here, being able to haul a 2,000kg braked trailer, which equates to a large caravan.
