AUDI'S A6 REVIVES THE ESTATE

The future of estate cars may be in doubt at Volvo, but they still have a firm place in the range of that other known purveyor of them.

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Avant is an institution at Audi, to the extent that it's launching its latest AG (that’s the ICE one, not the unrelated electric one) as an estate first, with the saloon to follow later on.

Globally, just over half of A6s are specified as a saloon, but the estate dominates in Europe. Even so, its role has changed over the past five decades of A6 and 100 production. Today, buyers after a large, practical family car are more likely to pick an SUV. That leaves the A6 free to become more of a lifestyle product, one that puts more emphasis on style and driving dynamics.

For this C9-generation A6, the rear windscreen is notably sloped, not unlike an 100 Avant of the 1980s, and there's pronounced blistering to the wheel arches — Quattro, anyone? You will make up your own mind about the looks, but in the metal it looks rather sharp, I think.

The new A5 launched last year (to replace the A4) was a pleasant surprise, particularly in sporty S5 guise, and mechanically the A6 is effectively the same thing but bigger. It’s based on the same new PPC platform with just a few spec differences.

That means the engines are still placed longitudinally, driving the front wheels in lower-end versions or all four in higher ones. At launch, UK buyers can choose either a conventional 2.0-litre petrol or a 2.0-litre diesel with Audi’s new MHEV Plus system, which puts a 24bhp electric motor on the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 1.7kWh battery under the boot floor.