Audi A6 e-Hybrid

DRIVE New plug-in hybrid executive car has many talents, but is undermined by details including its disappointing interior

- Jordan Katsianis

LIFE is pretty difficult for premium car brands such as Audi these days.

Gone is the era of gentle evolution, and instead constant, relentless innovation is required, largely around the goal of profitable mass production of battery electric models. Yet this can't come at the expense of the combustion-powered models customers are still asking for, and that's why we're testing another all-new Audi A6 - the key difference here being that this is the latest combustion-engined variant.

Together with the sleek Avant estate, this new saloon joins the all-electric A6 e-tron that was launched last year in both Sportback and Avant bodystyles, creating a spread of powertrain options in the executive class. In contrast to BMW's 5 Series range, though, the electric and combustion A6 models share little more than a name, because the two are entirely different under the skin.

This new model uses a heavily modified version of the previous A6's architecture, called PPC. You'll find a range of petrol and diesel engines available, but the new chassis has been largely developed to integrate a new generation of plugin hybrids, one of which we're driving here.

As with lots of premium plugin hybrids in recent years, these new models pack significantly more electric range, with the A6 officially capable of just over 60 miles from a single charge. This should mean the vast majority of daily driving duties can be handled on battery power alone, which will not only reduce tailpipe emissions, but will also save on fuel bills, if you can charge at home.