3rd Report: Spoke too soon?
I fear I may have fated my Audi A6 E-Tron after much praise. After exclaiming in my last long-term report that its reliability was blemish free, it has only gone and broken down!
Maybe I should have been more aware of the random warning messages I got every now and again, when charging the Audi. These were telling me there was a ‘charging fault’, however in over 2,000 miles, I had no problem charging. Well, that was before the morning of 30 September!
I’d charged the A6 to 100% on my Ohme charger the night before, as I had a mid-morning event at the Thruxton racing circuit near Andover – just over 100 miles from home. I disconnected the cable as usual, closely followed by the power charging port closing itself (a detail of this car I really like!). Then after winding up my cable, I loaded the Audi with everything I would need for the event and turned the A6 on. I still didn’t think anything was wrong, even after the Audi told me it had a ‘charging system fault’. I could see it had still charged to 100%, so tried to shift the gear selector into reverse – and it was then I realised I had a problem, as it wouldn’t engage! This was quickly followed by another error message telling me: ‘Charging connector still attached. Vehicle cannot be driven’.
Despite turning the car on and off in the same way you would with a problem laptop, I had to admit defeat, and call Audi Assist. It is never good when an almost new car breaks done, but overall, I was impressed when technician James knocked on my front door just 30 minutes after my call. He quickly plugged the A6 in, and was hopeful he could get me going quickly, even if it was in an Audi-supplied rental car.
10 minutes later, and James wasn’t so confident he could get my A6 going, and started organising a rental car for me, and recovery for the Audi. The reason for this, he told me, was the charging port had sadly decided that morning to not talk to the rest of the car! I left him to organise everything and made my excuses as to why I wouldn’t be at Thruxton on time. Then, I had a tap on the front door from James, telling me he’d in fact fixed my Audi, although it would need to go back to Audi UK for a permanent repair.
Anyway, the Audi got me safely and swiftly to and from Thruxton without problems, or the need for more charging. Meanwhile, Audi arranged to collect the car for repair and helpfully left me with a another A6 Avant – this time a Quattro diesel, in range-topping Edition 1 spec.
As I write, that was two weeks ago, and our A6 E-Tron Avant is still with Audi for repair. I’m grateful for its diesel replacement, but it’s made me realise how much I like the electric version more. The latest A6 might have only been released last Summer, but in terms of the way it drives, and the technology, that car feels a generation and a half behind our electric one.
Although, I am appreciating the four-wheel steering that makes the diesel car easier to manoeuvre at low speeds, and the almost 700-mile range when fully fuelled! I hope I have better news to report on the Audi next time and look forward to its hopefully imminent return.
| Model | Audi A6 Avant E-Tron S Line |
| P11D price | £67,775 |
| As tested | £75,780 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 362 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 4.0 miles per/kWh |
| Mileage | 2,250 |
2nd Report: Hybrid or electric?
I don’t think many of us appreciate how difficult it now is to cater for fleet drivers’ wants and needs, following the launch of EV models, and the ban on new pure petrol and diesel cars from 2030. When I last ran an Audi A6 long-termer in 2019, there was the same choice of saloon and Avant estate bodies, with a mixture of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power. Now there’s the choice of the E-Tron all-electric Sportback hatch or Avant versions (same as ours!), or more conventional A6 saloon and Avant models that have been more recently added. These come with a choice of petrol, diesel, and the petrol E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid power – the latter we’re comparing here to our long-termer.
More confusing is that despite sharing the same A6 badge, the E-Hybrid and other combustion engine versions of this new car are completely different to E-Tron EV versions like ours. This is because combustion cars are built on Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), the same as the A5 and Q5, whereas our car is built on the new flexible Premium Platform Electric (PPE), shared with the Q6 E-Tron.
The differences are clear as soon as we park the hybrid saloon nose to nose with our Avant long-termer. The hybrid has a slightly lower and longer nose, and to our eyes fussier detailing for the grille and headlights.
It is the same story inside both these A6 models. The basic architecture is the same in the two cars, with a slim, curved panoramic display, which incorporates an 11.9in Audi virtual cockpit and the 14.5in MMI touch screen. However, the dash and centre console designs are completely different – and in the case of our test E-Hybrid in range-topping ‘Launch Edition’ spec, it is plusher and better-equipped than our E-Tron in S-Line spec. This is despite its similar list price (£70,455) and even taking account of our options.
Underneath, the A6 E-Hybrid drivetrain is largely unchanged from the previous-generation car, however the 20.7kWh battery is significantly larger than the old 17.9kWh item. It is paired with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, equalling 248hp. Audi is also boasting about improved energy recuperation, and sound insulation – thanks to that new design. The result Audi claims is an EV-only range of up to 65 miles, although this is spec dependent, as the most we saw was 45 miles! Still, the hybrid drivetrain is one of the smoothest we’ve tried – especially when the electrical charge is depleted, which comes quicker than you think, as this A6 likes to default to EV power, unless you press the button to turn it off.
On the road, the E-Hybrid is also the keener A6 to drive, although our E-Tron would be the more comfortable long-distance companion, as the E-Hybrid was fitted with sports suspension, which was generally harsh and unsettled at low speed – although much better on faster roads. Another E-Hybrid handling feature we wish our E-Tron had is four-wheel steering. It makes the hybrid feel much more agile at higher speeds, and easier to manoeuvre around town.
The biggest compromise with the E-Hybrid must be the 354-litre boot (down from 492-litres), which feels shallow – even if it seems to go back a long way. During the week with the E-Hybrid, roughly every fourth time we got in it, we encountered regular temperamental driver assistance warnings. As features such as adaptive cruise and the matrix LED headlights wouldn’t work!
So, if you can’t choose EV power for your Audi A6, the E-Hybrid version is an excellent alternative. But it’s not enough to make us think we’ve made the wrong decision picking the E-Tron as our 2025 Best Executive Car – it’s a great EV estate.
| Model | Audi A6 Avant E-Tron S Line |
| P11D price | £67,775 |
| As tested | £75,780 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 362 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 4.0 miles per/kWh |
| Mileage | 1,680 |
1st Report: The toughest test?
After just over eight months and nearly 5,000 miles together, the efficiency and easy-going character of our previous Audi Q4 E-Tron long-termer won me over. To the point we now look at other Q4 E-Trons with respect, and one of our next-door neighbours is driving one as a result.
This is the Q4’s replacement, and with prices starting at over £65,000 – the A6 is not a cheap choice! However, I still tried to be rational with my order. S Line spec was a no brainer, because it’s popular, as it has more equipment, and looks sportier. Although manually adjustable seats are a surprise!
Quattro twin-motors were unnecessary, so there were two choices. The Performance drivetrain was tempting for an extra £7,400, because it has the best range, and as the name suggests, the best performance besides the range-topping Quattro. Still, the E-Tron drivetrain we chose hardly disgraces itself with its seven-second 0-62mph acceleration, and up to 361 miles of range.
We even managed to keep the options under control, with just the Sound and Vision Pack, and metallic paint. The Sound and Vision Pack is costly (£3,195), but does include a head-up display, the excellent 3D Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, an ambient light package, and USB interfaces with higher charging capacity (which is already proving popular with my kids!).
This Audi was delivered at the start of July, just two weeks before a planned family holiday to Devon, with just 65 miles on the clock, and still left home with less than 100 miles showing. Although, loading our luggage into the 502-litre boot came first. The capacity with the Avant estate version we’re testing might be the same as the hatchback, but the Avant’s taller rear screen means you can load soft items like towels and coats to the roofline, then rely on the wing mirrors, and excellent rear camera when reversing.
Fully charged the night before, the A6 showed 311 miles of range before leaving, on what was a cool, wet day. Total mileage to get to our destination was 260 miles, but I was ready and prepared to charge, if need be, due to conditions. I needn’t have worried, as apart from some of the safety systems still calibrating – equalling some very odd mileage and range readings – by the time we got past Stonehenge, the A6 was still showing just over 200 miles of range, and over 4.0 miles/kWh efficiency. This impressed and meant we should reach our destination with around 30 miles spare. With less than 20 miles to go, and just under 50 on the range, the Audi dropped itself into Efficiency Plus mode, which maximises the remaining range, but cuts niceties such as the air conditioning!
In my opinion, this was one of the easiest and most relaxing drives I’ve ever had to Devon, and we rolled into our accommodation just over four hours after we left home – still with over 30 miles of range! The Audi impressed with its comfort and refinement, and the adaptive cruise control worked really well.
With use of a charger for the week, range and charging weren’t an issue for the rest of the holiday. The A6 felt very big on the single track rural roads we spent most of the week on – but I think any car would. Thankfully, the only evidence of our Devon break was sand in the interior, the result of a visit to the beach, along with our dog.
I was equally impressed with the efficiency on the way home. Fully charged, we went from Holsworthy to Filleigh to visit family (30 miles), then from there back home to Herts (226 miles), with over 50 miles range left when we arrived.
Overall, a strong start for the A6 Avant E-Tron, then. There’s lots to like about this EV, with only minor issues like the way the Piano Black trim seems to attract dust, and the lofty driving position.
| Model | Audi A6 Avant E-Tron S Line |
| P11D price | £67,775 |
| As tested | £75,780 |
| WLTP Combined Range | 362 miles |
| Test consumption/Range | 4.0 miles per/kWh |
| Mileage | 902 |
Standard equipment: Three-zone climate control, comfort locking, power heated and folding exterior mirrors, heat pump, Audi Connect Infotainment Services Plus, Audi phone box light, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking front and rear, lane departure warning, surround view cameras, leather/artificial leather trim, front sports seats, Drive Select, front, front passenger, side, and head airbags, 20in Audi Sport wheels, S Line bumpers, acoustic front windows, rear privacy glass.
Options: Malpelo blue metallic paint (£775), Sound and Vision Pack (£3,195)
