The last time The Straits Times reviewed an Audi A6 Avant was in 2013. It was a 3-litre, bi-turbo diesel paired with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission and it went like the wind.
(Click here to read our review of the A6 3.0, or here to check out our Group Test featuring the A6 2.0, Lexus ES250 and Volvo S80 T4.)
Then came a turbocharged 2-litre petrol with a continuously variable transmission, which was not tested because there were no demo units available.
The car you see on this page is a facelift of the current A6 range. It is fitted with a 1.8-litre petrol turbo mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
Despite the smaller displacement, it has 190bhp at its disposal (versus 180bhp of the 2-litre). Torque remains unchanged at 320Nm. Compared with the bi-turbo 3-litre of three years ago, you might think the 1.8-litre is a bit underwhelming.
No need to fret. Although not blindingly quick, the car maintains a decent pace and may even be described as brisk at times.
It clocks an 8.2-second century sprint and a peak velocity of 225km/h. While not as impressive as the bi-turbo 3-litre’s 5.3 seconds and 250km/h, it is far from shoddy. Especially when the car weighs more than 1700kg and measures almost 5m long and 1.9m wide.
For such a sizeable wagon, the 1.8-litre A6 Avant actually feels surprisingly adequate. Driven lightly, it keeps up with traffic without breaking a sweat. It shows up its displacement deficiency only when you want to overtake in a hurry or fill a gap that has just opened up.
It will still do so, but just barely. And not without a hefty shove of the right foot and revs piling up high. Thankfully, the engine is both willing and robust. There is nothing worse than a power plant that feels too small and feeble.
The squarish boot allows you to stow things that can be laid flat, but not those that stand tall.
Superior insulation plays a part on this front too. Like the sedan, the A6 wagon is able to keep noise, vibration and harshness at bay. Not just from the powertrain, but from the tyres, traffic and wind as well.
Part of this has to do with its double-glazed windscreen and front windows, which are also found in the sedan.
For a big car, the A6 Avant is effortless to steer. Perhaps a bit too effortless, especially at higher velocities. Its heft also shows when you are tracing a wide arc at speed (you feel you have to tighten your hold on the helm, lest the Audi departs from your intended trajectory).
Unlike the 3-litre turbo-diesel of 2013, this car does not have all-wheel-drive.
That the car is swift and refined despite its “big body, small engine” recipe is not the only surprise. The boot, it appears, is not as commodious as its 565-litre capacity suggests.
You would not know until you drive to a plant nursery and try to place a waist-high sapling at the back. It does not fit. You have to move the front passenger seat as far front as possible and place it on the floor of the second row.
But if you are a family of golfers, the big, squarish stowage will suit your needs. A sensor-controlled, motorised tailgate makes loading up easier.
The A6 Avant comes with full LED headlamps and dynamic turn signals. It has Google map navigation, wireless connectivity for up to eight devices and four-zone digital climate control (there were two previously).
It averages 10km/L in the real world. While far from the declared 16.9km/L, it is not too bad for such a big vehicle.
The car is also the only luxury wagon in its size segment with such a diminutive engine. That has to count for something.
Audi A6 Avant 1.8 (A)
ENGINE 1798cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 192bhp at 4200rpm
MAX TORQUE 320Nm at 1400-4100rpm
GEARBOX 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 8.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 225km/h
CONSUMPTION 16.9km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE From $245,900
