Audi A6 e-tron review

We’re actually going to start this section with something on the outside of the A6 e-tron – those digital wing mirrors. We were never able to get on with the first-generation versions in the old e-tron SUV, but Audi says it has listened to criticism and moved the screens further up to help you glance at them in the A6. That has helped.

The housings also now fold when parked to protect the cameras from damage and to allow owners to quickly check whether their car is locked. And yet, we still find the cameras tricky to use. In poor conditions they do still show a clear view of the road behind and stay free of grime, but your eyes need a second to refocus on a digital display, so a quick glance is still tricky, and no matter how much you move around in the seat, trying to see the kerb below or check your blindspot, the screen’s perspective never changes.

Bet those aren’t the only screens you’ve got to play with.

The digital dash display is an 11.9in monitor and sits in the same curved panel as the giant 14.5in infotainment screen. If you’ve gone for the Edition 1 trim then you’ll also get a 10.9in touchscreen that allows your front seat passenger to change the radio station or alter the destination in the navigation. Could be good for a bit of mischief. You’d imagine this bank of screens might have you feeling like a bit Ready Player One, but because of the way they’re mounted and some clever dash surfacing, they’re not overwhelming.

More than that the screens are decent to use, don’t constantly try to baffle and distract like they do in most BMWs now. The backgrounds are black, the menus understandable and there are useful features and shortcuts. A shoutout too to the augmented reality head up display, with its useful animated graphics. It works well enough that you use the built-in satnav rather than switching to phone tethering automatically.

Bet there’s no buttons though?

And you’re right. No physical climate controls, not even switches to control the lights. Instead you get a busy panel on the driver’s door for mirror adjustment, lights and memorised seat positions. We’re pleased to see a physical volume knob on the centre console, but otherwise you’ll mostly be using the screens or the capacitive buttons on the steering wheel. Halfway decent, but lacking the tactility and intuitive operation of actual buttons.

What about away from the dashboard?

Well, the seats are supremely comfortable, and you don’t really seem to be sitting that high despite the battery being housed under the floor. Makes you a little nervous about how low slung the pack is, and how easy it is to scrape on speed bumps.

Anyway, there’s a leather-free interior option and plenty of soft touch materials all round including fabric stretched across the dash. There are fancy soft close doors too, plus the option of an excellent Bang & Olufsen sound system (although we’d avoid the additional headrest speakers) and all the usual quality that you’d associate with an Audi interior. It feels very well put together, although you can spy cheap and distinctly un-Audi plastics not too far from your eyeline. The best we can say is that they are not offensive.

How are the rear seats?

You sit a little high, and there’s not much clearance to get your feet under the front seats. Still, at least there’s no transmission tunnel to obstruct the centre passenger. Headroom is okay though – particularly in the Avant which is 40mm taller than the Sportback.

It can be a little dark in the rear, so if you want to be kind to back seat passengers we’d suggest the ‘Cardamom Beige’ seat colour and the panoramic roof with its switchable transparency panels.

How big is the A6 e-tron Avant’s boot?

A great question. The Avant’s boot will swallow 502 litres of stuff with all five seats in place. That’s slightly less space than you get in the BMW i5 Touring and (weirdly) exactly the same as the Sportback. Better shape though, and if you fold the rear row flat it’s upped to 1,422 litres of luggage space in the Avant vs 1,330 litres in the Sportback. Worth mentioning that there’s also a 27-litre frunk storage space for cables and other mucky bits.

Right, let’s discuss the boot opening and closing. Exciting stuff. Remember kicky-boot? You randomly waved your foot under the rear bumper and hoped onlookers didn’t think you were attempting to plant a shoe bomb. Well now there’s a puddle light to show you where to wave your foot! Revolutionary stuff.

And that’s not all. To open the bonnet you just wave your hand above the four rings while the key is in your pocket. Magic.