Audi A6 Avant e-tron Performance S-line Review

The Audi A6 Avant e-tron Performance S line feels like a very complete electric estate, one that focuses less on gimmicks and more on delivering a genuinely premium, easy-to-live-with experience.

It’s a car that makes sense the moment you start driving it, blending comfort, performance and technology in a way that feels thoroughly thought through.

This Performance version starts from £74,160, with the S line review car coming in at £80,455 once key options are added. That includes the Sound and Vision Pack (£3,195), the switchable transparency panoramic roof (£2,375), and Malpelo Blue metallic paint (£775). It’s not cheap, but it feels every bit a premium product when you spend time with it. Don’t forget to check out Leasing.com for all the latest lease prices.

The design of the A6 Avant e-tron is smart and purposeful, the Malpelo Blue metallic paint is a £775 cost option

Power comes from a single rear-mounted motor producing 270 kW (362 PS), rising briefly to 280 kW with launch control. Torque is a healthy 565 Nm, which translates to a 0–62 mph time of 5.4 seconds. On the road, that performance feels effortless rather than aggressive. The car is quick when you need it to be, but it never feels overly sharp or tiring, which suits its long-distance brief perfectly. Rear-wheel drive also gives it a nicely balanced feel, with confident traction and smooth power delivery.

Ride comfort is a real strength. The A6 Avant e-tron cruises beautifully, isolating you from poor road surfaces and motorway noise, while still feeling stable and planted at speed. Steering is accurate and predictable, making it easy to place on narrower roads despite its size. It’s a car you can happily cover big miles in without stepping out feeling fatigued, yet it can still deliver smiles in the twisties - this chasis and ‘comfort’ suspension combination is a real winner.

Official WLTP range figures are quoted at up to 435 miles for the S line and 401 miles for Edition 1 models, but in reality, you’ll want to budget a noticeable margin below that. During our UK winter testing, we were seeing circa 320 miles from a 100% charge. The battery in this performance variant is a 100 kWh lithium-ion unit, with 94.9 kWh usable, and crucially, it uses an 800-volt architecture. That enables DC fast charging at up to 270 kW, with a 10–80% charge taking as little as 21 minutes. This is where the car really redeems itself if you’re travelling long distances. Thanks to the charging performance, the A6 Avant e-tron remains a very convincing long-distance EV despite the real world efficiency fallign well short of the WLTP numbers. Stop briefly, charge rapidly, and you’re back on the road with minimal disruption.

Inside, the cabin is largely excellent. Build quality is solid, the design is modern and understated, and the technology feels suitably high-end. It’s a comfortable place to spend time, whether you’re commuting or heading off on a long trip. The ergonomics of the cabin are also quite superb; it all feels familiar, yet special. The one disappointment is the heavy use of piano black plastic. Whilst it can look good initially, it quickly shows fingerprints, scratches, and reflections, which slightly undermines what is otherwise a very premium interior environment. Rear passenger legroom and headroom are good (more than adequate for 6ft passengers) but toe room is in short supply; aside from this, rear seat passengers have little to complain about.

Practicality is strong, if not class-leading. The boot offers 502 litres with the seats up and 1,422 litres with them folded, plus a small 27-litre frunk - strangely, the boot looks and feels a lot larger than these numbers suggest (?). It’s more than usable for family life and long trips, although rivals like the VW ID7 Tourer and BMW i5 Touring do offer more outright space. Towing capability is impressive for an EV estate, with a braked towing capacity of 2,100 kg, unbraked capacity of 750 kg, and a roof load limit of 100 kg, adding to its versatility.

Running costs and ownership look sensible for the class, with a service interval of 19,000 miles or two years and a standard UK warranty of three years or 60,000 miles.

Our verdict

Overall, the Audi A6 Avant e-tron is a joy to drive and to live with. It’s refined, comfortable, quick enough to feel special, and genuinely usable as an everyday family car or long-distance cruiser. The WLTP range figure may be optimistic and the piano black trim frustrating, but these are relatively small blemishes on an otherwise exceptionally well-rounded electric estate, which is a genuine pleasure to live with.

Pros
• Excellent long-distance ability thanks to rapid 800-volt charging
• Refined driver offering a near-perfect blend of comfort & performance
• Strong, effortless performance that suits everyday driving

Cons
• Real-world range can fall well short of WLTP figures
• Overuse of piano black plastic in the cabin
• Boot and rear space are good, but not class-leading compared with key rivals

Check out our video review of the A6 Avant e-tron Performance below.

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About the Author

Jim Starling is the founder of DefinitelyNotAGuru, a UK-based automotive media outlet focused on clear, honest, consumer-first journalism. His work cuts through marketing hype and technical jargon to help everyday drivers make sense of car buying, leasing, ownership costs, and the transition to electric vehicles.

An independent motoring journalist and long-term EV owner, Jim brings real-world experience to his reporting. Whether covering major international motor shows or testing family cars on UK roads, his focus remains the same: straightforward analysis and genuinely unbiased advice that puts the audience first.