Slated for production in 2024, the all-new Audi A6 e-tron midsize sedan is a thing of beauty, an ultra-attractive luxury electric vehicle with every possible amenity. On the same drawing board is a long and lean station wagon version, but this isn't your dad's Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. Not by a long shot! The Audi A6 Avant e-tron is a stunning wagon version of the A6, featuring the same design elements and incredible technology promised in the sedan but in an even more fetching long roof model.
Lighting the Way
While there is still a good deal we don't know about this radical wagon concept, we can tell you that the Avant will be of similar length and storage capacity as the Audi gasoline-powered A6 all road wagon currently in production though it will be slightly wider and two inches lower. Audi tells us the coefficient of drag will be just 0.24. The vehicle includes hidden air intakes to keep the electric motors, brakes, and battery packs cool and air curtains channel air around the side of the vehicle as well. A rear diffuser helps to reduce lift.
What we know about the Avant e-tron
- Both the A6 sedan and A6 Avant wagon will utilize Volkswagen's scalable PPE platform that includes an 800-volt system offering up to 270 kilowatts of charging. The automaker tells us the A6 platform can charge up 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes on DC Fast Charging. Going from 20 percent up to an 80 percent charge takes less than 25 minutes. The 100-kWh battery pack is predicted to take you up to 436 miles before you need a charge and the wagon's two-motor, all-wheel drive variant will give you 469 horsepower and a whopping 590 pound-feet of torque.
- While the A6 in both sedan and wagon guises will offer a single motor, rear wheel drive version, the dual-motor 469 horse all-wheel drive ground-pounder is predicted to take you from zero to 60 miles per hour in under 4 seconds. That's one quick station wagon! It might even beat the Polestar engineered Volvo V60 T8.
- The Avant will sit on 22-inch wheels and special Hankook Ventu S1 evo 3 tires that are specially designed for electric vehicles. Air suspension will help to smooth out bumpy roads, and the wagon will include cameras mounted in stalks on either side of the car, replacing traditional sideview mirrors. That feature is not allowed in America, so if Audi decides to ship this EV stateside, they'll have to change that.
Lighting Tricks
Based on videos of the Avant in action, one of the coolest features on the A6 EV line will no doubt be the matrix LED and OLED lighting so prominently featured. This digital tech allows for 3-D individual light sequencing as the customer prefers. The engineers at Audi went all out to provide an amazing light show, from the undulating animated headlight and taillights to side lighting that projects messages on the ground next to the car. This can offer safe lighting to allow entry to the vehicle and also warn pedestrians and cyclists when the car doors are about to open. There are even projectors that can display the video games your passengers are playing on a wall in front of the wagon, though why anyone would want this is a mystery. Maybe gamers designed this beast.
Will the Avant come to the U.S.?
The Avant e-tron luxury station wagon will be 16.3 feet long and you'll find an ample rear cargo area under its long roof. The spokespeople for Audi have hinted at the possibility of bringing this wonder wagon to the United States market. However, besides including side mirrors, the vehicle might have a taller ride height to better suit American roads. There is also talk of a souped-up RS Performance model for tire-screeching road wagon warriors. When the new Avant e-tron debuts, it is planned to be sold alongside its gas-powered Avant brother.
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According to Audi board member for technical development, Oliver Hoffmann, "With the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept, we are offering a completely tangible look at future production models on our new PPG technology platform."
Here's a video preview of the mind-blowing light show coming on these A6 e-trons provided by RoCars:Â
