Audi has whipped the covers off its new A6 Avant e-tron concept, previewing an upcoming all-electric production model and confirming the wagon shape is still very much alive in Ingolstadt…

Worried the automotive industry’s shift towards electric vehicles will spell the end of the road for the largely underappreciated wagon body style? Well, fear not, lovers of long roofs. The new Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept has been revealed, resplendent in Neptune Valley grey paint and offering a look at a future production battery-powered model.

Described as more than “just a simple design exercise”, the new A6 Avant e-tron concept hits the stage around a year after the unveiling of the Sportback equivalent (and shortly after Audi South Africa’s electric assaulton the local market). Like that concept, the newcomer employs an electric drive system based on the upcoming Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform, a modular architecturebeing developed by Audi with Porsche.

Break out the measuring tape and you’ll find the A6 Avant e-tron concept is 4 960 mm long and 1 960 mm wide, while standing 1 440 mm tall, making it roughly the same size as the current, combustion-engined A6 Avant. As you might be able to tell simply by looking at it, the Ingolstadt-based firm says the sleek show car boasts an aerodynamic value that is “unprecedented” in the electrified C-segment.

Audi claims that slipperiness through the air helps the concept deliver a single-charge range of up to 700 km (depending on the derivative, of course), with the flagship performance version completing the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in “well under 4.0 seconds”.

The A6 Avant e-tron concept follows the reveal of the A6 Sportback e-tron concept from almost a year ago.

A pair of electric motors – one on each axle, resulting in all-wheel drive – offers peak outputs of 350 kW and 800 Nm, while 800-volt charging technology means the battery (which has a capacity of “around 100 kWh”) can be rapidly replenished with up to 270 kW at fast-charging stations. According to the German company, this enables charging times “close to a conventional stop to refuel a car powered by a combustion engine”. In fact, Audi claims around 300 km of range can be added in 10 minutes when docked at a fast-charging station.

Of course, by virtue of the fact it’s an estate car, the A6 Avant e-tron concept offers oodles of cabin space, with Audi claiming the lengthy wheelbase allows a “longer interior and more legroom in both rows of seats”. In addition, the positioning of the battery pack, the distinct lack of a combustion engine and the absence of a traditional transmission tunnel result in even more room inside.

“With the Audi A6 Avant e-tron concept, we are offering a completely tangible look at future production models on our new PPE technology platform,” said Audi Board Member for Technical Development, Oliver Hoffmann.

“We’re not just electrifying the Avant’s successful 45-year history. What we want most of all is to use technical skills to add an exclamation point. In particular, this includes powerful 800-volt technology, 270 kW of charging capacity, and a WLTP range of up to 700 kilometres,” Hoffmann concluded.