New Audi A6 e-hybrid 2025 review: a talented car that's held back by obvious drawbacks

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2 days ago

If you're after an efficient, refined and comfortable executive saloon, you could do a lot worse than the new Audi A6. This is a well rounded package with excellent executive-car credentials, especially when fitted with the impressive e-hybrid plug-in powertrain. However, the pioneering status that former generations of the A6 held in terms of design, interior tech and material quality doesn't quite apply to this latest model – and that erodes key USPs that made the A6 such a compelling choice. Advertisement - Article continues below
Life is pretty difficult for premium car brands like Audi these days. Gone is the era of gentle evolution, and instead constant, relentless innovation is required, largely around the profitable mass production of battery electric models. Yet this can't come at the expense of the combustion-powered models customers are still asking for, and that's why we're testing another all-new Audi A6 – the key difference here being that this model is the new combustion variant.
Together with the sleek Avant estate, this new A6 saloon joins the all-electric A6 e-tron launched last year in Sportback and Avant bodystyles, creating a spread of powertrain options in the executive class. In contrast to the BMW 5 Series range, though, the electric and combustion A6 models share little more than a name, because the two are entirely different under the skin. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View A6 View A6 View A6 View A6
This new model uses a heavily modified version of the previous A6's architecture, called PPC. You'll find a range of petrol and diesel engines under the bonnet, but the new chassis has been largely developed to integrate a new generation of plug-in hybrids, one of which we're driving here.
As with lots of premium plug-in hybrids in recent years, these new models pack significantly more electric range, with the A6 capable of just over 60 miles from a single charge. This should mean the vast majority of daily driving duties can be handled on battery power, which will not only reduce tailpipe emissions, but will also save on fuel bills, especially if you can charge at home. Advertisement - Article continues below
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This emission-free range is made possible by a 25.9kWh battery pack and electric motor, which are packaged together with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Together, the electric motor and petrol engine produce 294bhp and 450Nm of torque, the majority of which is generated by the petrol engine. This is sent through Audi's 'quattro Ultra' all-wheel drive system, which is able to de-couple the rear axle under light acceleration to further help with efficiency.
On its own the e-motor can only produce 73bhp, but despite this meek figure the car will still accelerate up to, and happily cruise at motorway speeds without the petrol engine. However when doing so the A6 e-hybrid, like all plug-in hybrids, isn't at its most efficient, so a bit of planning is often required to make the most of its technical toolkit. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
This is done for you if the integrated navigation is set, because over longer distances the A6 will switch between petrol end electric power to make the most of the battery charge in anticipation of the journey ahead. Advertisement - Article continues below
Overall, the powertrain generally feels well calibrated, with the petrol engine imperceptively chiming in and out depending on the level of performance being asked for by the driver. The set-up is easy to control too, thanks to a small meter on the driver's information display that shows in real time how close you are to firing up the petrol engine when accelerating. There's no virtual kick-down in the throttle pedal, as some plug-in hybrids have, but the system is still very intuitive.
The e-hybrid's real-world efficiency isn't a million miles away from its quoted figures, with Audi posting a rating of 113mpg, achieved under the new testing cycle for plug-in hybrids. However, most rivals (including the BMW 530e and Mercedes E 300 e) have yet to be re-assessed under the new test, so making on-paper comparisons is difficult for the moment. On our test, we pretty much matched the A6's official figure after a solid morning's drive of around 100 miles, having gone through about 50 per cent of the battery's charge. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
With the battery fully topped-up, the car's trip computer also matched the 60-mile quoted electric range, and we found that figure to be accurate in a combination of low and medium-speed driving. Even if your place of work is more than 30 or 40 miles away from home, regular charging will keep you well within the powertrain's sweet spot. There's only AC charging on board and it maxes out at 11kW, but this will still fill the battery from empty in about two-and-a-half hours – ideal for parking up at work or home, but not for charging on the go.
But what about the rest of the car? The A6 has rarely been the sharpest car to drive in the class – no surprise when its key rival is a BMW 5 Series – but this latest generation definitely has an air of confidence about the way it flows down the road. Advertisement - Article continues below
The 'Launch Edition' we drove had a couple of unusual additions that we don't think will be particularly common on customer cars, including a sports suspension set-up, rear-wheel steering and 21-inch wheels (the largest available). Yet even with this relatively focused combination, the A6 was unflustered by bumps and rough road surfaces. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The benefit came in the A6's impressive roadholding and confident handling. This is now a big car, and a heavy one at over 2.1 tonnes, but it drives as if it's hundreds of kilos lighter. That's not to say the driving experience is particularly engaging, but it compares well to its rivals.
The Balanced and Comfort drive modes seem well judged and prioritise efficiency. While the Drive Select button is touch-sensitive rather than physical, it is in a prime position on the centre console for quick changes. Sport mode sharpens things up and gives you maximum performance, but the engine's inherently good refinement makes it particularly un-satisfying to use in this manner. Where the A6 excels is on a smooth motorway, with very impressive refinement and almost no wind noise thanks to its aerodynamically efficient body.
There's little fundamentally wrong with the cabin – the driving position is nicely adjustable, the front pillars are thin, visibility is good and there are some elements that impress. However, there are also a lot of aspects that undermine Audi's positioning as a premium brand.
Gone is the previous generation's substantial gear selector and in its place is a plasticky matchbox-shaped mechanism that feels as if it's been borrowed from a supermini, not from the class above, as it once did. This is only emphasised by the excessive use of scratch-prone black plastic on the entire centre console, and the random use of inserts on its edges, which are carbon fibre, or timber and silver plastic, depending on the model. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
The soft-touch Dynamica fabric fitted on the seats and some of the lower dash looks and feels fine, but the materials that surround it do only an average impression of leather, and don't feel right for this price bracket. The hard plastic section below the central air vents is also unforgivably cheap and scratchy.
The triple-screen infotainment set-up is easy enough to use, but the housing is chaotic, with huge bezels on the main section sitting uncomfortably with the haphazardly placed passenger screen.
There are some ergonomic quirks, too, such as the touch panel for secondary controls including the side mirror and rear child door lock being mounted where you'd prefer to see a grab handle – as on the passenger side door. The steering wheel controls also feel cheap and, like almost every hard surface inside, prone to showing greasy fingerprints.
Space up front is fine, and there's a good amount of storage for small items, including a wireless phone charger and two USB-C points. However, largely due to the need to package so many different powertrain elements, the second row is a little cramped, with less legroom than you'd expect considering the car's external dimensions.
The boot is long and wide, but rather shallow, which leads to an average capacity for the class of just 354 litres – around 180 less than the previous-generation A6, albeit without plug-in hybrid tech. However, the boot floor is at least flat and leaves an unobstructed space when the second row is folded, in contrast to a PHEV Mercedes E-Class saloon. There is no dedicated space to store the charge cable in the Audi, though.
Which leads us to those two key rivals. Both BMW and Mercedes offer plug-in hybrid variants of their executive saloons and they come with impressive electric ranges. However, if you look into the details, the BMW is still ahead when it comes to some key factors. Its bigger boot and lower base price keep it as our preferred offering, given that it matches the A6's range, efficiency and tech, while also being lighter and very nearly as fast in a straight line. Model: Audi A6 Avant e-hybrid Launch Edition Price: £69,680 Powertrain: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol, 1x e-motor, 25.9kWh battery Power/torque: 294bhp/380Nm Transmission: 7-speed auto, all-wheel drive 0-62mph: 6.0 seconds Top speed: 155mph Economy/CO2: 113mpg/57g/km Size (L/W/H): 4,999/1,875/1,418mm On sale: Now Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email