Audi S6 Avant E-Tron Launch Edition Review – Effortless Power Meets Estate Car Elegance

Audi S6 Avant E-Tron Launch Edition – Review in the Grand Touring Style

Audi claims the S6 Avant E-Tron will waft you up to 384 miles on a single charge. Naturally, we decided to test that with a civilised jaunt from Guildford to Norwich and back again — 325 miles in one sitting, no recharging, no fuss, just the quiet purr of electrons and the smug glow of not visiting a petrol station. Touring in style, as always.

And stylish it is. Underneath that sleek estate form lies the sort of performance that would make a supercar blush. Engage launch control and it catapults from 0–62 mph in 3.9 seconds — remarkable for a two-point-three-tonne estate with a boot big enough to swallow a smelly black Labrador and its bed. Peak power leaps from an already healthy 496 bhp to a rather indecent 543 bhp, capped at a top speed of 149 mph. Think of it as an estate car with the soul of a hot hatch — or an SUV that’s been sent to finishing school.

THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER → THE FIGURES THAT FLAUNT ITS FINESSE

With five doors and five genuinely comfortable seats, the S6 Avant E-Tron delivers all-wheel drive via two electric motors — one on each axle — producing a combined 370 kW. At 4.9 metres in length, it supports rapid DC charging from 10–80% in just 21 minutes and offers an official range of 384 miles at 3.6 miles/kWh. Practicality is well served, with a 502-litre boot complemented by a 27-litre frunk, ideal for charging cables, picnic hampers, or those shoes you only wear once you’ve arrived. It rides on 21-inch alloys wrapped in low-profile tyres, steers via electromechanical progressive steering, and benefits from adaptive air suspension at both ends for an unflustered ride. Charging ports on both sides mean there’s no more awkward reversing or stretching at public chargers — a small luxury, but one you’ll appreciate every time.

EXTERIOR – SLEEK, SCULPTED, AND SAPPHIRE-SHIMMERING

The original Audi E-Tron was something of a heavyweight bruiser. The S6 Avant, however, is a far more refined specimen — the kind of car that turns up to the black-tie gala in a perfectly cut midnight-blue dinner jacket while still wearing trainers underneath.

The sculpted front is modern and aerodynamic, with sporty intakes hinting at the mischief within. The 21-inch alloys resemble spinning ninja stars, perfectly framing the red brake callipers, which pop deliciously against the blue bodywork.

Then there are the slim side stalks. They’re not mirrors at all, of course, but high-definition cameras feeding to interior screens. They take a day to master but are accurate to the millimetre — excellent for threading through London traffic or docking into a narrow French village car park.

INTERIOR – LUXURY, LAYOUT, AND A LICK OF THE FUTURISTIC

Inside, it’s all about precision engineering and restrained good taste. Grey leather with red contrast stitching feels both timeless and modern. The seats — heated, supportive, and infinitely adjustable — offer a true grand touring throne for front occupants, while the rear seats recline for long-haul comfort. The middle passenger isn’t short-changed either — a rare and welcome indulgence.

If I have one gripe, it’s that the interior plays it a little safe. Audi does ‘modern luxury’ with such discipline it can occasionally feel like the German equivalent of a very good grey suit — immaculate, but you do wish for a pocket square.

Physical buttons are in short supply, replaced by glossy screens and haptic controls. Effective? Yes. But as any long-term luxury car owner will tell you, the tactile joy of a knurled aluminium dial is worth more than a thousand touchscreen gestures.

TECHNOLOGY – LATEST LUXURIES IN A LAUNCH-LIMITED LINE-UP

the S6 Avant E-Tron comes fully loaded with a wealth of technology, from the Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System and the Virtual Cockpit with its 11.9-inch display, to the 14.5-inch curved driver display and ambient lighting with dynamic interaction. Surround view cameras, adaptive cruise assist, Parking Assist Plus (yes, it can park itself), emergency, swerve, and intersection assist systems, plus traffic sign recognition and an intelligent speed limiter, all come as standard. The Virtual Cockpit itself is exemplary — crisp, uncluttered, and utterly driver-focused — though the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons still feel like a clever innovation that you’re meant to like. Charging is equally impressive: in the time it took to order a 0% Guinness and some crisps in a Norfolk pub, the app cheerfully announced we had enough range to get home. Downing a 0% Guinness in seconds is no fun.

PERFORMANCE – MODERN MIGHT WITH MASTERFUL MANNERS

The S6 Avant shares its platform with Porsche’s electric offering, which is as reassuring as being told your hotel shares a chef with Alain Ducasse. It’s a formula for effortless performance.

Drag coefficient? 0.26. Not hypercar-slippery, but sleek enough to make the air your friend. In Comfort mode, it glides like a luxury yacht. Switch to Dynamic and the steering sharpens, the suspension tightens, and more torque flows rearward for a decidedly naughty turn of pace.

The adaptive air suspension is sublime, smoothing over the kind of road surfaces Britain now specialises in — a combination of potholes, ridges, and tarmac patchwork reminiscent of 1970s corduroy. The car’s 2.3 tonnes are planted low in the chassis, giving it the stability of a grounded airliner yet without any sense of bulk from behind the wheel.

Regenerative braking via the paddles means true one-pedal driving is possible, and the transition between regen and mechanical brakes is seamless — you’ll only notice because the scenery stops moving so quickly.

RANGE – REALITY VS THE BROCHURE

Range claims are always optimistic, but here the S6 Avant plays fair. We achieved 325 miles on our test route without hypermiling or behaving like an electric saint. The adaptive range display learns your driving style and adjusts accordingly, which is far more reassuring than the static guesswork of some rivals.

The clincher, though, is the charging speed. In practical terms, the difference between a ten-minute petrol stop and a 15-minute high-speed charge is now negligible — especially when you factor in the absence of petrol fumes and the opportunity for an artisanal coffee.

THE THINKING PERSON’S FAST LUXURY CAR

Few cars blend performance, comfort, and practicality with such easy grace. The S6 Avant E-Tron Launch Edition is an electric estate for those who want it all: five-seater comfort, limousine refinement, hot-hatch agility, and enough boot space for a family holiday.

Drive it solo like a sports car, or cruise south with the children while dispensing sage lectures on safe driving. Either way, you’ll arrive unruffled, unbent, and quietly smug.

Price from £100,115 OTR

Official Audi Page