Audi A6 Avant Full Details and Photos

Just as promised for over a week now, German manufacturer Audi unwrapped on Wednesday the new A6 Avant, the station wagon model of one of the car maker's best-selling models. Hoping to be more than a car, a connectivity platform if you like, the A6 Avant comes to the market with an entire array of technological advancements, starting with the MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, and ending with the radar-based adaptive cruise control. But let's take each one at a time.

When it begins selling later this summer (for a starting price set at EUR40,850), the A6 Avant will be offered with a choice of six engines, one four-cylinder unit and five V6 power plants. The most fuel efficient engine up for grabs is the 2.0 TDI that develops 177 hp, and which provides a fuel consumption figure of 5.0l/100 km (47 mpg).

Three variants of the 3.0 TDI are available, with power outputs starting from 204 hp, going through 245 hp and ending with the top of the range engine which spits out 313 hp. The last engines in the lineup are the 2.8 FSI (204 hp) and the supercharged 3.0 TFSI producing 300 hp.

All engines can be paired to either manual or automatic transmissions and all can come with a start/stop system. In some cases, the new transmissions and the start/stop system will help the new Avant provide an 18 percent better fuel economy that the outgoing model.

The features with which Audi hopes to capture the imagination and pockets of the customers are, however, the technologies that come neatly wrapped in a package called Audi Connect. The series of infotainment and driver assistance features include hard drive-based system with the eight-inch monitor, ang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with 15 speakers, Bluetooth online car phone, Google Earth, Audi online traffic information, active lane assist or park assist.