Audi A6 Avant review

The driver and front passenger are unlikely to have any complaints about the amount of head, leg and shoulder room on offer.

Unfortunately, in-car storage is less impressive; the door pockets and glovebox are on the small side, while the lidded storage bin between the front seats is shallow.

Unlike the Mercedes E-Class Estate and Volvo V90, the A6 Avant doesn’t have an additional cubby at the base of its centre console.

As in rival luxury estates, a couple of six-footers can fit behind similar-sized adults without their knees pressing into the seats in front or their heads touching the rooflining.

However, the A6 Avant is also like those rivals in that it has a bulky transmission tunnel that runs down the spine of the car, making life uncomfortable for a central rear passenger.

Handy electric release buttons just inside the tailgate let you fold down the rear seats without having to walk around to the side of the car.

They do lie at a slight angle when folded, but there's no step, and the seats fold in a 40/20/40 configuration so that you can run long, thin items between two rear passengers. The BMW 5 Series Touring also has this arrangement, but the V90 has a less useful 60/40 split.

With a capacity of 565 litres, the A6 Avant has a slightly smaller boot than the 5 Series Touring (570 litres) and V90 (575 litres), and falls some way short of the E-Class Estate (640 litres). However, the A6 Avant’s boot is still huge and is a good square shape, making it easy to pack.

You can also position four lashing points where you want them, thanks to rails in the floor, while a tensioning strap, a net and two hooks are included so you can secure smaller items.

The tailgate and luggage cover open electrically on all models, while an optional sensor lets you activate them with a swipe of your foot when your hands are full.