Cologne Anyone who has made it far in the corporate hierarchy can document this externally with an upscale company vehicle. In addition to the corresponding models from Munich and Stuttgart, an Audi A6 Avant also signals the position of the driver in the company car park. If it is still a plug-in drive – recognizable by the small “e” in the type designation at the rear, other assumptions can be made about the driver in addition to his career status.
Completely independent of the drive unit: By choosing an A6 Avant, the authorized company car shows a sense of beautiful shapes. And the vehicle also makes an impression with its length of 4.95 meters. However, he is not suitable as a loadmaster. With 405 to 1,535 liters, the luggage is even smaller than the trunk of the normal A6 Avant, which is not really large (565 to 1,680 liters).
Inside, the station wagon meets the expectations placed on it. The vehicle exudes noblesse with a noble and well-made finish. You can see and feel that the A6 is not a cheap vehicle. Speaking of money: an authorized company car also looks at the costs, as he has to pay monthly taxes on one percent of the gross list price of the car. However, if he takes a plug-in hybrid instead of a conventionally powered model, the tax rate is halved. The “e” thus indicates a certain willingness to save.
In other words: for the A6 Avant 50 TFSI e Quattro (from 61,790 euros), which has been available since the beginning of the year, in the best case only around 310 euros per month are charged as a taxable pecuniary benefit. That it will be a few euros more, more on that later.
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But savings can also be made in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The name “50 TFSI e Quattro” is the combination of a 105 kW / 143 hp electric motor integrated into the seven-speed dual clutch transmission and a two-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 195 kW / 265 hp. All-wheel drive is standard. In total, up to 220 kW / 299 PS and 450 Nm are possible. The drive battery has a gross capacity of 17.9 kWh and a net capacity of 14.4 kWh. Ideally, an electric range of up to 66 kilometers is possible.
The trunk volume is not exactly generous with 405 to 1,535 liters.
According to the WLTP, Audi specifies the average consumption as 1.5 to 1.7 liters and 17.5 to 18.2 kWh of electricity. The CO2 emissions are 34 grams per kilometer. The extent to which this remains theory or is suitable for everyday use depends on the driver. And some circumstances.
Put simply, there are three driving modes for a plug-in hybrid: the electric mode, the hybrid mode or the “I don’t care” mode. The on-board computer of our test car showed 63 kilometers after charging at the wallbox at home at outside temperatures of 10 degrees plus. That was easily enough to cover distances within a radius of 30 kilometers, mostly electrically. Especially since the Audi recovers properly and thus always fills up the range a bit.
High consumption on long journeys – charging takes time
If you recharge regularly, you can drive the shorter tours purely electrically. The electric motor is sufficient for brisk driving (up to 135 km / h) and quickly revs up the almost 2.2-ton Avant. If you want to go for longer distances, it is best to choose the hybrid mode. The system automatically decides on the optimal drive strategy.
If the route guidance of the navigation system has been activated, the calculations of the hybrid management include, for example, the topography, through-town traffic, motorway sections and the driver’s driving style. The change between the drives is almost imperceptible. With a fully charged battery and a distance of 460 kilometers, we came to an average consumption of 6.2 liters at more or less recommended speed on the highway.
The WLTP consumption value could also be achieved with a full battery. After a 100 kilometer lap on East Frisian country and village roads, the on-board computer shows 1.6 liters and 15.6 kWh of electricity. Is it all sunshine? Unfortunately, no.
The name “50TFSI e Quattro” is the combination of a 105 kW / 143 hp electric motor integrated into the seven-speed dual clutch transmission and a two-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 195 kW / 265 hp.
Charging on the way did not always succeed. Be it that the charging points approached were occupied, did not work or the cards that you had in stock were not accepted. The charging process also takes a long time. The on-board charger only allows a maximum charging power of 7.4 kW. It is not possible to effectively recharge at the charging station while visiting the supermarket. You have to take your time for a good two hours.
The option to draw power at a fast charging station does not even exist. You have to plan a lot of time for charging on the way if you want to move the vehicle sparingly. Drivers who drive a plug-in only because of the tax advantage and government subsidies of up to 7,200 euros, otherwise do not bother about charging, are driving up consumption rapidly. With a cautious pace, 9 liters in a pure gasoline engine are realistic, if you use the sporty potential of the Audi, it quickly becomes double-digit.
After all, the plug-in weighs around 300 kilograms more than the 265 hp 45 TSFI Quattro, and the extra weight increases fuel consumption. The “I don’t care drivers” could face trouble despite their company fuel card. On the one hand, more and more fleet managers are knocking on the fingers of such drivers, and on the other, there are efforts in politics to only grant discounts with a correspondingly high proportion of electric driving.
It remains to be seen whether our part-time electric vehicle makes sense for use on predominantly long journeys, even with good charging discipline on the part of the driver. As an e-car for short journeys and in hybrid mode, the Audi was able to demonstrate its ability to save. On average, they used 1.6 to 6.2 liters of petrol.
Our test car, which drove up in the Sport equipment line, is on the list from around 64,000 euros. The station wagon is already very well equipped, but a “few” extras such as matrix light, 20-inch model, business package, metallic paint, sports seats and an extended range of assistants make the price 18,000 euros higher.
Audi A6 Avant 50 TFSI e Quattro – Technical data
Five-door, five-seat station wagon in the upper middle class
- Length: 4.95 meters
- Width: 1.89 meters (with exterior mirrors: 2.11 meters)
- Height: 1.45 meters
- Wheelbase: 2.92 meters
- Boot space: 405 – 1,535 liters
- 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine
- 195 kW / 265 PS
- maximum torque: 370 Nm at 1,600 – 4,300 rpm
- System output: 220 kW / 299 PS and 450 Nm
- all wheel drive
- 7-speed dual clutch transmission (S-tronic)
- 0-100 km / h: 6.3 s
- Vmax: 250 km / h
- Average consumption (WLTP): 1.5 – 1.7 liters / 100 kilometers plus 17.5 – 18.2 kWh
- Lithium-ion battery: 17.9 kWh gross / 14.4 kW / h net
- electric range (WLTP): 60 to 66 km
- CO2 emissions: 34 g / km
- Emission standard: Euro 6d-ISC-FCM
- Emission class: A +++
- Test consumption: 1.6 to 6.2 liters / 100 kilometers plus electricity
- Price: from 61,790 euros
- Test car price: 82,180 euros
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