Slide into the A6 and you’re immediately focussed on the curved, high-set screen that sweeps from behind the wheel across the top of the dash. This is a new system that was introduced in the Q6 E-tron; it has all the functionality you expect, plus fantastically crisp graphics from the huge, 14.5-inch OLED touchscreen.
The MMI interface is reasonably easy to use too, with icons that are big enough to hit accurately on the move and permanent shortcut buttons for ease of hopping between the key screens.
Our biggest gripe is that we’d like an easier way of controlling the ADAS and it can still be awkward to find functions like screen dimming. The haptic touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel can be annoying, too.
And yes, the climate controls are on the screen, but the voice control is consistently useful for simple temperature commands, and at least the air vents are straightforward manual items that require no screen prodding.
Otherwise, the interior is very lovely – especially with the optional panoramic roof that you can shade in a multitude of sections and patterns. Yet it lacks something of the lustre and delight of the i5’s interior. And the brittle-feeling plastics lower down in the cabin and on certain areas around the doorcards is a touch underwhelming on tactile quality for a car of this price and calibre.
Regardless, the design and wider classiness of the A6’s interior is sure to please, as is the amount of leg and head room in the rear seats. Unless you’re very long-legged, that is – when you may find your knees bent up due to a fairly high floor. Still, kids are well catered for with three sets of Isofix seat anchorages (two in the back and one in the front passenger seat) and some usefully practical plastic backings to the front seats that will wipe clean of the inevitable shoe scuffs.
There’s also a compact ‘frunk’, which is good, because space isn’t as ample in the boot as you might expect. The 502-litre luggage space in the Avant is actually the same as the Sportback’s, which is a bit disappointing. The floor is deep and wide, and you will get your double buggy or duo of labradors in there, plus there’s some underfloor storage pace. But the sloping rear windowline eats into overall boot capacity; the i5 Touring (570 litres), ID 7 Touring (605 litres) and Macan Electric (540 litres) all offer more outright cargo space.