- Audi has unveiled a stunning, new A6 Avant in Europe.
- Audi will drop the midrange A6 wagon from its U.S. lineup after the 2011 model year.
- Audi is following the lead of several other premium European brands, including BMW and Volvo, in pulling wagons out of the American market.
INGOLSTADT, Germany — Audi has unveiled a stunning, new A6 Avant in Europe — but the German automaker, one of the premium brands in the Volkswagen group, says it will not market the redesigned wagon in the U.S.
In response to a query from Inside Line, Audi of America spokesman Andrew Lipman on Thursday said: "We don't have plans to bring the [new] A6 Avant to the U.S."
Audi of America currently sells the 2011 A6 Avant in the U.S., with prices starting at $46,075. In Europe, the 2012 A6 Avant goes on sale in the second half of 2011, priced from $58,300.
Audi is following the lead of several other premium European brands, including BMW and Volvo, in pulling wagons out of the American market. Both BMW and Volvo have cited insufficient interest from U.S. buyers for the decision to withdraw their wagons.
A notable exception is Mercedes-Benz, which announced last week that it will begin selling its 2012 E63 AMG wagon this fall in the U.S.
Audi's new A6 Avant wagon shares its fresh face and much underbody hardware with the redesigned A6 sedan, which arrives this summer at U.S. dealers as a 2012 model.
The seventh-generation A6 Avant will offer European customers a choice of two gasoline and four diesel engines, including a new 308-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 TDI. The most frugal engine, a 2.0 TDI, returns an average 47 mpg.
Available again in front- and all-wheel drive, the A6 Avant also comes with a choice of four transmissions: A six-speed manual, a seven-speed S tronic, an eight-speed Tiptronic and a continuously variable Multitronic.
One of the more unique features on the new wagon is a "gesture-controlled" power rear hatch — that is, the tailgate opens automatically when the user activates a sensor below the rear bumper with a specific hand movement.
Among the options on the A6 Avant are adaptive air suspension, dynamic steering, head-up display, adaptive lighting, front seats with ventilation and massage function, LED headlamps and taillamps, plus a variety of infotainment components, including a hard-drive nav system and a high-end Bang & Olufsen audio system.
Inside Line says: Stunning — and disappointing.
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drmoto says:
10:06 PM, 10/28/2011
I know I am just ventilating, but I was just reading that Cadillac is not expecting to sell more then 400 CTS-V wagons. They're still building it. If it had a smaller more fuel efficient engine and AWD, I would think about getting one! Wait! There is such a car. The S4 Avant quattro. With a computer flash it would be about as fast as the CTS-V wagon and you could take it skiing. Living here in Colorado, it's fun to go to a mountain destination, get to drive some fun passes, but it's even more fun if you take your toys with you. Ski stuff takes up a lot of room. But unfortunately, Audi doesn't care about enthusiasts. They want sales numbers and poseurs to buy their many overpriced cars, like the Moby Dick like Q7, or the A8 which is not nearly as fun as an S4 but who cares? Audi has a million quattro cars to buy, but for skiing, what is there? S4 sedan is OK, the A7 is not bad, but why smash down the storage space? Oh, yes, for "style." I tend to lower every car I buy so why pay extra to have a higher CG? I am going to get a Tacoma to go off road, but if you are going skiing, an "off road" adventure is unintentional. So I will be keeping my heavily modded UrS4. Maybe a VW R in my future. A 5 door, to be sure. Computer flash, throw in a bigger turbo (Stage 3 will eventually be available). I'm out.
smallfield says:
04:57 PM, 07/07/2011
Audi - Bring it and I'll order one.
I can't believe Audi doesn't sell enough to import it. They probably sell more A6 Avants than other specialized models like the TT RS.
Hate I can't get a this good driving Avant, good storage, tows 4600lbs and looks good with nice features.
tbone85 says:
07:50 AM, 05/24/2011
ttbuyer,
+1. Massive overstatement on the design. It's nice, period.
I wonder if it would be considered stunning if it had a Chrysler badge on it.
1198sp says:
12:21 PM, 05/22/2011
Silly non-driving Americans. Enjoy your wallowing gas guzzling cow carriers.
lucien4 says:
07:19 AM, 05/21/2011
@g33t33b33
The new A6 avant looks similar to the current one except for front. So could it have been the current model?
Unfortunate maybe but so far they always overpriced the A6 avant anyway by only offering $54K+ models while in Europe you can get it from about $40K.
There's still the A4 avant I guess.
nyccarguy says:
01:09 PM, 05/20/2011
From a driving dynamics standpoint as an auto enthusiast, I appreciate everything about wagons. From a practicality & functional standpoint I know why SUVs & Crossover SUVs are more popular. In an effort to make wagons sporty, today's manufacturers rake the rear hatches & windows so much that it takes away from the wagon's extra cargo room.
3 times since 2007 I've wanted to purchase a wagon. Before we had our 1st child I was looking to replace my wife's 2000 Mazda Protege with a 2007 BMW 328xi wagon. The 3 series was not only tiny to begin with, but the wagon's trunk space didn't look that much more than the 3 series sedan.
We liked the VW Passat Wagon which had lots of room & drove nicely. We got to the dealership & VW credit changed their "program" to push financing instead of leasing. The lease payment ballooned $125 per month.
We ended up leasing a 2007 BMW X3 for $25 a month more than they wanted for the Passat. We loved it.
Back in 2009 I was checking out an A4 Avant 2.0T right before cash 4 clunkers. I liked the way it drove. It wasn't our X3, but it didn't offer a tremendous amout of cargo room compared to the A4 Sedan either.
I ended up buying a 2010 Acura TSX Sedan.
For the most part, sales speak & car manufacturers listen. Americans like trucks & SUVs (for the most part). Our enthusiast cries ("Man, I wish Audi would bring the A6 2.0 T Diesel Quattro with a 6 speed manual, cloth seats, & manual windows here to the US") that for the most represent such a small minority aren't even heard.
That being said, there is a market for wagons. MB sells a decent amount of E350 wagons. I see lots of them where I live (CT).
akitadog says:
09:51 AM, 05/20/2011
I'm still waiting for the S4 Avant to show up.
4everrs says:
09:22 AM, 05/20/2011
This is unfortuane if true. But I understand from a buisness standpoint that they can't bring it here if the sales won't happen. All I really want out of Audi right now is to bring the C7 RS6 to us this time. I really love my '03 RS6 but by then I will want a replacement. My first choice would be an Avant, but now that this has come out, it is highly doubtful that will happen. Especially as they didn't even bring the C5 RS6 Avant here.
Stunning is probably not the right word to describe this. If it were truely "stunning", I would buy something else. Not as if I want something boring, I just like the "sleeper" characteristics of my car, and this one(if RS6). People who are really in the market for this type of car aren't interested in being flashy.
cjasis says:
08:41 AM, 05/20/2011
As I posted in the other thread about the 2012 A6 Avant... as a 2010 A6 Avant owner, I'm really disappointed and don't expect to buy another Audi based on this decision.
I know I'm in the very small minority here in the US but I DO NOT want to drive a silly SUV. I will never go off road and I will never tow a boat.
I need extra space for kid stuff, dog crates, surfboards, etc. and I'd much prefer to drive a wagon over a minivan.
It looks like our next purchase to replace the Audi in two years will be at the MB dealership because the E63 wagon has my name written all over it.
goaterguy says:
08:11 AM, 05/20/2011
I don't understand what Audi was thinking. They could sell up to THREE of these wagons per year here in the US!!!!