Introduction to the 2025 Audi A6
As well as the Audi A6 e-tron electric Sportback and Avant, Audi sells the A6 as a traditional four-door saloon (or Avant estate) with a choice of mild-hybrid diesel or plug-in hybrid power. Although this A6 is mechanically an entirely different car to the electric A6 e-tron, it shares the same badge and many of the same styling cues.
Pros & cons of the 2025 Audi A6 e-hybrid
Pros:
• Handsome inside and out
• Exceptionally high quality
• Good performance and economy
Cons:
• Very firm suspension
• Tiny boot
• Could be sharper to drive
Exterior & design of the 2025 Audi A6
• Looks similar to the e-tron version
• Black exterior pack makes it look sinister
• Maybe a touch too predictable?
There are some very slim, piercing headlights above the traditional, open 'Singleframe' radiator grille up front, giving the A6 a touch of the old Clint Eastwood angry squint (not a bad thing, you understand...) and then down the back this A6 has a flat boot section with the merest suggestion of a spoiler lip.
You could accuse Audi of playing the same styling riffs here that it has used for the past decade, and that's a valid criticism, but when the overall result is this handsome, it's hard to quibble with the technique.
The dark-finished 21-inch alloy wheels and black-finished exterior trim of our S line test car add a sinister air to the A6, which is also quite appealing. A predictable Audi look, then, but a very satisfying one.
Dimensions of the 2025 Audi A6
Length: 5,003mm
Width: 1,875mm (2,099mm including mirrors)~
Height: 1,470mm
Wheelbase: 2,932mm
Paint colours for the 2025 Audi A6
Arkona White is the only standard, free colour for the Audi A6, and all of the other options cost €1,374 as an optional extra, except for the sporty Ascari Blue, which rings up €2,354 on the till. Mythos Black Metallic and Glacier White Metallic are maybe a bit predictable, as is Daytona Grey Pearl, but Grenadine Red Metallic looks awesome, and Midnight Green Metallic is nice too. Our test car was finished in Firmament Blue Metallic, which is so dark that it looks black unless it's under direct sunlight.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2025 Audi A6 e-hybrid
• Two big screens dominate
• Could do with more buttons
• More rear space than A6 e-tron
The Audi cabin was once legendary for being miles ahead of even its best German competition in terms of quality and style, but that edge has been eroded in recent years, and arguably BMW has a bit of a lead on Audi in interior design terms.
Getting comfortable in the driver's seat
Still, Audi gets things such as the steering wheel size and feel spot-on, and if the driver's digital instruments are disappointing in how little you can do to change and customise the layout, then at least they're crisp and clear.
There's a massively annoying disembodied voice in the dashboard, however, which pointlessly warns you of queuing traffic ahead when you already know that thanks to Waze, and which is very difficult to turn off, something that has to be done at the start of each journey, part of a lengthy 'pre-flight' sequence that must be endured each time. It doesn't help that the main screen is sometimes slow to boot up and get everything running.
Infotainment and technology
The A6's cabin is all very well made and well put together, but the big, curved digital screens look a touch bland, an effect not helped by the fact that they're now used in more or less every other Audi as well.
There are some physical buttons - a volume control and Audi's Drive Select driving modes button, both of which are helpful - but the screen layout and menu system requires a bit of getting used to, which in fairness an owner would do.
The pervading sense of darkness - from the leather on the exceptionally comfortable seats to the on-screen menus - is a touch claustrophobic.
Practicality around the cabin
Storage space in the front of the cabin isn't brilliant - you get a shallow area under the front armrest, a space beneath the main screen which is also home to a wireless phone charger and some door bins and a shallow glovebox, but that's it.
Rear-seat passenger space
In the back, space is adequate for tall adults, and there's actually a little more headroom and knee room than you'd find in the all-electric A6 e-tron. The rear side windows, although shallow, also offer a decent view out.
Fitting child seats to the Audi A6
Bravo to Audi for fitting ISOFIX anchors in the rear seat and in the front passenger seat, which will make life easier for growing families, although the narrow rear middle seat will preclude fitting anything but the slimmest booster cushion. You'll have to remember that this A6 e-hybrid is also quite low slung, so mind your back when fitting a bulky rear-facing seat.
Boot space in the Audi A6
This is where the Audi A6 e-hybrid really lets itself down, with a boot volume of just 354 litres thanks to the packaging requirements of the hybrid's battery. That's really not good, as not only is it less space than you'd find in a family hatchback, it's also quite a bit smaller than the rival BMW 530e's 410-litre boot.
There is a tiny underfloor storage compartment but that's full of tyre-repair kit. However, the boot is long and flat, with handy tie-down points and fold-out bag hooks, as well as a small storage net to one side.
If you go for the more conventional mild-hybrid diesel version, then you get a significantly more generous 503-litre boot, although that's still smaller than you'd find in a BMW 5 Series or a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Towing with the Audi A6 e-hybrid
The A6 e-hybrid has a pretty generous towing weight of 2,000kg on a braked trailer, and the trailer-hitch preparation option is a mere €261, which is good value, while a full foldaway pre-fitted hitch is €1,800. Meanwhile the fact that this e-hybrid gets quattro four-wheel drive should aid stability when towing.
Safety in the Audi A6
As tested by Euro NCAP in 2024, the Audi A6 gets a full five-star safety score, with an 87 per cent adult occupant protection rating, 88 per cent for child occupants, 78 per cent for vulnerable road users and 77 per cent for its active safety systems. Helpfully, Audi allows you to pre-select a customised setting for the active safety systems, accessed from the little asterisk button on the steering wheel, which makes life much simpler.
Performance of the 2025 Audi A6
• Mild-hybrid diesel and plug-in hybrid options
• Up to 367hp for the top-spec e-hybrid and V6
• PHEV also gets quattro four-wheel drive
The Audi A6 comes with a choice of mild-hybrid diesel engines - a 203hp 2.0-litre TDI four-cylinder in either front-wheel-drive or quattro forms, or a V6 TDI with 367hp and, of course, quattro four-wheel drive.
The plug-in 'e-hybrid' lineup, based around a common turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI four-cylinder petrol engine, comes as either the 299hp version we're testing here, or with the same 367hp as the V6 diesel, both with quattro four-wheel drive - and with a 20.7kWh battery and electric motor.
All versions use the same seven-speed, dual-clutch 'S tronic' automatic gearbox.
Driving the Audi A6 e-hybrid on Irish roads
Audi really has moved away from its old bad habits of making cars that felt too heavy on their tyres, and too weighty on the nose. As soon as you turn the steering in this new A6 e-hybrid, it just feels kinda... right.
The weight is there, but it feels more reassuring now than it does encumbering, and there's a nice sense of responsiveness to the steering, even if it lacks the ultimate incision of a BMW 5 Series.
In spite of a chunky 2.2-tonne kerb weight (that's a big battery under there...), the A6 gets into a pleasant flow on a twisty road, as long as you don't try and push it into silliness.
If you do, the quattro four-wheel drive kind of digs in and produces dogged understeer, but I'd happily have that as the trade-off for its all-weather security and traction.
It's maybe not a sparkling and gloriously entertaining car to drive, this A6, but it has that kind of solid friendliness that promises that it'll get you home on a wet and stormy night, and we appreciate that.
The downside is in the ride comfort, which is really very, very firm indeed. It doesn't help that our test car wore optional 21-inch alloys, and that S line models get sportier suspension, but even so there's a bit too much jiggle going on, especially at low speeds on urban roads, where an expensive exec saloon really should be more urbane.
There are other stiffly sprung cars of similar style, but the problem here is the damping, which isn't firm-handed enough, and which allows too harsh a rebound when dealing with bumps.
Maybe go for the optional adaptive air suspension, but at more than €2,200 that's an expensive bit of kit.
On the upside, performance is strong, especially once you toggle the Drive Select mode over to Dynamic. Then, with both sides of the hybrid equation pulling together, the A6 e-hybrid feels pretty fleet.
A 0-100km/h time of six seconds may not sound all that thrilling in the electric-car age, but on the road it feels more than fast enough for most people. The only letdown here is that the four-cylinder engine has a noticeably gruff note when accelerating hard.
Fuel economy, range, battery, charging and running costs of the 2025 Audi A6 e-hybrid
• No DC fast-charging option
• 100km range is realistic
• Decent long-haul economy
The big 20.7kWh battery (that's the net capacity) of the A6 e-hybrid means that you do get a good electric range out it.
Audi quotes up to 106km on a full charge of the battery, and 2.8 litres per 100km on the combined WLTP test.
However, car makers are now compelled to also quote a fuel consumption figure when running on a depleted battery for a plug-in hybrid, and Audi's figure is 6.5 litres per 100km in those circumstances.
Real-world range and efficiency of the Audi A6 e-hybrid
Turns out that 100km of electric driving is achievable in this car, and easily doable if most of your mileage is urban. If you're using the battery for higher-speed work, the range will probably fall to around 60-70km, which is still acceptable.
You can only slow-charge the A6 e-hybrid on AC power, though, which is a bit of a letdown when you realise that a humble VW Golf e-hybrid can accept 50kW of DC fast-charging power. At least the A6 can manage 11kW on AC, which is helpful when using kerbside chargers.
Long-range fuel economy is also decent, and in our week with the A6, which included a lot of motorway driving and not a lot of opportunities for electric top-ups, we averaged 6.4 litres per 100km plus 3.4kWh/100km electric efficiency. You'll get a realistic 600-700km out of a combined fuel tank and battery top-up, which will take about 2 hours and 45 minutes on a 7.4kW home charger.
Servicing the Audi A6
Audi recommends a service for the A6 e-hybrid every two years or 29,000km, but we'd suggest at least an annual checkup. There are inclusive service plans available across the entire Audi range, starting from €23 per month, which will cover all your regular servicing costs, and each service gets you an additional 12 months' of roadside assistance.
Audi A6 warranty
Audi Ireland offers a standard three-year warranty for all new models, with the first two years at unlimited mileage, but the third year is capped at 90,000km. This e-hybrid also gets an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for its battery, while there's a three-year paintwork warranty and a 12-year anti-perforation warranty, too.
Irish pricing & rivals to the 2025 Audi A6
• Pricey, as are all direct rivals
• PHEV gets you more power for less cash
• Long and expensive options list
Audi A6 saloon prices start at €70,640 for a front-wheel-drive diesel version in SE form, which is why the e-hybrid models make such good value - you get quattro four-wheel drive and lots of extra power for a 'mere' €7,000 extra.
Mind you, beware the lengthy options list, as even our well-specified S line model easily poked through the €80,000 barrier, and it's not difficult to spec an A6 up beyond the €100,000 mark. The days of a circa-€50,000 executive saloon are long, long gone.
Then again, none of the Audi's direct plug-in-hybrid rivals are any different - both the BMW 530e and the Mercedes E 300 e are expensive cars with similarly lengthy and ruinous options lists, and six-figure status is but a few clicks away.
That said, there are significant pricing differences - a BMW 530e undercuts the Audi A6 e-hybrid by around €4,000 model for model, while Mercedes asks for just over €81,000 for the equivalent E 300 e.
It will be interesting to see how Lexus prices the incoming new ES in hybrid form - the Japanese luxury brand has a habit of offering much better value for money than its German competition.
In terms of diesel alternatives, only the Mercedes E-Class offers a direct rival, as BMW has dropped diesel power entirely from the 5 Series. However, the most affordable diesel E-Class is some €10,000 more than the cheapest A6 TDI. If you can live without diesel, a BMW 520i petrol is around €2,000 more expensive than the entry-level A6 TDI.
Verdict - should you buy the 2025 Audi A6 e-hybrid?
While the A6 doesn't do anything especially spectacularly, existing Audi A6 fans will love it for its subtly handsome styling, its high-quality cabin and the reassurance of quattro four-wheel drive. There are others which are more fun, or more practical, but the A6 remains a very satisfying car.
FAQs about the 2025 Audi A6
What is the warranty on the Audi hybrid battery?
Audi offers an eight-year, 160,000km warranty for all of its plug-in-hybrid batteries.
What is the range of the Audi A6 hybrid?
Audi quotes a 106km range on a fully-charged battery, which turns out to be fairly realistic for urban driving, although it will drop to more like 60-70km on faster roads.
Are Audi hybrids 'self-charging'?
No, in fact most Audi hybrid models are plug-in hybrid, which can act as 'self-charging' on longer journeys, but which are designed to be charged up from mains power and used as electric vehicles for short journeys.
Want to know more about the 2025 Audi A6 e-hybrid?
If there's anything about the Audi A6 e-hybrid we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
Audi A6 history
The Audi A6 story really starts - slightly confusingly - with the second-generation model, the 'C5', launched in 1997. This was the first 'curvy' A6, designed by Claus Pothoff, which set the tone for Audi design for more than a decade, with its soft-radius curves and the neatly detailed lights, not to mention a stylish interior which was built - in the tradition of Ferdinand Piech-era Volkswagen Group - to practically bombproof standards.
That C5 scored major sales successes for Audi, buoyed by a lineup of powerful but frugal diesel engines, but it was the following C6 version, launched in 2004, which became a star car.
It was one of the first Audis to get the big, tall, 'singleframe' grille (bisected by its numberplate) and its combination of crisp styling, roomy interior and exceptional quality really chimed with buyers, not least in Ireland where off the back of A6 and A4 sales, Audi started to flirt with the top-ten selling brands.
This was also the start of the true RS 6 legend, as Audi stuffed a twin-turbo V10 engine into the 2008 RS 6, creating something of a high-performance saloon (and estate) legend. There had been a V8-engined RS 6 version of the old C5 A6, but this was a major step forward.
The 2012 C6 which followed was very much a 'more of the same' car, tweaking the style, but essentially reading from the same script, although the RS 6 became even more popular, and even more powerful thanks to the adoption of a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine.
Real aficionados know that the C6 to have, though, is the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 TDI with 313hp and all the torque in the world. It's a fabulous Q-car.
Bringing us up to date is the C8 version of the A6, essentially a hefty facelift of the C7 (read our used car buying guide for the C7 here). A solid car, and one which expressed two extremes - fuel-sipping plug-in hybrids at one end, and the howling RS 6 Avant estate, at the other.
Spare a thought, though, for the original 'A6', which actually launched as the Audi 100 in 1990, and which became the A6 with a facelift in 1994. It belongs to a slightly humbler, quieter era of Audi, but if you can track down a good one today, you'll be amazed at just how robustly built it is.
