Audi pulls plug on BMW 5-Series hybrid with new, tax-efficent A6

Audi has launched a new version of its A6 with a tax-efficient plug-in hybrid system. TheA6 50 TFSI e is priced from £52,790, undercutting BMW’s entry-level 530e by just £20. The Audi has standard four-wheel-drive too, which costs an extra £2,000 on the BMW.

Clever PHEV powertrain saves a fortune in tax

The PHEV A6 has an electric-only range of up to 34 miles and CO2 35g/km, meaning it will attract just 10% Benefit-In-Kind for company car drivers, saving thousands per year compared to a petrol or diesel. Check before you tick the option boxes though, as posher version with big wheels are less efficient.

The A6 will go up to 34 miles between charges - but not if you choose the bling wheels

The A6 uses a2.0-litre petrol engine and 105kW electric motor which combine to give a total power output of 297 bhp - that’s slightly more than a 3.0-litre diesel model. It has some interesting tech to maximise efficiency too, including a ‘Hybrid’ mode which uses a ‘predictive efficiency assistant’ to plan when to use electric drive. It analyses navigation information, online traffic reports, driving characteristics and data from vehicle sensors. It then coordinates the engine and electric motor to make sure it uses as little fuel as possible.

Charging takes 2.5 hours from an AC wallbox

When it is time to charge, the A6 50 TFSI e will take around two and a half hours to fully fill the battery from a domestic AC 7kW wallbox. A traditional 3-pin socket takes about seven hours.

There’s bad news for fans of the estate version thought – the Avant won’t be available until later this year.