The ninth generation of the mid-size class Audi A4 was launched in 2015 and it was the star of the Audi brand at the Frankfurt Motor Show in November of the same year.
The station wagon variant of the A4 B9 was based on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform, which was also used for the Audi Q5 SUV and the Q7. The vehicle’s design was the same as the four-door version up to the B-pillar. From there on, it was a different vehicle. The longer roof started to descend after the rear seats and ended up with a small roof edge spoiler for smoother airflow.

Audi engineers worked hard to achieve a smaller aerodynamic resistance for the vehicle and, in the end, they succeeded. The A4 Avant has a drag coefficient just a little bit higher than the sedan version: 0.26 vs. 0.23. This results in better fuel consumption and a lower wind noise in the cabin compared to its predecessors.

The trunk was large, but with its 495 l/1495 l (17.5/52.7 cu-ft) interior volume with rear seats up/folded was just between its main rivals, the C-Class T-Modell and the 3 Series Touring, the latter being the biggest among these three.

Due to the higher roof above the rear seats compared to the sedan version, the passengers in the back had more headroom. But still, due to the central transmission tunnel that was high, only two adults could sit comfortably there.