In 2011, at the time of its launch, the A6 Avant was the most successful premium station wagon in Europe in its segment.
The 4.93 m long vehicle (16.2 ft) was able to carry up to 1680 liters (59.33 cu ft) by folding down the rear seat backs. The regular trunk, without folding anything, was 565 liters (19.95 cu ft), which was still impressive. As an option, the A6 can be equipped with a sensor under the rear bumper that can detect a foot movement and opens automatically the liftgate. The interior is big, due to its long wheelbase of 2.91 meters (9.55 ft).

The Audi A6 Avant is available with a choice of six engines, with gasoline or turbodiesels. All of them are featuring direct fuel injection. The base model came with a 2.0-liter TDI with 177 hp. The 3.0 V6 TDI unit is available in three outputs: 204 hp, 245 hp and the top of the range 313 hp. The latter can do a 0-100 kph (62 mph) sprint in 5.4 seconds.

For the gasoline engines, Audi offers a 2.8-liter FSI with 204 hp and a 3.0-liter TFSI supercharged producing 300 hp. Depending on the engine, the A6 Avant is offered either with front-wheel-drive or quattro (all-wheel-drive).

The 2011 A6 Avant is available with a wide range of transmissions. Depending on the engine, Audi offers a six-speed manual, the continuously variable multitronic or the S tronic with seven speeds. The 3.0 TDI with 230 kW (313 hp) delivers its power to an eight-speed tiptronic