Monday 4th May

Up to 428hp for new Abt Audi A6 Avant

New RS5 out of reach? Abt will work wonders with 2.0-litre turbo for a more cost-effective family holdall...

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While a plug-in hybrid is not always the perfect powertrain solution it’s sometimes presented as, it does offer up some useful advantages when it comes to tuning. Because the electric boost is always there, any performance gain is likely to feel even stronger than in a purely combustion-powered car. And a second power source makes for some great headline figures. Not so long ago an Audi A6 with a 2.0-litre engine and more than 400hp would have been a super specialised build; now it’s little more than new software, paired with the motor. 

That’s the case with Abt’s latest, an upgrade package for the plug-in hybrid Audi A6 wagons. Or the A6 TFSI e Avants, to use the proper term. In the UK we only get the 299hp variant, but in Europe there are 252hp and 367hp versions also, so it’s easy to see why Abt has taken upon itself to get the best from it. All are underpinned by the familiar 2.0-litre EA888 four-cylinder turbo as well, in its latest form, of course, albeit an engine that’s been around for a long time, and which Abt will know its way around extremely well. So the Abt Power Software, which works through a separate Abt Engine Control module (leaving the standard ECU alone) can be offered with a five-year warranty for its extra 60-plus horsepower. For the 299hp car sold here, power goes to 360hp (or almost as much as the V6 in the S5), with torque boosted from 332lb ft to 369lb ft. Handy. 

This being an Abt makeover, though, there’s much more to this A6 Avant than just another 20 per cent more power. The car you see here is lowered via Abt springs on 21-inch wheels, which work a treat for making a slightly staid A6 estate into something a bit more visually arresting. As do four exhaust pipes, like it’s a Golf R. Abt aero comes courtesy of new spoilers front and rear. Don’t expect it to feel any different to drive; but just imagine how good this particular A6 will look pulling into Leigh Delamere services. 

While we patiently wait for S- and RS-badged Audi A6s with petrol power, Abt’s Avant is the most powerful currently available. No doubt there are plenty of others who could work on the engine alone, though, for those who could go without the additional Abtification. Those who do want the full transformation will be asked to pay €15k plus fitting. A big investment for a relatively humble Audi, then, if a guaranteed way to stand out with a family estate. And just imagine what Abt is getting ready for an RS6… 

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[AddyT.]

See many a comment about the EA888 being "old" or "around for a long time". Am bias as had it in my last Golf and current one. Sure it's not the most exciting engine but from my experiences and what I have read from other owners, it's pretty bulletproof and easily tuned if that's your thing. A 2.0 four will never get people excited but I think at least a little respect for it being a solid engine is perhaps due.

[ducnick]

Not too sure the lease company is going to be keen on you removing the warranty from their car….

[Decky_Q]

I had a loan of an abt S4 3.2tfsi reportedly a bit over 400bhp. It was truly wild in a straight line but didnt do corners, quick direction changes or slalom type turns well at all, quick sharp turn in, and then understeer to the max until you're dead slow to get round the corner and bang off like a missile again.

While I enjoyed it, I was offered a bargain price to buy it when i left it back and still declined.

[georgeyboy12345]

Meh, still a 2 litre 4 pot.

[Zedboy]

Looks fab… but it’s gonna go pop soon!

[bigyoungdave]

georgeyboy12345 said:

Meh, still a 2 litre 4 pot.

Yep. I couldn't get excited about it for that reason, even if it had 600bhp