Audi A6 Sportback e-Tron - long-term review

Statistics claim that around 18 per cent of us drivers will experience some form of car vandalism at some point. Sadly, I'm now part of that 18 per cent.

Yes, my A6 e-tron was keyed last month. Even now, as I write this, I still can't fathom why anyone would deliberately damage someone else's property. It's something I'll probably never understand. The A6 wasn’t parked inconsiderately. I hadn’t been involved in a road-rage incident or some sort of gangland feud. Is the secret underground anti-EV lobby’s latest ploy to gouge every panel in the land until EVs are driven into the sea?

Still, every cloud has a silver lining. A solemn call to Audi HQ to book the car in for repairs gave me the opportunity to spend some time with another model in the Audi range. And as an added Brucie bonus, the wounded electric A6 was substituted for an interesting counterpoint – its hybrid cousin.

So, I borrowed an A6 petrol e-hybrid, which just so happened to be the one model in the range I hadn't driven yet. And you know what? It's the best of the lot.

That's not something I expected to be writing, but after spending time behind the wheel, it's the conclusion I kept coming back to. Why? Because it genuinely feels like the best of both worlds without any of the compromises you'd normally expect.

Most plug-in hybrids I've driven have felt heavy, unbalanced and, if I'm honest, rather pointless lugging around a battery that's rarely charged properly. The A6 is different. It feels more composed and better balanced than both the e-tron and the diesel, making it arguably the sweet spot in the range.

The electric range isn't too shabby either. I managed around 65 miles on battery power alone, which is more than enough to cover many people's daily commutes or every day running without using a drop of petrol.

When the battery does eventually run out, or a heavy right foot demands it, the petrol engine seamlessly takes over, giving you another 320-plus miles of range. That said, the engine does have one small character flaw. At times, it can feel a little gutless and perhaps a little too quiet for my liking. But push the revs higher and there are hints of something more interesting underneath — almost the whisperings of a five-cylinder soundtrack trying to break through.

With a combined range of around 350–400 miles and a starting price of £54,735, I’m starting to wonder whether this is the car we should have chosen over the e-tron. It’s not perfect — the boot space is compromised slightly because of the battery packaging — but even with that drawback, I still think it’s the smarter all-round choice.

It’s one of the most impressive PHEVs I’ve come across, and feels like a step-change from where they were even one or two generations of tech ago. I hope manufacturers can continue developing hybrid technology at this pace, instead of being forced by politicians to only bet 100 per cent on pure EVs. Because when hybrids are this versatile, maybe we’re only scratching the surface of what these powertrains could become.