AUDI is only offering its seventh-generation Audi A6 wagon (or Avant if you speak Audish) with four-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive, which is a sign of the times if nothing else.

The A6 Avant has a small but loyal following in Australia and is expected to remain a niche product here, contributing less than 10 per cent of A6 sales.

A lightweight design with no unnecessary added bulk or all-wheel-drive systems, the A6 Avant provides an antithesis to the now-ubiquitous hulking SUV, but does the Audi compete with its German rivals beyond its attractive price?