Audi A4 Avant review

The A4’s interior is spot on – well made, thoughtfully laid out, spacious and plenty nice to look at. Though the A4 Avant was updated in 2019, its interior is largely the same as it was when the car was launched back in 2015. But it doesn’t look or feel the least bit last-gen. Which is kudos to the designers first time round.

Take it from us though when we say avoid the light grey upholstery which looks rather bland – darker colours suit this interior far better.

WHAT’S THE KIT LIKE?

All A4s get Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster. Frequently imitated but never bettered, it’s operated by a set of physical buttons and scroll wheels on the steering wheel. Learn from Volkswagen’s mistakes and keep it that way, please.

Indeed, the only thing that might irk you is the newly touch operated infotainment system, introduced as part of the facelift. The interface is very good and the whole system is snappy and smart looking, but it’s generally harder to use on the move than the click-wheel setup it replaced. 

At least the excellent climate controls survived the update unscathed, with the area once occupied by the click wheel now home to a useful storage cubby.

HOW MUCH SPACE IS THERE?

The A4 Avant is cavernous enough for most families, sitting bang in the middle of the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate, but measurably less than the sector leading VW Passat or Skoda Superb. 

Still, there’s good legroom in the back and if you flip the rear seats down, just shy of 1,500-litres of space to play with. And because it’s much lower than a crossover or SUV it’s easier to haul heavy things in and out.