The new, larger Audi A4 Avant, which goes on sale in the UK in September, will be the first of an extended family of A4 variants spawned by the compact executive saloon.

Building on the success of the original A4 Avant, which found more than 300,000 homes in Europe in its five-year life span, the newcomer will combine the numerous advances made by the latest A4 saloon with improvements in passenger and luggage space compared with its predecessor.

Almost 2m long and 1m wide, the A4 Avant's load bay is also significantly more user-friendly than before, thanks in part to the compact design of the rear suspension.

Its sidewall now incorporates a lidded storage box, a storage net for oddments and a 12V socket, and beneath the floor is a 'secret compartment' offering an additional 65 litres of space.

The entire load floor can also be folded together, raised up behind the seats or removed completely to maximise overall capacity.

Like its saloon counterpart, the new A4 Avant will initially be powered by a range of seven petrol and turbocharged diesel engines.

The petrol range includes two new alloy block engines, a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder with 130 horsepower and a 3.0-litre V6 with 220 horsepower, plus Audi's familiar turbocharged 1.8-litre, four-cylinder with 150 horsepower.

TDI models are powered by either the acclaimed 1.9-litre unit in 100 horsepower or 130 horsepower form, or the 2.5 TDI V6 with either 155 horsepower or 180 horsepower.

Pricing and exact specification for UK versions of the new Audi A4 Avant will be finalised closer to its September launch.