It’s a bit unusual for a wagon to come out before the sedan, but that’s how Audi is rolling out the new A6 lineup. The more practical Avant broke cover at the beginning of March, and we’ll have to wait until next week to see its sedan sibling. Meanwhile, teaser images show a good chunk of the rear end ahead of the official debut scheduled for April 15 premiere. Predictably, the Mercedes E-Class competitor looks instantly familiar.
The adjacent teaser images show the new A6 with the latest iteration of Audi’s high-tech OLED taillights. Because it’s 2025 and apparently every new car must have a light bar, the next-gen sedan gets a wide LED strip across its entire rear end, echoing the Avant. It’s a visual trick to give the illusion of a wider car. The luxury brand part of the Volkswagen Group has pledged to ditch fake exhaust tips, so look for the 2026 A6 and S6 to use a proper setup. Hooray!
Photo by: Audi
That blacked-out “A6” badge was almost an “A7” logo. There had been plans to move the A6 lineup to the A7 designation to better separate cars with combustion engines from those with electric drivetrains. The intent was to use odd numbers for ICE and even numbers for EV. However, Audi recently gave up on this strategy less than two years after announcing it.
We have some bad news if you’re not a fan of the classic sedan shape. This time around, Audi won’t do another A7 Sportback. The sleeker five-door alternative to the A6 will not live to see another generation. As a refresher of how complicated Ingolstadt’s lineup has gotten over the years, there’s a long-wheelbase A7 sedan (an actual sedan) built and sold in China. Confusing, I know.
As for engines, look no further than the new A6 Avant to find out what’s hiding underneath the hood. The base sedan will make do with a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine producing 201 horsepower and 250 pound-feet. A stronger 3.0-liter V-6 will produce 362 hp and 406 lb-ft. On the diesel side, there will be a 2.0 TDI with 201 hp but 295 lb-ft. The next RS6 will remain an Avant affair, hopefully with a brawny V-8, although some sort of electrification is likely to keep up with stricter emissions regulations.
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Source: Audi
As with every car that switches generations, the next A6 sedan will probably be bigger. The wagon has been stretched by 2.3 inches to 196.4 inches, although the wheelbase and width are borderline identical to its predecessor. Audi claims the long-roof model is its most aerodynamic wagon with a combustion engine in history, thanks to a drag coefficient of 0.25. By extension, expect the three-box sedan to have a super-slippery body as well.
Everything you like and dislike about the Avant will be in the sedan, but with a bit more elegance at the expense of practicality. The wagon has already gone on sale in Europe, where deliveries are programmed to start at the end of May. The sedan should hit the market before the end of 2025, although America might have to wait until next year.
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