As you might have already heard, Audi will slowly but steadily introduce battery-electric vehicles with even model numbers. To this effect, the current A6 will be replaced by the A6 e-tron. That, however, doesn't mean that the internal combustion-engined A6 series will be discontinued. On the contrary, the Volkswagen Group-owned automaker has been recently spied testing the S6 Avant's heir apparent.
Dubbed S7 Avant, the hi-po wagon slots between the A7 Avant and the RS 7 Avant. Pictured with camouflage on every single body panel and the rear windows, the newcomer also features a handful of high-voltage stickers that indicate a level of electrification for the internal combustion engine.
Audi fuel doors are usually located on the right rear quarter panel. Similar to the A6 50 TFSI e quattro, this fellow has a charging port door on the left rear quarter panel, therefore indicating plug-in hybrid assistance. We already know that the RS 7 Avant and Sportback are plug-in hybrids with twin-turbo V8 muscle and something like 700 horsepower on tap because BMW's next-gen M5 Touring and Sedan are PHEVs rated at over 700 horsepower.
Gifted with a Hyundai-esque front grille, four exhaust pipes split into two pairs, and wheels that look more at home on an A rather than an S, the camouflaged prototype is equipped with Continental SportContact 6 summer tires. Continental dubs them ultra-high-performance tires for passenger cars, crossovers, and SUVs. Being a German company, it should come as no surprise that Continental AG supplies the Audi brand.
Equipped with digital matrix headlights, the S7 Avant will drop in 2025 for the 2026 model year with a choice of two powertrains. The current-gen S6 Sedan is listed with the 2.9-liter TFSI V6 in the United States, while its European sibling rocks the 3.0-liter TDI V6. The S6 Avant isn't available stateside, but does come with a turbo diesel in Europe.
These mills are believed to carry over to the all-new S7 Sedan and Avant, which are better described as new due to their underpinnings. Instead of the PPE architecture of the A6 e-tron, the upcoming A7 will use the Volkswagen Group's MLB Evo architecture. MLB Evo applications include pretty much everything from the front-biased A4 to the Touareg, Q7, Q8, Cayenne, Bentayga, and Urus.
Sporting larger air intakes in the sides of the front bumper than the A7 Avant, the S7 Avant will compete against the BMW M560e xDrive Touring and the Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid 4MATIC+ T-Modell. Both of them are plug-in hybrids, with the Merc putting out 585 ps (577 hp) as opposed to a massive 573 ps (565 hp) for the Bavarian estate.
Given these numbers and their six-pot engines, plug-in hybrid V6 is the only way to go. Doing so with the 3.0-liter TDI V6 for Europe seems futile against the gas-fueled Bimmer and Merc, but looking at the bigger picture, a plug-in hybrid turbo diesel would get you a lot of miles on a full tank and a full charge. The Ingolstadt-based marque advertises the outgoing S6 Avant in Germany with 344 ps (340 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) at €86,600 or $92,970 at current exchange rates.
The gas-powered S6 Sedan for the United States of America is a steal by comparison, for the US does not have that certain something called value-added tax. For the 2024 model year, the S6 Sedan is available to configure at $75,500 before destination charge. At full chatter, the hot-vee sixer develops 444 hp (450 ps) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque.
If those numbers seem familiar, that's because the RS 4 Avant features the very same engine. Its combustion-engined replacement has been spied with a charging port on the driver's side. The RS 5 Avant's main rival is the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance T-Modell, which develops 680 ps (670 hp).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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