Europe has always gotten the best of the wagon world, and Audi’s new A6 Avant faithfully carries on that tradition. While the wagon won’t make its way to the US, its debut gives us insight into upcoming high-performance and high-riding variants that will come our way soon.
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The A6 Avant is a new design that previews what the A6 sedan will look like
The A6 Avant debuts in the interesting color choice of Madeira Brown metallic and changes a lot from its predecessor. A more aggressive grille and significantly sharper body lines instantly set the new one apart, but perhaps the biggest news is Audi’s newfound commitment to including functional exhaust outlets. The dual tips join a modernized rear end that includes a taillight stretching across the length of the hatch.
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Speaking of exhaust tips, the A6 Avant has three different engine options. A 2.0-liter diesel mill that likely won’t come to the US, the base 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine, and the range-topping 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system.
The A6 sedan is scheduled to debut next month, but we expect the changes to the Avant model to largely reflect what we’ll see in the new sedan. The more aggressive styling and newer technology should allow it to better compete with the 5 Series and slightly pricier Mercedes E-Class.
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Other variants—including high-powered RS6 Avant—will show up stateside soon
The A6 Avant squarely targets the 5 Series Touring, but both will only be available in the US market as their high-performance variants. In BMW’s case, this means the desirable new M5 Touring. Audi will give us the RS6 Avant.
The A6 is slightly smaller than the 5 Series Touring, but it offers largely identical tech and luxury features. As a reminder, the outgoing RS6 Avant relies on a potent 621-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, a number we expect to rise to combat the 717-horsepower M5 wagon.
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We’re less certain that the Allroad variant will be available in the US. The A6 Allroad is a lifted version of the standard long roof model the rest of the world gets, but it isn’t the most popular model in the lineup. Audi still hasn’t even given a definitive answer as to whether the next-generation A6 will get an Allroad model.
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Early rumors suggested that a new A7 Allroad would replace the outgoing A6 model, while the A6 badge finds its way onto the back of an electrified Audi e-tron sedan model. But, we’ll have to wait and see.
Final thoughts
While we wish it was coming to America, the A6 Avant’s global release still serves as a peek at what the automaker has in store for the devilishly good RS6 Avant. Competition is good—especially in niche performance segments—and we expect the next RS6 to be even more compelling than the last in order to keep up with the M5 Touring.
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