The badgeless fast hauler was caught riding low during the last days of winter testing.
Remember the undisguised Audi SQ2 prototype from last week? It looks like it wasn’t all alone during the final days of winter testing as the spicy small crossover was in the company of a much bigger car. A badgeless next-generation S6 Avant was playing in the snow (what was left of it), not shy to show off its quad exhaust finishers typical for an S model from Audi Sport’s portfolio. As you would come to expect from an S-badged performance car born in Ingolstadt, the fast wagon had a lowered sports suspension and a set of big wheels likely to go up at least a size for the production model.
The headlights and taillights were pretty much covered in the same swirly disguise, but having seen more revealing shots of the regular A6 Avant, the design of the lighting clusters is not much of a mystery. The recently revealed A6 Sedan also gives us an idea of what to expect from its more practical counterpart, especially when it comes to the headlights since these are unlikely to go through any significant changes. In fact, we won’t be too surprised if these will be virtually carried over from the sedan.
If you’re not a fan of large front grilles, we’re afraid Audi’s corporate singleframe grille is as big as ever and it’s flanked lower on the bumper by the pseudo air intakes. Needless to say, that extra LED light bar mounted on the bottom of the license plate won’t be there on the production model.
While we don’t get to see the interior of the long-roofed A6 in the adjacent spy shots, look no further than the sedan to discover a good chunk of the Avant’s cabin:
Details about what will power the next-generation S6 are shrouded in mystery, but it is believed it will downsize to a turbocharged V6 gasoline engine. Some say Audi also has plans for a first-ever diesel-powered S6, though we will have to wait and see about that since it would be quite unusual in the aftermath of the emissions scandal that has forced the Volkswagen Group to push for an eco-friendly agenda.
We’re expecting to see the standard A6 Avant in the second half of the year, presumably early October at the Paris Motor Show. In 2019, Audi will likely launch both the sedan and wagon versions of the S6. Eventually, there will be a new RS6 Avant crown jewel of the range and there is a glimmer of hope about U.S. availability.
Photos: CarPix
