The Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain better watch its back.
The paint has barely dried on the new Audi A6, but already artists have gone to work on dreaming up new variants. So far we’ve seen the sporty saloon with a hot RS6 makeover, but now artist Tobias Buttner has opted to give the German luxury saloon a more rugged theme. This is the A6 Allroad – or at least a rendering of which. Like other Allroad models before it, it adopts new body cladding and a higher ride height, all in an effort to improve off-road usability.
Of course, nearly all of the same styling cues from the standard A6 carry over, but there are a number of unique variations to note. The grille, for example – while still large and imposing – now features vertical chrome inserts as opposed to the horizontal design found on the standard model. The accenting vents are now more subtle, too, and there’s a silver running board located just underneath the grille.
The ride height is also a bit higher, obviously, and plastic body cladding around the wheels assures that it will be able to take on rougher roads without damaging the paint on the fenders. The previous model has its height raised by just 3.5 centimeters (35 millimeters) over the standard sedan, with an available one extra centimeter (10 millimeters) of lift available at low speeds. Expect similar figures for the new model… if Audi decides to build it.
The artist doesn’t specify which powertrain would be found underhood of the high-riding A6, but don’t expect any dramatic departure from the standard sedan. The new A6 comes with a 3.0-liter TFSI turbocharged V6 making 340 horsepower (250 kW), or an optional 3.0-liter TDI diesel available with 286 hp (210 kW). The TDI comes paired to an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox, while the TSFI mill uses a seven-speed S-Tronic transmission.
Unfortunately, the A6 Allroad is still a ways away. The new sedan hasn’t even hit the market yet; the A6 will go on sale in Germany in June, before following up in other countries shortly thereafter. The new A6 should start at somewhere near $50,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S., but the Allroad will be a bit more expensive.
Source: Tobias Buttner / Facebook