The Four Rings will have a drastically new line-up going into the new year.
A6 Avant e-tron has been approved for South Africa in 2027. Picture: Audi
With no less than four models debuting this year, Audi South Africa has already revealed its plans for 2027 by announcing eight new models for the local market.
No supercar
Announced at the launch of the all-new Q3 in Stellenbosch last month, the Four Rings will conclude 2026 with the unveiling of the new Q5, RS5 sedan and Avant, and the updated RS e-tron GT Performance.
A no-no, though, the radical Nuvolari as all 499 units destined for production are left-hand-drive.
For the moment, an exact timeframe of which model will arrive first hasn’t been disclosed, nor has pricing or specification.
What’s coming?
As such, the new arrivals for 2027 are listed in no direct order based on quarter or estimated month of debut.
A3
Fresh from its global debut in June, the latest iteration of the current A3 will incorporate not only the reworked exterior of two years ago, but also the newly refreshed interior.
Set to be replaced by an all-new generation in 2027, both the five-door Sportback and four-door sedan are set to remain, however, the choice of engines are likely to be different for South Africa than those of Europe.
For the moment, it remains unknown as to whether the A3’s arrival will also include the revised S3 and RS3.
RS3 Competition
Unveiled in March before the relative interior updates, the final tribute to the RS3, the Competition, will debut in South Africa, but in a limited capacity of three units out of the 750 Ingolstadt will make.
Available in sedan and Sportback bodystyles, the Competition mainly receives bespoke exterior and interior additions, but no changes to its platform.
The same also applies to the five-cylinder 2.5 TFSI engine, which outputs 294kW/500Nm directed to all four wheels through the seven-speed S tronic transmission.
A6 Allroad
Following in the wheel tracks of the RS5 Avant, the new A6 Allroad will return to South Africa on the back of previous iteration based on the A4 and A6.
Wider, longer and with more ground clearance than the combustion engined A6 Avant on which it is based, the Allroad offers up between 466 to 1 497-litres of luggage space, plus standard quattro all-wheel drive.
Unlike in Europe, only one powertrain has been mulled for South Africa, the mild-hybrid 3.0 TDI, which develops 220kW/580Nm on the Old Continent.
However, as mentioned, expect exact details to only emerge next year.
A6 e-tron
In an unexpected surprise, the all-electric A6 e-tron will be introduced instead of the combustion variant that would have become the new generation A7.
Even more surprising is the decision to only offer the Avant and not the sedan, most likely based on its historic market performance.
Based on the EV-specific Premium Platform Electric (PPE), the A6 e-tron Avant has been 502 and 1 422-litres of boot space, and the same interior design as the A5.
In Europe, single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor quattro all-wheel drive variants are offered, including a performance S6.
RS6
Still under wraps, Audi will conclude its passenger vehicle roll-out with the all-new RS6, which will reportedly follow the example of the RS5 and become a plug-in hybrid instead of an EV.
Both sedan and Avant variants will be offered in South Africa.
Q7
On the SUV side, the new year will see the arrival of the all-new Q7 that made its world debut last month.
Set to have five or seven-seats, the Q7 will see the return of the turbodiesel engine the now outgoing variant controversially dropped following its final round of updates last year.
In Europe, the 3.0 TDI unit has mild-hybrid assistance as standard, and comes in two outputs; 180kW/500Nm and 220kW/630Nm.
Seemingly unlikely is the SQ7, now exclusive to the United States, and the conventional 2.9-litre bi-turbo V6 TFSI.
Q9
Replacing the Q7 at the head of Audi’s SUV range, the long-awaited Q9 has been given local market approval as its global launch draws closer.
Its interior already teased, along with its partially camouflaged exterior, the Q9 will seat six or seven, and rival the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS.
For the moment, no technical details are known. However, it is expected to have the same powertrain options as the Q7 due to riding on the same PPC platform.
Q6 e-tron
Its world debut having taken place two years ago, the all-electric Q6 e-tron will complete Audi’s product roll-out for 2027.
Based on the PPE, the sister model to the all-electric Porsche Macan will be positioned below the Q5 and the Q8, whose future, for now, it unknown.
As with the A6 e-tron, two variants are offered, but with dual-electric motors as standard. In base form, the 95-kWh battery produces 285 kW and 380 kW in the flagship SQ6.
More in the new year
Final details of all models, as mentioned, will only be announced next year.
