New RS6 will, seemingly, remain a hybrid of sorts and could retain the current V8 engine, or move over to a V6.
With the limited-run GT having been the swansong for the last generation RS6 Avant just over 12 months ago, Audi has reportedly backtracked on making the next generation full electric.
Move from combustion to EV
Back in 2022, then research and development boss, Stephan Reil, hinted at a gradual switch in electrification involving mild-hybrid assistance, followed by a plug-in hybrid setup and ultimately, complete electrification.
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Five years before, Britain’s evo Magazine reported that the plug-in hybrid setup could develop 515kW/850Nm using the Volkswagen Group’s familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 as a base.
Up until its and the RS7’s discontinuation, the RS6 used a mild-hybrid version of the mentioned V8, outputting 441kW/800Nm and 463kW/850Nm in the updated Performance variant introduced in 2022.
EV-only no more
The latter being the unit chosen for the GT, of which only one of the 660 produced made it to South Africa, Reil’s comments of an electric RS6 have officially been scrapped based on market demand.
According to Britain’s Top Gear Magazine, supposed inside sources within Ingolstadt have alleged the project as having been called off due to a lack of interest.
Reportedly, the officially titled RS6 e-tron would have utilised a dual-motor drivetrain and produced more than the 370 kW made by the current S6 e-tron.
In the same report, the publication states that a next-generation RS6 is still being planned, but likely to be based on the combustion-engined A6 that replaced the A7 earlier this year.
V8 or V6?
Compared to the actual “new” A6, which only sports electric motivation, the combustion engine model will, seemingly, provide the base for the new RS6, though it remains to be seen whether the V8 returns or makes way for a hybridised V6.
At present, the most powerful unit, a mild-hybrid 3.0 TFSI, develops 270kW/550Nm, which allows the A6 to get from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds.
Opposite to the V6, the V8, if deemed suitable, could utilise a plug-in hybrid setup similar to the new BMW M5, whose configuration develops a combined 535kW/1 000Nm.
Stay tuned
For the moment, though, no details about the RS6 Avant are known; however, don’t be surprised if some details emerge, along with first spy images, before the end of the year.
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