In an era when even Volvo is dropping out of the wagon game, the new Audi A6 Allroad takes up the mantle, and could preview the next RS6 Avant as well.
I don’t think I’m stretching too far by saying we live in a weird world right now. Some of you guys might have some stronger language to describe it, but specifically I mean a world where SUVs reign supreme, Volvo no longer has any new wagons…but Audi does. Meet the new A6 Allroad, which Audi just introduced Tuesday in Germany as a bigger and beefier version of its lifted station wagon.
For more than 25 years, the A6 Allroad has been one of the relatively few options you’ve had if you want more ruggedness than your standard car, but don’t want to jump into the veritable sea of sport utilities on the market. This time around, you’re looking at a wagon that is 4.3 inches wider and rides 1.3 inches higher than the standard A6 Avant. Following in the spirit of the conventional A6 sedan, we also have an updated interior with an 11.9-inch digital cockpit and 14.5-inch infotainment display, as well as Audi’s Digital Matrix LED headlights and OLED rear lights.
European customers will get a choice of two powertrains. A 3.0-liter turbo-diesel offers up 295 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. Considering diesel cars are all but dead in the U.S., you can count that one out when it arrives stateside next year. The other option, however, is interesting when you bring into context what it replaces. Instead of a 3.0-liter mild-hybrid V6, the new Audi Allroad is going for a plug-in hybrid backed by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder instead.
That means a 20.7-kWh (net capacity) battery pack and a potential driving range of about 59 miles using the WLTP standard. Official EPA ratings might peg that a little closer to 40 miles or so, but it does promise some all-electric driving capability. Despite the downsizing, the electric motor means a little bit more power on paper — 362 horsepower, to be exact — and the same 369 lb-ft of torque as the outgoing V6. RS6 Avant it ain’t, but that’s still a decent amount of shove for your midsize, adventure-ready family rig.
The new Audi A6 Allroad only has one direct rival at the moment
Again, with Volvo out of the game, the Audi A6 Allroad’s continuation only yields it one real rival: the Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain. The Merc packs slightly more power than this Audi, but the two are remarkably close by the spec sheets. There’s no BMW rival in the same class (more on the M5 Touring in a moment).
While Audi announced the new A6 Allroad over in Europe, this next-generation version should make it to the U.S. sometime next year. We don’t know how much it will cost just yet or if the specs will change a bit, but the old variant came in at about $70,000 at the low end, rising to $76,000 or so at the top. That puts it right in the ball park with the aforementioned E-Class All-Terrain, though I suspect Audi will raise the price at least slightly, since that tends to happen with a generational overhaul.
With the Allroad carrying on, that’s a good sign for a new RS6 Avant heading this way as well. The styling updates inside and out are a shoo-in, though we’ll have to see how much more power a next-gen version makes compared to the current one’s 621 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid BMW M5 Touring, for instance, makes a whopping 717 horsepower…even if it is officially heavy as sin at more than 5,500 pounds. Since BMW made the decision to finally throw American wagon enthusiasts a bone with that car, too, it makes sense for Audi to continue the RS6 Avant as its sparring partner. Fingers crossed.
