Audi is set to launch its first electric sedan and wagon, the A6 e-tron, in 2024, with a hotter RS version understood to be in the pipeline.
Our spy photographers captured this potential Audi RS6 e-tron prototype in the dark during winter testing in the snow.
Although this spied prototype may look similar to previously-spied A6 e-tron prototypes, it’s boasting large brake discs and red brake calipers suggesting it could be a camouflaged RS6 e-tron prototype.
The body of this spied prototype looks extremely similar to the regular A6 e-tron liftback, although the camouflage could be hiding aerodynamic elements as the RS6 e-tron is expected to have more aggressive bodywork.
If this is a prototype for the upcoming Audi RS6 e-tron, it will be the first time an RS6 has been available in a non-wagon body shape for over 10 years.
The regular, internal-combustion engine Audi RS6 was last available as a sedan in second-generation form which went out of production in 2011.
The last two generations of the RS6 have been wagon-only, with the latest model going on sale in Australia in 2020.
It’s expected the Audi RS6 e-tron will be available in both liftback and Avant wagon body styles, like the regular A6 e-tron.
Under the skin, the RS6 e-tron will use the Platform Premium Electric (PPE) architecture being jointly developed by Audi and Porsche.
Both the Audi A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron SUV are set to be the first vehicles to launch on this platform.
An all-electric Porsche Macan will also be based on the PPE architecture, though its launch was recently delayed – initially, it was
The 2021 Audi A6 e-tron concept featured a 100kWh battery pack, and was said to support fast-charging at up to 270kW plus 700km of range under the WLTP test cycle.
As reported by Autocar in November 2021, it’s expected the RS6 e-tron will closely match the outputs of the RS e-tron GT, which produces 440kW of power and 830Nm of torque from its dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain. This is good for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.3 seconds.
For reference, the current Audi RS6 pumps out 441kW and 800Nm from its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine.
Audi is expected to transition more of its S- and RS-branded performance vehicles to electric powertrains as it plans to roll out at least 20 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025 and launch its final internal-combustion engine vehicle (ICE) by the same year.
Currently, the only EVs to boast these high-performance badges are the Audi RS e-tron GT, and the Audi e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback which will soon be called the SQ8 e-tron.
Audi has committed to becoming an all-electric brand by 2033 in every market except China, with the European Union locking in new regulations that will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles from 2035.
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