Road-going prototypes of the all-new Audi S6 sedan and Avant have been spotted during testing. Both test mules have shed nearly all of their camouflage, with only the S6 badge on the Avant’s rear end covered by tape, signaling that the official unveiling of the new model is imminent.
Two exterior details directly confirm the car’s powertrain setup. A dedicated charging port has been added to the driver’s side rear wheel arch, and a yellow high-voltage system warning sticker is affixed to the top-left corner of the rear window, verifying that the new model will be equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This will be Audi’s first S-badged model to adopt plug-in hybrid technology; prior to this, the first plug-in hybrid performance model under Audi Sport was the RS5.
Audi has not yet released official detailed power specifications. For reference, the current S5 is powered by a pure gasoline 3.0T V6 engine, delivering a maximum output of 362 hp and a peak torque of 550 N·m. The higher-spec RS5 plug-in hybrid system pairs a 2.9T V6 engine with an electric motor, producing a combined maximum output of 630 hp and a peak torque of 825 N·m. The combined output of the all-new S6 PHEV is expected to fall between these two figures.
The all-electric Audi S6 e-tron currently on sale delivers a combined 496 hp from its dual-motor setup, which rises to 543 hp when launch control is activated. Within the same S6 model lineup, the performance level of the new plug-in hybrid S6 is not expected to create a substantial gap with the all-electric S6 e-tron.