Audi A6 2018 spied winter testing, Audi A6 2018

Next A6 will feature evolutionary styling, but big new tech and interior features

The wraps are slowly coming off the all-new Audi A6 ahead of its anticipated reveal next year, and these latest spy shots serve up our best look yet at the firm’s next-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series rival.
Compared to previous sightings, the A6 spied here undergoing cold weather assessment wears complete production bodywork and exterior parts. At the front we can see more of the heavily A8 inspired front end, with a new, wider and hexagonal grille. Meanwhile, around the back, the car’s production taillights are now in place. 

• Best executive cars on sale 2017/18

As ever, features like quattro all-wheel drive as well as the choice of practical Avant or Allroad bodystyles will be available.

The current A6 is approaching the end of its productive life, and is being superseded left, right and centre by new and stylish models, like the smaller A4, sleek A5 and A5 Sportback as well as the practical Audi Q5 SUV. When the new model arrives it will have to take the fight to established players in the executive market, such as the Mercedes E-Class and the new BMW 5 Series.
• Best executive cars
The A6 is set to be new in every sense of the word, based on an entirely new platform and stuffed with brand-new engines and headline technology features like twin touchscreens, which do away with all the physical cabin controls.

Design

We could see big changes in the design of the new Audi A6. Following the arrival of the all-new A8 flagship, the A6 will be one of the first Audis penned by new design boss Marc Lichte. We can expect the German brand to move away from its current ‘Russian doll’ styling to a strategy where each model line will have its own individual identity. Our exclusive images preview how it could look once the wraps come off.

• Long-term test review: Audi A4 saloon

At the front, we'll see an updated version of Audi's daytime running light signature, while down the sides there will be wide blistered wheelarches and strong creases. Expect to see a strip of bright chrome on the rear, too.
A practical Avant and rugged A6 Allroad will be launched off the back of the new saloon. The Avant will be bigger and more practical than the existing model, but with a more steeply raked rear screen and less boxy looks.

Technology

While styling changes will be evolutionary, big changes inside are expected, with a new cabin architecture representing a total shift from that of today’s A6. Gone is the scroll-wheel driven Audi MMI system - in fact, gone are all traditional buttons, with the cabin controlled solely by two screens seamlessly integrated into the centre console, complete with A8-like haptic feedback. 
The Prologue concept seen at the Los Angeles Motor Show back in 2014 was a thinly veiled glimpse at what the new A6 will look like. Bosses have previously said that the Prologue was developed after the A6 project had been signed off, hinting at the concept’s real-world design cues.
The A6 will share its new MLB platform with the A8, reducing weight by around 100kg. This means it will be one of the first mainstream Audi models to feature the 48-volt electrical system and electric turbocharging from the SQ7. In the SUV the set-up has been geared to deliver additional performance, but bosses have previously told Auto Express it can be tweaked to prioritise fuel economy. The electric turbo tech is likely to be applied to a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine.

The 48-volt electronic system will offer a raft of new autonomous kit that we’ll first see on the A8. Audi’s proposed piloted driving tech will include ‘traffic-jam pilot’. This will hand over full control to the vehicle, allowing it to alter speeds and steering inputs independently at speeds of up to 37mph.

Engines

Of course, the regular 2.0 diesel will make up the bulk of A6 sales, alongside a range of four-cylinder petrol turbos and six-cylinder diesels. A frugal plug-in hybrid e-tron capable of around 32 miles on battery power alone will be introduced, too. It’s also likely that Audi will remove the availability of a manual gearbox, offering the A6 with seven and eight-speed dual-clutch autos only.
What do you think of our exclusive images of the new Audi A6? Let us know in the comments section below...