The direct replacement for the RS6 will be a plug-in hybrid. And it could quickly cohabit with an RS version of the future A6 e-tron.
In 2022, the RS6 celebrates its 20th anniversary. Audi’s famous super-sporty station wagon has already gone through four generations. But the current one has just taken on a particular flavor. The brand with the rings has confirmed that it will be the last 100% thermal. The next generation of RS6 will act as a transition. Stephan Reil, head of research and development at Audi after serving as head of Audi Sport, confirmed to Australian media Wheels that the RS6 will become a plug-in hybrid.
The current RS6 is already a little electrified, but with light hybridization. The next one will therefore be able to do a few tens of kilometers in all-electric mode, which will above all have the advantage for Audi of melting its CO2 certification and facing increasingly strict rules in terms of polluting emissions. French customers can expect a lighter penalty, even if you have to be wary of changes in tax rules. Because the RS6 plug-in, it will not be before 2025 or 2026. Note that there is already at Porsche a strong Panamera Turbo S E-hybrid of 700 hp.
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And then ? This will be the all-electric era. Audi is already talking about an all-electric RS6. This could even cohabit with the plug-in variant, because the A6 will soon experience a double life. In addition to the version that we know, the brand will launch in 2023 an electric model on a separate basis. This A6 e-tron will have its Avant version, which could therefore give rise to an electric RS6.
The article Audi: the next RS6 will be plugged in first appeared on Automobile Propre.
