Audi’s Electric RS6 Decision Will Please Gas-Engine Lovers

Audi's plans for an RS6 Avant e-tron may be dead in the water, despite prototypes of the electric performance wagon still testing in public view [1]. The slow uptake of electric vehicles, especially in performance circles, seems to have left Audi [2] with cold feet.

2025 Audi RS6 Avant performance 4.0 TFSI quattro

MSRP: £126,600

Engine: 4L V8 Hybrid

Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Horsepower: 621 HP @6000 RPM

Torque: 627 lb.-ft. @ 2050 RPM

Citing insider sources, TopGear reported this week that the RS6 e-tron project has been canceled, meaning the most potent member of the A6 e-tron family [3] will remain the current S6 e-tron [4], which delivers 543 horsepower from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system - enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in under four seconds. According to the sources, Audi doesn't believe it will be able to sell enough units to justify production.

The automaker already offers a high-performance EV in the form of the e-tron GT [5], which delivers up to 912 hp in RS e-tron GT guise [6], but sales figures for the full lineup are dismally low. US numbers totaled just 473 units in the first six months of the year. Ouch.

Audi No Longer Gung-Ho On EVs

Audi RS6 Avant E-TronCarBuzz/Valnet

Up until recently, Audi was committed to going fully electric this decade, proclaiming in 2021 that it would exclusively launch EVs starting as soon as 2026.

That reading of the market hasn't turned out to be so accurate, as Audi and several other automakers have discovered. Most that planned to go EV-only have since pulled back, and that includes Audi [7], which will now offer hybrids alongside EVs. It's worth noting that, as of now, Audi has no official word on the RS6 Avant e-tron despite our recent prototype sightings.

RS6 fans shouldn't feel too disheartened by the potential demise of the RS6 e-tron. Audi is also testing a new RS6 [8] with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This RS6, which is expected to start sales next year, likely as a 2027 model in the US, will be based on the latest generation of the internal-combustion-engine-equipped A6 [9] that debuted in April.

Audi RS6 Avant spy photosCarBuzz/Valnet

It isn't clear what's under the hood of the prototypes, but the smart money is on a plug-in hybrid powertrain combining a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 with an electric motor integrated into the transmission.

Power will be sent to all four wheels via a mechanical all-wheel-drive system. A similar setup is already used by fellow Volkswagen Group brands Bentley and Porsche, with outputs well above 700 hp. The rival BMW M5 [10] employs a comparable system, officially rated at 717 hp.

By contrast, the current RS6, powered purely by a V8 engine, tops out at 621 hp. Interestingly, Audi's plans to add electrification to its next RS6 seem to have spurred demand [11] for the current V8-only version, in Europe at least. The automaker has confirmed that sales in that region in the first half of the year were up 41% year-on-year, resulting in an all-time high.

What Could Have Been

Audi A6 Avant e-tron ConceptAudi

Audi provided a glimpse of the RS6 Avant e-tron's styling with the reveal of the A6 Avant e-tron concept in 2022.

Although badged as an A6, the concept's flared wheel arches, huge wheels, and pronounced rear diffuser are all elements we would expect on an RS model. In terms of power, a dual-motor setup producing around 800 hp would be likely for any RS6 e-tron. Buyers looking for a high-performance electric sedan have several options, including the aforementioned e-tron GT.

If it's a wagon, however, choices are limited.

One option is BMW's i5 M60 Touring [12], sold overseas, which packs 592 hp.

Source: TopGear [13]

References

^ testing in public view (carbuzz.com)
^ Audi (carbuzz.com)
^ A6 e-tron family (carbuzz.com)
^ current S6 e-tron (carbuzz.com)
^ the e-tron GT (carbuzz.com)
^ RS e-tron GT guise (carbuzz.com)
^ and that includes Audi (carbuzz.com)
^ testing a new RS6 (carbuzz.com)
^ internal-combustion-engine-equipped A6 (carbuzz.com)
^ rival BMW M5 (carbuzz.com)
^ have spurred demand (carbuzz.com)
^ BMW's i5 M60 Touring (carbuzz.com)
^ TopGear (www.topgear.com)