2027 Audi S6 Spied Undisguised And Looking Ready To Slide

The (Gas-Powered) Audi S6 is Coming Back

In the middle of Audi‘s ultimately failed renaming scheme, the world ended up with the first-ever electric S6. Dubbed the S6 Sportback e-tron, it wasn’t a replacement for the gas-powered model. Instead, the one with combustion power would’ve been called the S7, the same way the fuel-fed S4 wound up becoming the S5.

Since then, the plan to rename the Audi lineup has been scrapped. While it was too late for the A4/A5, it wasn’t for the A6. With that, the S6 will soon get a gas version by the looks of things, dispelling any rumors of its permanent retirement as it was recently spotted undisguised in the Nürburgring.

Still a Proper Sleeper

The all-new S6 was spied by CarspotterJeroen, and given that it’s no longer wearing any camouflage, we might be just a few weeks (or even days) away from its official world premiere. Sticking to tradition, the redesigned sport sedan still looks like a proper sleeper, as the wilder exterior treatment will end up in the RS 6.

From the front, it looks almost indistinguishable from an A6 with the S Line package. The only hints here are the silver elements on the grille, as well as silver surrounds by the corner air ducts. As for the rear, the only giveaway here are the quad-exhaust pipes as the standard A6 comes with dual trapezoidal exits. Before anyone asks, yes, there will be an S6 Avant.

No Audisteer Here

Yes, we know, modern Audis don’t understeer like they did compared to back in the day, but the term Audisteer has lingered on to this day. These days, we’re even seeing models that give a degree of oversteer, allowing owners to pull off four-wheel drifts – in safe environments and closed circuits, of course.

As seen in the short clip, the all-new S6 doesn’t plow into the corner. Even better, we see it kick its tail out on corner exit. It’s behavior similar to what we’ve seen in S5s, and it hints that the car comes with a true Torsen Quattro all-wheel drive system. It’ll probably come as no surprise if it comes the Sport Differential and four-wheel steering as well.

What’s the Engine?

The previous-generation S6 had the odd distinction of having different powertrain options depending on the market. Most of the world got the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, while the European model was strictly diesel with a hotted-up version of the 3.0-liter TDI that over 100 hp less than the gas-powered model.

Judging by the sound, the new-generation S6 will use a boosted V6 once again. It’ll likely be a punchier version of the 2.9-liter V6 with mild-hybrid tech, and we’re expecting more than 444 hp for this iteration. There’s also a strong chance that it’ll be gas-only, as Europe shies away from diesel power.