The good news is that the RS 6 will live on for another generation, the bad news is it will be the last of its kind with a combustion engine according to Audi management.
The ominous Ingolstadt wagon will live on for another generation but current Audi R&D head; Stephan Reil, has confirmed that it will become more hybridised than the current version. This news will only become a reality in the next several years since the existing RS 6 is expected to be replaced by 2025 or 2026 but as with a full automotive production journey, fundamentals as crucial as the powertrain are selected early on in the process.
Related: Celebrating 20 years and four generations of the Audi RS 6
Riel stated: “It started about a generation after C6 that CO2 emissions got more and more important. Then on the C7, we had the downsizing from a V10 to V8, we brought in cylinder deactivation, and on the C8 we now have a 48-volt mild hybrid system.”
Audi is gravitating towards an electrified future with their impressive lineup in the e-tron range but fortunately the ominous RS 6 will retain its fossil fuel powered combustion engine for another generation although the natural evolution of the aforementioned statement means that it will likely be a plug-in hybrid setup.
WATCH: This lowered Audi RS e-tron GT bodes well for future modification
Reil further added this on hybridisation: “Of course this is the way to go, in the next generation I can tell you it will have more hybridisation, this is our way toward fully electrified cars.” No information on the next gen RS 6 is available yet, nor what exactly will propel it forward but news of its gradual electrification make the V10 behemoths of yesteryear seem like mythical creatures.
