A prototype for a new Audi A7 Avant wagon has been spied for the first time.
It will be twinned with a redesigned A7 Sportback hatchback in an expanded A7 family due to start arriving around 2025. It isn't clear if the wagon will reach the U.S., but the hatch will likely make it to these shores as a 2026 model. The current A7 Sportback has been on sale since the 2019 model year and is due for a redesign soon.
This A7 Avant will replace the current A6 Avant that for its next generation is going the electric route. Prototypes for the electric A6 Avant E-Tron as well as an A6 E-Tron sedan have already been spotted out testing.
A similar strategy is planned for the A5 family, which is about to spawn a redesigned A5 Sportback, as well as a new A5 Avant replacing the current A4 Avant. Expect any future A4 Avant (and A4 sedan) to run on batteries. It's all due to a naming shift announced by Audi earlier this year, in which electric models will feature an even number in their names and names for models with an internal-combustion engine have an odd number.
2026 Audi A7 Avant spy shots - Photo credit: Baldauf
Audi hasn't mentioned plans for the next A7, but expect the automaker to stick with the current generation's MLB platform, perhaps with some revisions. Audi plans to phase out combustion models in most markets later this decade and is thus unlikely to invest in a new platform for the next A7.
The prototype for the A7 Avant shows a sportier, more sculpted design than the current A6 Avant, which makes sense if the vehicle is to be twinned with a future A7 Sportback. A large, protruding grille sits up front, while at the rear are wide, muscular hips that integrate side vents below the taillights. Interestingly, it looks like Audi also plans a return to exhaust tips, though only on one side of the rear fascia in some grades.
A yellow warning sticker on the prototypes points to an electrified powertrain being tested, likely a plug-in hybrid setup.
A high-performance RS 7 Avant should also be in the works, also with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It will replace the current RS 6 Avant that Audi is rumored to send out with a hardcore GT model, prototypes for which may have been spotted.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1141724_2026-audi-a7-avant-spy-shots
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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