Audi is killing the gas-powered A6 to leave room for the fully electric A6 E-Tron. The next-gen A6 with combustion engines will be renamed A7. The wraps are coming off at the beginning of 2025.
In March, CEO Markus Duesmann confirmed Audi's plans to change its naming strategy and separate gas cars from EVs. The fresh vocabulary is already in place with the gas A4 becoming the A5, leaving room for a future electric A4 E-Tron. The same goes for the electric A6 E-Tron; Without a conventional gas engine, the traditional A6 will become the A7.
Today, Audi officially announced plans to show the new A7 at the beginning of next year. Additional details have not been disclosed, but our German colleagues from Motor1 Deutschland have spy shots of the next-gen model disguised as a sedan. A camouflaged prototype was seen at the beginning of October with a trunk lid, which could mean the Sportback is dying. Hopefully not. Maybe the luxury brand intends to offer both body styles. Either way, we can say with certainty there will be at least a sedan.
But here’s the real kicker—Audi has been selling an A7 sedan in China for more than three years. The A7L is based on the locally produced long-wheelbase version and eschews the slinky Sportback silhouette in favor of a traditional sedan shape. China still gets the five-door model, so fingers crossed that Audi will apply this strategy to the next-gen global A7 as well.
In the case of the smaller A5, it’s a more practical five-door liftback affair since the old A4 sedan did not get a direct successor when it transitioned to the A5 moniker a few months ago. For wagon fans, Audi has already given the new A5 (and S5) the Avant treatment and will do the same for the A7. Yes, there will be an A7 Avant, and by extension, we’ll also see an RS7 Avant, as odd as that may sound.
Before the new A7 breaks cover, Audi intends to show the next-gen Q5 Sportback later this month.
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