- The Audi RS7 Avant will replace the Audi RS 6 Avant
- Prototypes of the Audi RS 7 Avant have been testing on the ‘Ring and near the Arctic Circle
- The Audi RS 7 Avant will likely have a plug-in hybrid powertrain
Audi has been spotted testing another member of its next-generation A7 family, and this time the prototype is for a fire-breathing RS 7 Avant.
Earlier shots showed an A7 sedan, A7 Avant, A7 Allroad soft-roader, and a sporty S7 Avant.
Members of the current A7 family are all based on a single Sportback liftback body style. However, for the next generation, there will be sedans to replace the current gas-powered A6 sedan lineup, and Avant wagons that take over for the current gas-powered A6 Avant wagons.
Audi launched the A6 E-Tron Sportback liftback earlier this year, but the automaker still wants to offer a midsize lineup with gas engines, which is why the A7 family is being expanded. It’s all part of Audi’s new naming strategy announced last year, which uses even numbers in the model names for EVs and odd numbers for models with internal-combustion engines (ICE).
2026 Audi RS 7 Avant spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
We know this prototype is for an RS 7 because of the wide front fascia with large intakes, as well as widened wheel arches, and cutouts in the rear fascia to eventually house signature RS oval-shaped exhaust tips.
It isn’t clear what powertrain will reside in the next RS 7, though plug-in hybrid technology is almost certain. The most likely setup will combine the current RS 7’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with an electric motor integrated with the transmission.
The same setup is already used by several other Volkswagen Group brands, like Porsche for various Cayenne and Panamera models, as well as Lamborghini in its latest Urus, and Bentley in its latest Continental GT.
2026 Audi RS 7 Avant spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
The current RS 7 tops out at 621 hp, but with the help of electrification the new generation could see output levels reach beyond 700 hp. BMW’s rival M5, which also features a V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain in its latest generation, packs as much as 717 hp.
Audi hasn’t announced plans for the new A7 family, but the automaker is expected to use an updated version of the current-generation’s MLB platform. The updated platform is known as the PPC (Premium Platform Combustion), and made its debut earlier this year in a redesigned A5 family.
The first members of the new A7 family will debut early next year. Any that reach the U.S. should arrive as 2026 models. The RS 7 Avant is almost certain to make its way to America to replace the much-loved RS 6 Avant, which bows out after 2025.
