SPY PHOTOS: 2026 Audi S6 e-tron and RS 6 e-tron spotted

Our European spy photographers have captured what appears to be the 2026 production specification Audi RS 6 e-tron and its smaller S6 e-tron sibling undergo development testing in Germany, both of which look very similar the A6 e-tron Sportback concept shown in 2021.

Performance and powerful versions of the eventual large electric sedan were always a given and it’s clear Audi meant it when it said the production version(s) would be 95 percent true to the concept.

Casual readers may struggle to see much difference between the two camouflaged prototypes, aside from the different alloy wheel designs, but the proof is in the subtle details – for example the RS 6’s more aggressive intake designs and larger braking package (the one with the slat cheeks).

The entire A6 e-tron portfolio will be supported by the PPE architecture for electric vehicles that Audi developed together with Porsche. recently debuted under the Q6 e-tron.

Using the SUV as a reference point, there’s a good chance that the slinky S6 e-tron will deliver a punchy 380 kW, while the fast RS 6 range-topper could be good for up to 475 kW.

Both figures will be a big step forward over the models they replace, with the turbo V6 and twin-turbo V8 in the current S6 and RS 6 developing 331 kW/750 Nm and 463 kW/850 Nm respectively.

Fast charging capabilities of up to 270 kW have already been detailed for the entire A6 e-tron range, along with a maximum WLTP range of more than 700 km.

However, the newer versions are unlikely to offer a range much greater than 600km, due to their more powerful and potentially more numerous engines.

Audi has already hinted at the prospect of a rabid RS 6 Avant e-tron, telling car sales in February that this was the case no plans to exit the fast car market – a niche that it has largely made its own in recent decades.

But why are the prototypes Sportbacks if the RS 6 was traditionally an Avant-only proposition?

As Audi restructures its naming strategy to have even numbers applied to electric vehicles and odd numbers applied to combustion and hybrid models, hence the 2025 Audi RS 5 has been spotted testing as a wagon.

In concept form, the A6 e-tron had a 100kWh traction battery and that looks set to remain the case for the production version, as the Q6 e-tron has just that, along with 800-volt charging technology that will reportedly deliver up to 300km of driving time. reach in just 10 minutes.