Despite their stodgy reputation with most American consumers, luxury-badged station wagons are actually surprisingly popular. Buyers for the long-roof Mercedes-Benz E-Class are among the company’s most fiercely loyal (and high-net-worth), while BMW saw such strong demand for the M5 Touring that it’s considering bringing the next-generation M3 wagon to America. Audi is reportedly doing the same introspection, and it’s possible that the RS 6 Avant and allroad wagons will get more siblings before the end of the decade.
Building A Business Case For Avant
2026 Audi RS6 AvantIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
The only Audi wagon available in the US right now is the RS 6 Avant, offered in performance [sic] trim for 2026. The newest Audi A6, however, has been rumored to spawn a next-generation RS 6 variant (in both sedan and wagon body styles) that will use plug-in hybrid power to bring the fight to the BMW M5 once again. And the automaker has already confirmed that the A6 allroad will come to America’s shores in time for the 2028 model year.
However, speaking to Road & Track, Audi of America Senior Vice President of Product Management Filip Brabec said that the company is considering other station wagons for US consumption. “We’re not sort of the vanilla brand that will just have three or four SUVs and a couple sedans and call it a day,” Brabec said. “We want to be that brand that really pushes the envelope and has something for its enthusiasts.”
2027 Audi A6 AllroadAudi
The executive also said that although wagons tend to be lower-volume products than sedans or SUVs, Audi considers its Avant models to be a strength it can play to customers who understand their value. That would include performance-oriented buyers – the Venn diagram overlap of sports car and station wagon enthusiasts is surprisingly large – and those who live in major metropolitan areas, where Avant products sell in proportionally higher numbers.
Room For One (Or Two) More?
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If we were to guess which products are next to get the long-roof treatment, our first thought is the lovely RS 5 Avant already sold in Europe. The sleek compact wagon uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain paired with a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 to produce a supercar-like 630 horsepower and 609 pound-feet, allowing it to hit 60 miles per hour in well under 3 seconds. Given how popular the current RS 6 Avant is with US consumers, a cheaper kid sibling seems like a shoo-in.
To that end, we also think an A5 allroad would be a good addition to the company’s lineup. Its predecessor, the A4 allroad, was sold in the US until the 2022 model year, and although it never found as many fans as the more conventional Q5 crossover, we think a smaller allroad would still be very appealing to stylish snow belt residents. It would also give Audi exclusive control of the compact wagon segment, which the BMW 3 Series abandoned after the 2018 model year.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Rear quarter shot of a 2025 Audi RS6 AvantAudi
As it is (or used to be) with Volvo, Audi’s history is heavily intertwined with station wagons. Some of the automaker’s most exciting products, incuding the RS 2 and the original allroad, were only offered in Avant form, and even in the US, station wagon versions of the A4 and A6 sedan were once commonplace in some of the country’s more tasteful suburban enclaves. We’d love to see some of that long-roof passion return to the US, so keep your fingers crossed.
Base Trim Engine
4.0-liter V8 MHEV
Base Trim Transmission
8-speed automatic
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
621 HP @6000 RPM
Base Trim Torque
627 lb.-ft. @ 2050 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
14/21/17 MPG
Base Trim Battery Type
Lithium ion (Li-ion)
Infotainment & Features
8.5 /10
Source: Road & Track
