Audi A6 Avant to Be Unveiled on May 18 in Berlin

There used to be a time when developing a car took 10 years and required most of a carmaker’s development divisions to be involved in making it. But we are now in the age of computers, and it sometimes seems that designers need only imagine a shape for it to become reality.

It’s only been five short months since Audi pulled the covers off the new five-door saloon version of the A6, at the 2011 NAIAS in Detroit, but the German company has announced that the Avant variant will also benefit from the cover pulling treatment next week on Wednesday, May 18, during a special event at the Humboldt Box in Berlin. With no big automotive events in sight, the new A6 Avant is sure to get the undivided attention of the automotive press, especially since the event will also be broadcast online.

We don’t expect to see any big surprises under the 5 Series rival’s hood, so expect the same range of market-dependent four-cylinders and V6 petrols and diesels. There should also be a hybrid version coming some time down the line.

The saloon version is offered with a choice of five engines, with the company claiming that fuel consumption throughout the range has been decreased by up to 19 percent compared to the previous model. The petrol range includes two options, a 2.8-liter V6 with 204HP and 280 Nm (206.52 lb-ft) of torque, and a 3.0-liter TFSI V6 delivering 300 hp and 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft).

Though we believe that most of the customers of the avant will opt for one of the diesel engines, mainly the 3.0-liter TDI V6 that develops either 204 hp or 245 hp.