2026 Audi A7 sedan renamed from A6, but remains

Audi is changing its logo to help buyers more easily browse combustion and electric vehicle products. We got our first taste of this strategy this summer, when the long-running A4 sedan switched to an A5 badge for the 2026 model year, and now the A6 is transitioning into the A7.

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The reason for this upheaval is to give all internal combustion engine cars and hybrid cars odd numbers so that electric cars can overtake even-numbered cars. The A6 badge has been reassigned to the electric midsize car, but when it comes to the car’s body style, Audi has upended the familiar A6-A7 relationship.

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Over the past decade, we’ve become accustomed to thinking of the A6 as a traditional sedan and wagon, and the A7 as a fastback coupe. But our spy team has photographed the upcoming electric A6 (and RS6) as a wagon and as a Sportback with a hatchback rear. The A7 is considered a station wagon or an older sedan with a traditional trunk, which we believe can be seen in the photos on this page.

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Since the A7 hasn’t been launched yet, Audi hasn’t commented on the body style yet. Our hunch is that the automaker’s market research has found that combustion engine buyers have more conservative powertrain preferences, along with equally traditional design tastes. The latest BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class are both sedans.

That’s not to say the A7 looks dull. It’s a handsome car, with a sporty rake for the rear window, a short trunk, and a shallow greenhouse that gives it a coupe feel. The rear wheel arches are cut high, giving the sedan a lean look, and flush door handles add a touch of modernity.

The droopy hood line and shorter grille make the A7 look far less formal than its direct rival, BMW’s new 5 Series, but the horizontal light bar at the rear and its vertical LEDs at each corner (not lit here ) may turn off some of these non-progressive buyers.

All EV customers will be switching to the A6 when it arrives, so the A7 will focus on mild hybrid and PHEV engines, starting with a 2.0-liter inline-four available in petrol or diesel form and paired with a variety of front-wheel engines. wheel drive or all-wheel drive transmission. V6 engines will also be available, and the S5 is rumored to be powered by a plug-in 4.0-liter V8 engine from the Porsche Panamera.

Do you think Audi was right to stick with traditional sedan form for the new A7? Please leave your comments below.

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Image: Baldolf