With every other vehicle seemingly being a crossover, it's refreshing to see a new wagon in the works. Audi has been caught testing the next-generation A4 Avant a few times already, and this speculative rendering attempts to digitally peel off the camouflage. Contrary to design trends and coming as a pleasant surprise, the BMW 3 Series Touring rival will get a smaller front grille, flanked by what appear to be slightly slimmer headlights.
In typical Ingolstadt fashion, the Four Rings won't be rocking the boat in terms of design, which is something we can't say about its archrival BMW. The test vehicles our spies have spotted didn't have the final taillights, but a protrusion in the tailgate led us to believe the prototypes had a wide light bar in keeping with recent Audis. The design exercise doesn't show the interior, but we know for a fact the MMI infotainment will be neatly integrated into the center console.
The German luxury brand has already announced the new A4 will usher in the firm's last generation of gasoline and diesel engines. It will ride on an evolution of the MLB platform and rely on a 48V mild-hybrid system to cut fuel consumption to keep regulators happy. A plug-in hybrid with a big battery is in the offing, and there also might be an equivalent electric model underpinned by the bespoke PPE architecture.
It's going to be the last long-roof A4 with gasoline/diesel engines and we believe it'll also be the company's penultimate wagon ever to get ICE power. We're expecting the next A6 Avant to serve as the epilogue of a combustion-engined wagon when it arrives in the coming years. Both the A4 and A6 will stick around with traditional engines until the end of the decade.
As previously reported, Audi will launch its last new car with combustion engines in 2025. Everything from 2026 will be a pure EV, with the production of ICE-powered vehicles coming to an end in 2032. There is one exception as China might still offer "old-school" drivetrains beyond that date should there still be enough demand.
