Audi A6: six generations of Audi’s executive car

The Audi A6 is an executive car that Audi has sold since 1994, when the last Audi 100 was renamed. Six generations later it is still built in Neckarsulm as a saloon and an Avant estate, with front-wheel drive or permanent quattro, and a battery-electric A6 e-tron now shares the name.

Audi A6 at a glance

History of the Audi A6

C4 (1994)

The first A6 was not a new car but the C4-generation Audi 100 with a facelift and a new name: Audi renamed its executive model in 1994 to fit the alphanumeric range that had just gained the A8, and the C4 had already received new front and rear lights and a new radiator grille while keeping its chassis and engines. The United Kingdom was the first market to get the A6, because stocks of right-hand-drive Audi 100s had run out earlier than expected. Engines ran from 1.8 and 2.0 four-cylinders to 2.6 and 2.8 V6s, with 1.9 and 2.5 TDI diesels; the five-cylinder 2.3 was dropped in most markets. The C4 was built until spring 1997.

S6 and S6 Plus

With the new name the former Audi S4 became the S6, known among enthusiasts as the Ur-S6. Its 2.2-litre turbocharged five-cylinder produced 230 PS and 350 N·m, enough for 241 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds; a 4.2-litre V8 with 290 PS was optional. At the end of the run quattro GmbH built the S6 Plus for the 1997 model year only: 952 cars, 855 of them Avants, with a 326 PS version of the 4.2 V8, a six-speed manual and 323 mm front brake discs.

C5 to C9

The C5 of 1997 was a completely new car on a new platform, with a drag coefficient of 0.28; it was positioned higher in the market than the C4 and later spawned the RS6. The C6 of 2004, designed by Walter de Silva, brought the single-frame grille, a saloon 4.93 m long and five Euro NCAP stars, against three for the previous generation in 1998. Its S6 used a V10 of 435 hp and the 2008 RS6 a 5.0-litre V10 with 580 PS. The C7 followed in 2011, sharing much of its body with the A7, and the C8 in 2018. The C9 was presented in March 2025 as an Avant, with the saloon following in April, while the electric A6 e-tron had gone on sale in 2024.

Design and features

• quattro: all generations have offered front-wheel drive or a Torsen-based permanent four-wheel-drive system.
• Single-frame grille: the C6 of 2004 was the first A6 with the large single-frame radiator grille.
• Safety: the C6 reached five Euro NCAP stars; the previous generation had scored three in 1998.
• Market position: in 2005 the A6 ended Mercedes-Benz’s 30-year lead in the German upper mid-size class and was the best-selling model of the class in Europe.
• Allroad: the A6 has been the basis of Audi’s Allroad models since 1999.

Audi A6 versions

• C4 petrol: 1.8 20v and 2.0 four-cylinders, 2.6 12-valve and 2.8 30-valve V6.
• C4 diesel: 1.9 TDI four and 2.5 TDI five with 140 PS.
• S6 C4: 2.2 turbo with 230 PS or 4.2 V8 with 290 PS.
• S6 Plus: 4.2 V8 with 326 PS, 952 cars in 1996 and 1997.
• C6 sports versions: S6 with a 435 hp V10 and RS6 with a 5.0 V10 of 580 PS.
• C9: Avant and saloon, alongside the electric A6 e-tron.

The A6 sits between the Audi A4 and the Audi A8; earlier Audi models are in our Audi collection.

Video: Audi A6 3.0 Quattro White Night – Wood Walk

Video by VERBAT on YouTube.

Sources

• Audi A6, English Wikipedia: C4, S6, S6 Plus and C5
• Audi A6, German Wikipedia: generation dates, market position, C9
• Audi A6, Italian Wikipedia: C5 drag coefficient, C6 and C7 details, RS6