Audi in 2026: RS 6 Avant, RS 5, RS 3 and the new Q9

Audi has had two demanding years, refreshing its key ranges and broadening its all-electric line-up. That pace looks set to continue in 2026. New generations and entirely new models are on the way, but the RS badge is impossible to ignore: it will be a major year for high-performance Audi models.

Three new Audi RS models will arrive together: a new-generation RS 6 Avant, the queen of high-performance estates; a new RS 5 in Sportback and Avant forms; and a special RS 3 edition that will also mark the model’s farewell.

Farewell to the RS 3 and the five-cylinder engine

This departure will be especially symbolic, as it also means saying goodbye to the iconic in-line five-cylinder engine that has shaped and defined Audi’s history for the past 50 years.

The Audi RS 3 and its five-cylinder engine will receive the send-off they deserve, with treatment comparable to that of the RS 6 Avant GT. Speculation suggests the 2.5 TFSI will produce more than 400 hp - putting it ahead of the 421 hp Mercedes-AMG A 45 S rival - alongside a revised aerodynamic package and a “refined” chassis.

No launch date has yet been confirmed for the Audi RS 3 GT, although it is not expected to be far away. The end of the five-cylinder is closely tied to the introduction of the Euro 7 standard, which takes effect on 28 November.

The first electrified RS 6 Avant

For high-performance estates, the Audi RS 6 Avant is what the Porsche 911 is to sports cars: a benchmark and an icon. Expectations for the new generation could scarcely be higher, particularly as it will be the first electrified RS 6 Avant in history.

To be clear, it will be electrified rather than electric. It will retain an internal-combustion engine. An electric RS 6 came close to becoming reality - it was being developed alongside it - but that project was cancelled for what appears to be a straightforward reason: the market is not interested.

For the market to accept high performance, it needs an internal-combustion engine - so the market says. In the forthcoming RS 6 Avant, that will take the form of a twin-turbo V8 combined with plug-in hybrid technology, mirroring its Munich arch-rival, the BMW M5 Touring.

Expect considerably more power than in the current model - over 700 hp - but substantially more weight as well. The current petrol-only version already weighs more than 2,100 kg…

It will not be the only plug-in hybrid RS. The successor to the Audi RS 4 and RS 5 will also arrive in 2026 as a plug-in hybrid. The key distinction lies beneath the bonnet, where a twin-turbo V6 will sit - with none of the radical four-cylinder downsizing adopted by AMG for the C 63.

A Q7 successor and something even larger

Audi’s 2026 will not be solely about high performance. Having renewed the ranges that generate the greatest sales volumes, it is finally time to give the Q7 a successor - after 10 years on sale, it was starting to need one…

The third generation will use the same PPC platform as the combustion-engined A6 and is expected to share most of its powertrains. They will all be electrified, with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid 2.0-litre turbo options, although diesel is also expected to remain available.

The surprise is that the Q7 will be joined by an all-new Q9, filling the gap in Audi’s range to compete “head to head” with the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7. Like those large SUVs, it will focus on luxury and sophistication, as well as combustion engines. It will share its platform with the Q7, but promises to be larger in every dimension and will use V6 and V8 engines, always with varying levels of electrification.

A more affordable electric Audi, but what will it be called?

Last but not least, Audi will continue extending its electric family in 2026 with a model set to become the entry point to its EV range.

For some time, there was speculation that Audi could revive the A2, but spy photographs reveal a vehicle considerably larger than a typical B-segment model, at approximately 4.1 m long. Gernot Döllner, the brand’s chief executive, cleared up the uncertainty: the new electric model will sit one class higher, in the C-segment for compact family cars, alongside the A3 and Q3. It will therefore be significantly larger, measuring 4.4 m in length.

Could it still be called the A2? We do not know. The car’s shape reveals a silhouette closer to an MPV than an SUV, yet rumours continue to point towards an alternative name: Q2 e-tron.

Whatever its final name, its definitive positioning settles the question of the platform once and for all. It will not use the MEB+ architecture of the new Volkswagen ID. Polo, but the original MEB platform found beneath numerous Volkswagen Group electric vehicles, including the Audi Q4, Skoda Elroq and Volkswagen ID.3.

Specifications are not yet known, but range with the largest-capacity batteries is estimated to approach 600 km. It will be the brand’s most affordable electric model, though it will not be cheap: its price is unlikely to differ greatly from that of an equivalent Q4 e-tron - in Portugal, prices begin at almost €50,000.

The launch of this new electric model will also signal the close of a cycle. Following an intensive run of launches that began around two years ago, Audi is already preparing the next one, previewed by the Concept C unveiled at the 2025 Munich Motor Show.