While the 2018 LA Auto Show is still a couple of weeks away, the Guangzhou Auto Show is underway right now in China. Audi has used this as the venue to reveal the all-new A6L for the Chinese market. Unlike in the US, large luxury sedans are still incredibly popular in China, so it’s an important model for Audi.
Compared to the regular A6 sedan, the all-new A6L’s wheelbase has increased by 3.93 inches to 119 inches.
As a result, the length of the car has increased to 198.8 inches. To put that into perspective, the A6L is even longer than the regular A8 flagship sedan, which isn’t sold in China. Likewise, the standard wheelbase A6 available in the US and Europe isn’t being sold in China.
Unsurprisingly, the A6L’s styling looks the same as its smaller sibling, though the rear doors have been extended to accommodate the stretched wheelbase so there should be no shortage of legroom for rear passengers in the spacious cabin.
Initially, the Audi A6L will go on sale in China with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine developing 187 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque in the entry-level guise and 221 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque in mid-range spec. The range-topper packs a 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine with mild hybrid tech that delivers 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.
All engines are mated as standard to a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and the V6 also gets quattro all-wheel drive as standard. Eventually, a hybrid model will also join the A6L range. In China, the Audi A6L will compete with long-wheelbase versions of the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class Sedan when it goes on sale in 2019.
