Audi's New A6 Hybrid Reportedly Confirmed for the U.S. Market

When Audi pulled the wraps off the newest iteration of the A6 in November, 2010, the Ingolstadt-based automaker made no word about the availability of the hybrid variant in the North American market. And officially, the Germans are still refusing to confirm the A6 Hybrid.

However, Car&Driver magazine is now reporting that it has received confirmation from "several reliable sources within Audi" that the new A6 Hybrid will be sold in the USA starting from next year with a price "somewhere north of $55,000".

It is believed that the U.S.-spec model will be similar to the European version that also goes on sale in 2012.

The European model employs a parallel hybrid concept combining a 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline engine delivering 211-horses and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) with an electric motor that produces an output of 33 kW (45 hp) and 211 Nm (155.63 lb-ft) of torque.

Directly mounted behind one another, the four-cylinder gasoline engine and the electric motor have a brief combined system output of 245HP (180kW) and 480 Nm (354.03 lb-ft). A modified 8-speed tiptronic transmission transfers power to the front wheels.

The electric motor draws energy from a lithium-ion battery system, which weighs in at 36.7 kg (80.91 lb) and is located in the collision-protected area under the luggage compartment. Audi says the luggage capacity is 375 liters (13.24 cu. ft), which is significantly less than the regular model's 530 liters (18.7 cu.ft).

What you get in return is a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 238 km/h (148mph), but more importantly, a combined fuel economy in the European cycle of less than 6.4 liters per 100 km (36.75 US mpg) with CO2 emissions of less than 146 grams per km (234.96 g/mile).