Audi unveils 2020 S6, 2020 S7 with 450 hp

Both cars feature an electric compressor.

Audi has expanded its A6 and A7 lines by adding a mid-range, S-badged variant to each model. The 2020 S6 and S7 combine power, technology, comfort, and style in a package that's more at home on the road than on the track.

Designers made discreet visual updates to both models. Look closely and you'll see model-specific trim on both ends, and four round exhaust tips mounted around a diffuser out back. 20-inch wheels come standard. Inside, Audi added sport seats for the front passengers, contrast stitching, stainless steel pedal caps, and an S-specific look for the driver-configurable, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

In the United States, the S6 and the S7 will each come with a 2.9-liter V6 engine that uses a conventional, exhaust-driven turbocharger and an electric compressor to deliver 450 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. It's an evolution of the engine found in the RS 5. In this application, it spins the four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission linked to steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. Audi hasn't released performance specifications, but it noted both models come with a 48-volt mild hybrid system to improve fuel economy.

Audi designed the S6 and the S7 as high-performance cruisers, not track cars. Buyers who want to tilt the balance in favor of racing can order all-wheel steering, a sport differential, and carbon ceramic brakes. All three features are found on the list of options -- at least in Germany. Specifications may vary from country to country.

The 2.9-liter comes standard in America, in Asia, and in the Middle East. In Europe, the S6 and the S7 receive a 3.0-liter V6 TDI that uses the same forced induction hardware as the TFSI to generate 349 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.

Audi's S6 and S7 will arrive in showrooms in their home country of Germany in the summer of 2019. Pricing information and availability for the American market haven't been released yet, but we'll likely find out more during the 2019 New York auto show. The line-up will continue to grow in the coming years with the addition of track-bred RS 6 and RS 7 models.