2018 Audi A6 Sport Adds Style, Safety Without Upgrading To Higher Trims

So far, Audi has confirmed that the 2018 A6 will be available in three different trims: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. But it looks like there's a fourth member of the line coming to market, and it's called the A6 Sport.

The Sport trim, according to an order guide obtained by CarsDirect, will be available with the A6's 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder base engine and optional 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 and will sit above the Premium trim, which starts at $50,675 (all prices include the $975 destination fee).

Key features on the 2.0T Sport trim include a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters, Audi's Black Optic Package, which traditionally adds a blacked-out grille, headlights, and mirror caps, heated, auto-dimming, power-folding mirrors, Audi's Pre Sense Rear system (which can prepare the car for a rear-end impact to better protect the driver and passenger), and blind-spot monitoring, which Audi calls Side Assist.

The Sport trim is expected to start at $52,175 (including a $975 destination charge) for the 2.0T trim with front-wheel drive, while adding the automaker’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system brings the price up to $54,375. The 3.0T Sport should be priced at $58,975.

The new Sport trim is most likely Audi’s way of attempting to increase sales figures for the aging A6, which is facing renewed competition from the far newer Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series. Last month, Audi sold 1,380 units of the A6, while back in 2016 the automaker managed to shift 1,960 units. Since the beginning of year, Audi has managed to sell a total of 10,567 A6 models. Over the same period in 2016, the automaker sold 12,110 units.

If the Sport trims have the same output as the rest of the lineup, which is what we expect, it won’t exactly be a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz E43 AMG or the BMW M550i xDrive. With a blacked-out look and a sportier steering wheel, the trims should appeal to consumers that want a touch of sportiness without going overboard.