We surely can't say Audi has been lazy recently. The Bavarian carmaker has been churning out one new product after another, from the R8 supercar to the 10Best-winning S4, and the upcoming A1, a technology-laden premium city car.

But we haven't heard much lately from the comfy and powerful executive sedan that’s the backbone of the brand, the A6. And that’s because the current model is just about ready to retire. Its successor's design was locked in a year ago, and we expect the next car to be unveiled at any of this fall's upcoming auto shows, likely in Paris or Los Angeles.

Internally called C7, the next-generation A6 will be built on Audi's modular-longitudinal platform. This means its front axle moves further to the front, and the nose-heavy look of the current C6 will disappear. The front end, in fact, will look a lot like the Sportback concept, which is essentially the upcoming A7, which is due to launch this summer and is closely related to the A6.

Unlike the fully aluminum A8, but exactly like the A7, the next A6 will keep a body mostly made of steel. Audi had considered an all-aluminum body for the A6 (C5) in the mid-‘90s but abandoned the idea because of the huge cost involved. LED light strips are a given for the front end, and so are fuel-efficient and somewhat downsized powertrains.

There is a strong chance that the next A6 will be available with an entry-level 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder, which will make north of 200 hp. The next engines likely will be two variations of the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, just like in the 2011 Q7. Above that, we are entering S territory: The next S6 will be powered by the same 400-hp, 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 that will move the S7 and the next S8, but with slightly more power. The Euro-only RS6 will have a successor as well, and we believe the current 580-hp turbocharged V-10 will give way to a turbo V-8 with a very similar power rating. We’ll just ask Audi now: Can you bring it back to our shores, please?

U.S. models will be equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the lower-powered versions should see a seven-speed dual-clutch gear box. Hybrids won't come immediately, but Audi has systems in the making which would require little more than a hand in the corporate parts bin.

Should wagon fever ever catch on here, we might see the next-generation A6 Avant, but we aren’t betting on it. Look for that to be launched at the Geneva auto show next spring. A long-wheelbase sedan will continue as an exclusive for the Chinese market, where people enjoy being chauffeured around.

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