Although Audi 
has been known for its sporty station wagons since the Porsche-tuned RS2 Avant made history at its introduction back in 1994, the Ingolstadt carmaker has never had a true halo model featuring this type of body. Sure, the RS6 Avant can be called that from some points of view, but the model has never been a true halo car in the style of the R8, for example. The carmaker was actually close to offering an Avant version of the A8 in the early 2000s, even previewing such a model with the 2001 Avantissimo concept car, but the plans never came to fruition.
This situation may change in the near future though, along with a massive upgrade of Audi’s dated design language. I say this because the German carmaker just announced that a third version of its well-received Prologue Concept is to be unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, only this time the car will come with a twist. As its name implies, the Prologue Avant Concept will feature a station wagon body, with nothing but the front end to be based on the original Prologue.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi Prologue Avant Concept.
Exterior
Likely penned following the ideas of Audi’s new head of design, Marc Lichte, the Prologue Avant looks like a more practical version of the original concept, and some reports are already suggesting that it may actually preview a future production model to battle with the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. As the official sketches show, the model features a striking shooting brake profile that from some angles reminds me of the 2012 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept, which ironically came from the VW Group as well. The front end will likely be quasi-identical to the first two Prologue concept cars, albeit some small details are expected to change.
The side profile view is clearly derived from its predecessors as well, but this time we are talking about two doors, three windows and four roof-pillars on each side, like on just about every other station wagon out there. Keeping with its coupe lineage though, the Avant Prologue features a small greenhouse-to-door-height ratio, while the low and sloping roofline gives it a sleek look. Each wheelarch is widened in the style of the Audi Ur-quattro to emphasize the model’s all-wheel-drive ancestry.
At the rear, the window part of the hatch is severily sloped, almost like on the A7, and underneath we can check out the slim LED taillights that look mighty similar to those from its two predecessors, while the bumper is once again flanked by two flat exhaust pipes. These are pretty much all the exterior details until we have until we see some official photos of the model.
Interior
Unfortunately, Audi has only unveiled three images of the Prologue Avant’s interior for the moment, two of which are official sketches. As you can see, the minimalist approach found in the first two concepts will be found here as well, with a multitude of touchscreens replacing most of the regular knobs and buttons. Despite the model essentially being a station wagon, there doesn’t seem to be whole lot of room inside compared to a production Avant model, with Audi seeming to take the CLS Shooting Brake route of style-over-fuction. Hopefully, the dull grey upholstery from the first Prologue Concept will not return in the Avant’s interior as well.
Drivetrain
While Audi is currently tight-lipped about the Prologue Avant’s technical specifications, I think it may be safe to assume that it can only go one of two ways. It will either have the same twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter, V-8 from the original Prologue, or the hybrid version that was featured by the Prologue Piloted Driving Concept. The latter is more likely, although Audi could also use a plug-in hybrid fuel-cell system for a better distinction between the three concepts, and to also emphasize its new-found love for the technology. Whichever of the approaches is taken, the Prologue Avant is bound to be powered by something that will likely find its way into a production model as well.
Prices
Naturally, since this is a concept car, we cannot talk about actual pricing, but a production version would likely feature a sticker price a little above $100,000 when fitted with a V-8 engine. An RS version would probably go even higher than that.
Competition
Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake
Launched in 2012 as a way to capitalize on the regular CLS model’s success, the CLS Shooting Brake has now created a name for itself, and has even spawned the introduction of a smaller brother, the CLA Shooting Brake. Some see it as a glorified station wagon and not a true shooting brake, but the truth is that no other wagon out there looks this elegant. The niche model went through a mid-cycle facelift in 2014, which brought with it an optional set of even more high-tech, LED-infused headlights that it originally had.
Its engines range from a measly, 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel to a twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter, V-8 with 585 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque in the 63 AMG S model, which also comes with 4Matic all-wheel-drive. While a possible production version of the Prologue Avant would essentially make it an A8 wagon, so a segment above the E-Class-based CLS Shooting Brake, the Mercedes-Benz model is still its closest and so far only rival.
Gallery Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake
Conclusion
Even though the first two Prologue concepts were pretty well received, there is a high chance that the upcoming Prologue Avant will be the most polarizing one, especially since in certain markets – I’m looking at you, U.S.! — station wagons are a dying breed. Even so, the likelihood of the model reaching production sometime in the nearby future isn’t small, especially since Audi will need to cover a lot of niches in order to pass BMW as the world’s largest premium carmaker. Whether it does or not remains to be seen, but keep in mind that a lot of design motifs found on the concept are given to be found on the next A6, A7 and A8 models.