Audi A6 Hybrid on the road for the first time

Audi announced the upcoming 2012 A6 Hybrid late last year but the car is not yet available and these are the first pictures we've seen of the car out and about on the road.

This prototype was caught while doing some testing near an Audi facility in Germany and in these shots we get a street-view look that unique blend of a hybrid nameplate on the rear boot accompanied by a dual exhaust.

The A6 Hybrid will share a powertrain with the previously announced Q5 Hybrid (as well as the A8 Hybrid Concept). That would be a 2.0 liter TFSI engine with 211 PS (155 kW / 208 bhp) coupled to a 33 kW (45 PS / 44 bhp) electric motor fed by a lithium-ion battery. Total output is a healthy 245 PS (180 kW / 241 bhp) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque.

The A6 Hybrid can travel up to 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) at a constant speed of 60 km/h in pure electric mode and has an unimpeded top speed of 238 km/h (148 mph). It does the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds while fuel-economy is a diesel-like (for a similar output) 6.2 liters/100 km (38 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 142 g/km.

The 2012 Audi A6 Hybrid is expected to hit dealer showrooms later this year.