http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....next-250op.jpgThe next generation Audi A6 sedan is about a year away from its debut, but if this rendering is anything to go by, this year's Sportback concept will be the primary influence for Audi's redesigned mid-sizer. The Sportback provided the biggest evolution of Audi's design language since the debut of its massive shield grilles earlier in the decade.

The updated look includes more surface development in the nose and the possible production debut of a new hexagonal grille. The headlight clusters have a shape that's pinched toward the center of the car, in a similar fashion to the taillights on recent models like the A4 and Q5. At this point we don't know what the greenhouse will look like, but a change from the rounded shape of the last generation seems likely -- and overdue.