If you’re looking for a vehicle to haul the whole family at high speed, occasionally do light off-roading, and don’t want a crossover, there aren’t many options available. However, Germany’s Autobild claims that Audi could soon offer a vehicle that fulfills all of these criteria – the RS6 Allroad.

The German publication claims the higher-riding performance wagon would arrive in 2017. Power would come from the 4.0-liter biturbo V8 from the standard RS6 with 553 horsepower (412 kilowatts) and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters) of torque. If the vehicle is real, we hope Audi would offer the 597-hp (445 kW) tune from the Performance package (pictured above), too.

There’s a catch, though. According to Autobild, the RS6 Allroad might be exclusive to China because of that market’s rabid demand for demand for high-horsepower off-road vehicles. Even if it goes to Europe, the current RS6 Avant isn’t available in the United States, so this one has poor prospects there, too.

Rumors about an RS6 Allroad have popped up before, but Audi has never actually sold one. A report late in 2015 suggested the off-road-capable performance wagon would debut in the second half of 2016. The German automaker allegedly planned to complement the additional ride height by installing body cladding and underbody protection.

One factor in favor of the RS6 Allroad production is that Audi could likely develop it cheaply. Most of the components come out of the current parts bin, so a small investment could lead to a niche model with higher profit margins than the standard RS6.

Source: Autobild

Gallery: Audi RS6 allroad rendering