It wasn't long ago when Audi unveiled the subtly refreshed 2019 A4, but the automaker is already planning a major refresh to improve its flagging sales, as the premium luxury sedan is lagging behind some of its competitors such as the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. Our spies have spotted two camouflaged prototypes of Europe's 2020 Audi A4 Avant undergoing winter snow testing in Sweden previewing some of the styling changes we can expect to see on the A4 sedan and Allroad in the US.

At the front, the headlights have been restyled and the grille is lower and wider, bringing the A4 more in-line with newer Audi models like the flagship Q8, giving the sedan a sharper look. Remember, the current A4 is now older than the A5, A6, A7, and A8, so it makes sense that Audi wants to update it with more consistent styling as soon as possible. The prototype is also sporting a new bumper and our spies noted that the fenders are also more sculpted.

There's also a redesigned rear bumper, and while the taillights look the same as the ones found on the current A4, they will also be restyled as part of the update. We're also expecting to see bigger changes inside, as the updated A4 is expected to inherit its larger A6 sibling's dashboard layout, as well as the latest versions of Audi's infotainment system and digital instrument cluster.

Like the current model, the updated A4 will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, but it remains to be seen if the powertrain gets an upgrade. The current model produces outputs of 190 hp and 252 hp. However, an A4 e-tron plug-in hybrid is expected to join the range to bridge the gap between the regular A4 and sporty S4.

The updated Audi A4 is expected to debut towards the end of next year as a 2020 model, so we could see it unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show.