Or can we expect a direct 7D upgrade or replacement? Any thoughts?

From what I hear in Belgium it will be 800euro more expensive then the 7d and 800 euro cheaper then the 5dIII so it doesn't look like it will be replacing anything, just filling a gap.

Agreed. It's a gap filler. The 6D is the low-end full frame. The 7D is the top APS-C camera.