Audi Q6 e-tron fills the gap between the Q4 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron. The new mid-size SUV is also Audi's first vehicle based on the all-electric Premium Platform Electric (PPE), on which its sister model, the Porsche Macan, is also built.
In Europe, the Audi Q6 e-tron will be available to order from the end of March and will be in dealerships this summer. It will also reach dealers in North America this fall.
The Audi Q6 e-tron is visually similar to the Q5 combustion model, but the grille is inverted: Light and dark areas are reversed. At 4.77 meters, the EV is a few centimeters longer than its fossil-fuel-powered counterpart, but at 1.65 meters, it is also two centimeters higher. Compared to the Q4 e-tron, the newcomer is about 20 centimeters longer, but 15 centimeters shorter than the Q8 e-tron.
The lighting technology is completely new: the Q6 e-tron has a variable light signature at the front and rear. The front daytime running lights consist of two sets of 61 rectangular "pixels", making a total of 122, while at the rear there are three panels on the left and right, each with 60 triangular "pixels", making a total of 360. Various light signatures are created from these. Anyone who wants to can stand in front of or behind the car and select their favorite pattern using a smartphone app:
The interior of the Q6 e-tron was unveiled in detail a few months ago. It features a completely new, slightly curved dual display consisting of an 11.9-inch instrument display and a 14.5-inch touchscreen, both with OLED technology. There is also a head-up display with augmented reality and a passenger display. The latter can be used to watch videos (without distracting the driver) or operate the navigation system to assist the person behind the wheel.
As with the Porsche Macan, there are two all-wheel drive models to start with: the standard Q6 e-tron quattro offers 285 kW, the SQ6 e-tron quattro offers even 380 kW when Launch Control is activated. However, this makes the drive systems somewhat weaker than the Macan, which offers 300 and 470 kW respectively. As with the sister model, both launch versions have a battery with 95 kWh net (100 kWh gross).
The battery consists of 12 modules with 15 prismatic cells each. The total of 180 cells are all connected in series to achieve a voltage of 800 volts. The cells come from CATL, but other manufacturers are to be added. They have an NMC811 chemistry and enable ranges of around 600 km for the all-wheel drive vehicles.
| Audi Q6 e-tron quattro | Audi SQ6 e-tron quattro | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | AWD 285 kW | AWD 380 kW |
| 0-100 km/h / Top speed | 5.9 sec. / 210 km/h | 4.3 sec. / 230 km/h |
| WLTP power consumption | 17.0-19.4 kWh | 17.5-18.4 kWh |
| Battery / WLTP range | 95 kWh net / 625 km | 95 kWh net / 598 km |
| Max. charging power AC/DC | 11 / 270 kW | 11 / 270 kW |
| Charging time | 10h with AC (0-100%), approx. 21 min with DC (10-80%) | 10h with AC (0-100%), approx. 21 min with DC (10-80%) |
| DC charging speed | approx. 3.2 kWh/min | approx. 3.2 kWh/min |
| Base price | 74,700 Euro | 93,800 Euro |
Audi is announcing two RWD variants: a basic version and a high-range model. Both are likely to have a 280 kW rear engine - the same as the 285 kW all-wheel drive model.
Charging is provided by 11 kW AC, with a 22 kW on-board charger available as an option. Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, it can also be charged with up to 270 kW of DC power. This should allow the battery to be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. In ten minutes, it should be possible to charge the battery for 255 km. Plug & Charge is supported. If the charging station only offers 400 volts, then bank charging is used, as in the Macan: the battery is divided into two sections, which are then charged with up to 135 kW.
Since production started in late 2023, the Audi Q6 e-tron series has been the first high-volume fully electric model series that Audi has produced at its headquarters in Ingolstadt.