.png)
Battery size: 94.9kWh
Miles per kWh: 3.9
E-Rating™: A
Max charge rate: 270kW
Range: 381 miles
Styling and dimensions
The Q6 e-tron is an important car for many reasons, but mainly because it’s the first car to get all the mechanical and electrical bits that will underpin lots of posh Audis and Porsches in the future. So it needs to be really, really good.
However, if you’re not an engineer or accountant for Volkswagen Group, you may not be too fussed about the new ‘Premium Platform Electric’ (or PPE) architecture, but you may want to know if you can fit your dog in the boot and whether it’ll have the range to cover your longer journeys. Well, you won’t be disappointed.
As the Q6 name suggests, this posh new SUV is smaller on the outside than a Q8 e-tron but bigger than the Q4, and measures just under 4.8m long and 2.2m wide (including mirrors), and it gets a wheelbase of 2.9m. Basically, at that size and price it’s got plenty of competition from slightly smaller alternatives like the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y through to slightly bigger rivals like the Mercedes EQE SUV, BMW iX and Kia EV9.
As for styling? Well, it’s not going to be as attention-grabbing as the EQE or the iX, but that may be in its favour for many buyers. It’s fair to say that it’s a predictable but inoffensive evolution of Audi’s tried-and-tested styling. The new rear lights are cool, though. This new LED technology allows you to choose one of six different light signatures, and they’ll warn other road users of imminent heavy braking, or they’ll even signal to an approaching cyclist if a door is being opened.
Interior
The interior of the Q6 showcases a new dash design and screen setup that will be appearing, in various forms, on future models. It’s said to be ‘human centric’, so the dash seems to flow around the driver and is accented by a light that runs all the way across the doors and dash.
The new Audi MMI panoramic display, and the passenger screen, will be the first things to grab your attention, though. The 11.9-inch driver’s readout and 14.5-inch curved touchscreen create what Audi calls a new ‘digital stage’, that also features new OLED screen technology for super-bright colour and graphics definition. You even get a screen to yourself if you’re the front passenger, which allows you to sort the nav out, play games, stream films and more – and there’s also an Active Privacy Mode, which makes sure that the passenger’s screen doesn’t distract the driver.
Naturally, there are over-the-air updates and there’s also a voice control system that’s powered by AI, so it’ll learn your accent and routine commands over time for more accurate responses.
There’s loads of space in the back, too, not to mention charging ports, central armrest and lashings of soft-touch materials so that it feels appropriately comfy and cosseting for a car at this premium price point.
Boot space
This is pretty impressive on the Q6, which gets 526 litres of boot space and a further 64 litres up front in the ‘frunk’. That’s less than the Model Y and Skoda Enyaq but it’s a bit more than you get in the iX3 or Mercedes EQE SUV. You’ll have to look at much bigger rivals like the Kia EV9 if you need more space than that – and the Q6 isn’t set to have a seven-seat option, like the Kia, either.
Battery and charging
The Audi Q6 e-tron gets a new, lithium-ion battery with 100kWh total capacity, or 94.9kWh usable, which is good for a WLTP combined range of up to 381 miles for the dual-motor, Q6 quattro models that will start the range off in the UK. More efficient, single motor models with rear-wheel drive and a bit less power will follow late in the year, and seem very likely to eke that range up to over 400 miles.
That’s not ground-breaking, but it is very decent, and Audi claims that the Q6 e-tron is some 30% more efficient than its other electric models thanks to aerodynamic fettling, weight-saving gains made by using new, smaller electric motors, and more efficient brake recuperation that now harvests more energy every time you brake. So, it’ll be interesting to see how the Q6 stacks up for real-world efficiency when we try it out properly on the road.
Charging has also a big jump forward with the Q6 e-tron, which gets 800V architecture – like the Kia EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Audi’s own e-tron GT. It’s the first ‘mainstream’ Audi family car to get this tech, which gives the car charging speeds of 270kW; good for a 158 mile top-up in ten minutes, or a 10-80% charge in around 21 minutes. That makes it one of the fastest-charging electric cars on the market.
Verdict
The Audi Q6 e-tron might not look terribly dramatic, but the tech that it offers – inside, outside and underneath the skin – is really impressive, and was only available on six-figure exotica until recently. We also liked the way it drove when we had a go in an early prototype, so if the efficiency claims turn out to pay off in the real world, Audi’s on to a winner.
Like the Audi Q6 e-tron? Try these...
9
