The Q6 e-tron raises the bar when it comes to what we can expect from Audi EVs. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

The Q6 e-tron. At first glance, just another premium all-electric Audi SUV, the next step up from the Q4 e-tron. Actually though, this ambitious upper mid-sized premium-badged model could hardly be more significant thanks to it's all new Porsche co-developed PPE platform that will undergird forthcoming Audi electric models into the foreseeable future.

Background

A 'technological leap'. Audi thinks that's what this Q6 e-tron is, familiar though the packaging might look. Like its similarly-sized combustion counterpart the Q5, it shares much with an equivalent Porsche, in this case the Macan Electric. That obvious rival also has this Q6 e-tron's new 'PPE' 'Premium Performance Electric' platform, the first installation of ultra-rapid charging 800V architecture in an Audi SUV. It's also shared with the A6 e-tron and is a big step forward - the point, you could argue, from which the technology of electric Audis really starts to get serious. An EV of this model size is over-due for Audi, a brand that until this point hasn't really had an electric SUV naturally sized to take on key contenders in the upper mid-sized premium segment like the BMW iX and the Mercedes EQE SUV. But the competition in this class is fierce, so this, the first electric Audi to be built at its company's Ingolstadt base, will need to be very good indeed.

Driving Experience

The line-up kicks off with two rear-driven models. One is an entry-level variant using a smaller 83kWh battery (75.8kWh of it usable), which in SUV form goes 326 miles between charges. It puts out 252PS (or 292PS with launch control) and makes 62mph in 7.0s on the way to the 130mph top speed that all mainstream Q6s share. The other rear-driven model is confusingly badged 'performance' but is actually just about longer range, hence the larger 100kWh battery (94.9kWh of which is usable) which offers the longest drive range in the Q6 e-tron SUV line-up - 392 miles. It puts out 306PS (or 326PS with launch control) and makes 62mph in 6.6s. Beyond that is the quattro 4WD version we tried, which also uses the 100kWh battery and manages 381 miles of range. It puts out 388PS and makes 62mph in 5.9s. Much the same powertrain also features in the top SQ6 e-tron, but here the motors are tuned to deliver 490PS (or as much as 517PS with launch control engaged). Which takes the car to 62mph in just 4.3s en route to 143mph. Range from the same battery falls only slightly to 358 miles (mainly due to wider tyres). If that's still not fast enough, talk to your dealer about the forthcoming RS Q6 Sportback e-tron model, expected to produce over 600PS. All the EV range figures we've just quoted can be slightly improved upon if you're prepared to pay the extra for the slightly more aerodynamic Sportback body shape. Will you want to push along through country back doubles in the kind of manner you might in a Porsche Macan Electric? It's doubtful - the steering feedback discourages that, even in its supposedly sharpest 'dynamic' setting. But the body control has a really Porsche-like level of stability and this Audi can still be rewarding to punt along, particularly in its dual motor quattro form. With this, the car gets a rear-based torque distribution system; and different front and rear motor sizes mean that different amounts of power can be sent to each axle as required.

Design and Build

Two Q6 e-tron body styles are offered - the standard SUV, which is our focus here. Or the sleeker-looking Sportback version. Either way, the look is very Audi - and clearly a size above the Q4 e-tron; in fact, this car is virtually as big as the old Q8 e-tron model from the next class up. Despite that, at 4,771mm in length, this car is considerably smaller than two of its most obvious rivals; namely the Mercedes EQE SUV (92mm longer) and the BMW iX (a full 182mm longer). In profile, big D-pillar windows visually stretch the glasshouse and Audi's familiar pronounced 'quattro blisters' run down the rear three-quarter section. Up front, the 'double deck' lighting 'face' is completely new, with these super-slim daytime running lights positioned high and the main beam headlamps concealed further down in the bodywork. At the rear, it's pretty much generic Audi, neat and smart but unremarkable - unless you happen to have bought in at the very top of the range, in which case these LED tail lamps can feature the company's latest digital OLED technology. Where this car really stands out as an all-new design though is inside, where the cabin is completely different to any Audi you'll have seen before. The only thing that's in any way similar is the Q4-like steering wheel. A 'softwrap' design extends from the doors around a main dashboard sculpted in a 'digital stage' shape supposed to resemble the Singleframe grille. As part of this, an 11.9-inch digital instrument display blends into a 14.5-inch curved control infotainment touchscreen. Customers can also specify a further 10.9-inch display ahead of the front seat passenger, which has tech to prevent the driver being distracted by it while the car is moving. What will grab your attention at the wheel is the useful dynamic interaction light at the base of the screen, which flashes in different colours to display information and warnings. There's a new generation AI-augmented voice assistant which can now control over 800 features. And a very minimalist-style design vibe which reduces physical dashboard buttons to an absolute minimum. Even those you get on the wheel are of the touch panel sort. Thanks to the stretched 2,899mm wheelbase length, Q6 customers should be very happy with the provided rear seat space. Both head and knee room for back seat folk are excellent. And behind them in this five-seat-only design is a roomy 526-litre boot. A further 64-litre area beneath the bonnet is optionally provided for the charging leads.

Market and Model

At the time of our test in early 2025, Q6 e-tron prices started from around £61,000 for the SUV model. There's a £2,500 premium for the alternative swoopier Sportback body shape. Either way, there are two primary mainstream trim levels - 'Sport' or 'S line', which at the time of our test were joined by an even plusher 'Edition 1' spec level. Prices go north pretty quickly from base level if you scroll through the three mainstream drivetrain options we briefed you on in our 'Driving' section. To remind you, the base 292PS 82kWh model is the range price starting point, with a £3,500 premium necessary to get the mid-level 'performance' version you're probably going to want with the larger 100kWh battery and uprated 326PS motor. We chose to test the 388PS twin motor quattro version, also with the 100kWh battery, which at the time of our review was priced from around £68,000. Beyond that, again with both body shapes available, there the top SQ6 e-tron, which uprates this quattro model's drivetrain to 517PS and which at the time of our test was only available with uber-plush 'Edition 1' trim, hence the high asking price of nearly £94,000. Standard 'Sport'-spec includes most of what you'd want, but many customers will want to upgrade to 'S line' trim, which adds larger 20-inch wheels, bespoke bumpers, a body-coloured front grille, rear privacy glass, stainless steel pedals, 'S line' door scuff plates, a black headliner and a special 'S line' design for the front seats and steering wheel. Obviously, there's loads of drive assist tech included across the range. A 'Parking system plus' set-up with a 360-degree display, swerve assist and turn assist, a top-view camera, a traffic-sign-based speed limiter, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking in front and rear, camera-based traffic sign recognition, intersection assist, lane departure warning, a lane change assistant, an exit warning system, rear cross traffic assist, rear turn assist, and advanced driver attention and fatigue monitor systems are all on board as standard.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the range figures for the Q6 e-tron SUV model in our 'Driving' section - 326 miles for the standard version, 392 miles for the 'performance' model, 381 miles for the quattro and 358 miles for the SQ6. You can do up to 10 miles better by choosing the Sportback bodyshape with any of these variants. On to charging, for which, helpfully, the car provides ports on both sides, which is an e-tron trademark we wish other brands would copy. Only one port can accept the fastest DC charging rate, but you can AC-charge from both sides. We're not sure why it's really necessary for the charging flaps to be motorised though. The main news with this Q6 design over the old Q8 e-tron is the way that this car's new PPE platform has made possible a switch to an 800V electrical architecture - which is significant in a market where key rivals like the BMW iX and the Mercedes EQE SUV still persist with older-tech 400V set-ups. The 800V system means that unlike those competitors, this Audi can use the new generation of ultra-fast public DC chargers springing up all over Europe (but still rarer than hen's teeth here). It also means that at the right kind of charger, the Q6 e-tron can charge at up to 270kW and 158 miles of range can be added in as little as 10 minutes. If, as is most likely of course, you're hooked up to a feebler public chargers (of up to 135kW) that can't handle the PPE platform's 800V power, a so-called 'bank charging' feature allows this Audi to split its battery in two and run each half at 400V, optimising battery replenishment speed and efficiency, so charging will still be super-quick. So how quick is that? Well the 10-80% DC battery replenishment time is 21 minutes at 270kW. Hooked up to a typical 7.4kW wallbox, the Q6 e-tron AC-charges from empty to full in 12 hours in base 82kWh form - or in 15 hours with the 100kWh battery.

Summary

Audi has come a long way with its EVs since its first one, the under-whelming E-tron SUV of 2018. That car's heavy design hobbled the subsequent Q8 e-tron. The e-tron GT quattro Gran Turismo-style model that followed it was a bit niche and the smaller Q4-e-tron has sold well, but isn't quite premium enough. With this Q6 e-tron though, Audi's got it just about right. Familiar looks disguise a PPE platform 800V engineering revolution here; this really is a fresh stage of EV development for the brand. Which you get a better feel for in the luxuriously redesigned cabin. True, in the Porsche Macan Electric, you can get a slightly more dynamic-feeling version of this same basic design. But if you don't feel an upper mid-sized EV crossover like this really needs to be that sporty, then this Q6 e-tron might be for you. It's not particularly arresting to look at and could be better value in terms of what you get for the money. But it's slightly cheaper than its most obvious premium-badged German rivals and offers the kind of polished driving experience we've come to expect from the brand. For the future, this Q6 will need longer range and sharper styling, but otherwise all the fundamental things you really need in an upper mid-sized premium electric SUV are here. At last in an e-tron-badged Audi.

Body Glass

Rear wiper

Privacy glass

Acoustic windscreen

Side and rear windows in heat insulating glass

Brakes

Red brake calipers

Hill hold assist

Front emergency brake assist

Carpets/Rugs

Black carpets

Front/rear floor mats

Chassis/Suspension

Sport suspension

Communication

Audi smartphone interface

Audi connect emergency call and service

Audi application store

Audi connect remote and controls

Audi connect navigation and infotainment

Driver Aids

Adaptive cruise control

Audi drive select

Top view camera

Park assist plus

Lane departure warning with emergency assist

Swerve assist and turn assist

Audi parking system plus includes 360 degree display with front and rear sensors

Intersection assist

Camera traffic sign recognition

Advanced driver attention and fatigue montior

Lane change assistant with exit warning system, rear cross traffic alert and rear turn assist

Traffic sign based speed limiter

Audi assistant

Progressive steering with servotronic

Audi digital key (Sharing with additional users and other devices is not possible)

Driver Convenience

Comfort key with SAFELOCK

Driver Information

MMI navigation plus with high resolution 14.5" OLED touchscreen colour display

Audi virtual cockpit plus with 11.9" OLED colour display

MMI 10.9" front passenger touch display

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Door mirror memory

Electric adjustable/heated/folding door mirrors with auto dimming

Embellishment Trims

Accent surfaces and control buttons in gloss black

Black dashboard with contrast stitching

Upper and lower interior elements in dinamica microfiber

Softwrap in Dinamica with contrast stitching

Engine

E-tron sport sound

Entertainment

DAB Digital radio

Smartphone compartment with wireless charging

2 front and 2 rear USB-C ports

Exterior Body Features

Black roof rails

Black window surrounds

Rear side wing doors

Electric charging cover

Front door sill trims with aluminium inlays, illuminated

Exterior Lights

High beam assist

Headlight cleaning system

Matrix LED headlights

LED 3rd brake light

LED rear lights pro incl. dynamic rear indicators and illuminated light strip with animated coming and leaving home function

Active digital light signature with eight combination of active daytime running light

White rhombus logo projection light in exterior mirrors

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Heat pump

3 zone automatic climate control including comfort remote pre-conditioning

Interior Features

Manually adjustable steering column

Black cloth headlining

Comfort front centre armrest

Stainless steel pedals and footrest

Luggage compartment lid, electrically opening and closing

3 spoke multifunction heated leather steering wheel with touch control, flat on top and bottom, with 'S' badge,contrast stitch

Steering wheel grips in perforated leather and shift paddles

64L frunk storage space under the bonnet

Packs

Sound and vision pack - Q6

Black styling package plus - Q6

Safety

3 point seatbelts on all seats

Warning triangle and first aid kit

Electric child locks

Acoustic vehicle alerting system

Tyre pressure loss indicator

Front and rear side airbags with head airbag system

Occupant detection sensor - 2nd row

Seat belt monitoring

Rear seat occupant reminder for child presence detection

Airbags in front, front passenger airbag is automatically activated and deactivated

Front interaction airbag

Proactive passenger protection system for front, sides and rear

Seats

Electrically adjustable front seats

Heated front and outer rear seats

Integrated front head restraints

Driver seat memory function

3 rear head restraints

Pneumatically adjustable lumbar support with massage function

40:20:40 split folding rear seat bench , centre armrest and cupholders

Single front passenger seat

3 bench rear seats in 2nd row

i-Size child seat mounting on the front passenger side and i-Size and top tether on the outer rear seats

Front sport seats plus with 'S' embossed logo

Security

Anti-theft wheel bolts

Thatcham approved category 1 anti theft alarm

Towing

Towbar preparation

Vehicle Charging

Compact e-tron charging system

11KW onboard charger

Household plug type G (GB)

Wall mounted bracket for compact e-tron charging system

Industrial connector CEE 32A, 230V, long and straight for the e-tron charging system

Plug n charge

On-board charger up to 270 KW (DC)

Mode 3 charging cable for public charging, 22 KW (AC)

Second charging port (AC)

Wheels - Spare

Tyre repair kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 2400

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 2.3

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 480

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): 65

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: 50

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): 21

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: 225

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Coupler/Connector Type: CCS Type 2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Battery Capacity in kWh: 83

NEDC Electricity Consumption kWh/100 km: N

NEDC Maximum EV Range Miles: N

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb: 478

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEL: 483

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb - TEH: 468

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb: 17.9

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEL: 17.8

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEH: 18.2

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.5

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEH: 3.4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEL: 3.5

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb: 297

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEH: 291

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb - TEL: 300

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 75

Charging Port Location: Right Side Rear

Usable Battery Capacity: 75.8

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 225

Emissions - ICE

CO2 (g/km): 0

Standard Euro Emissions: N

Noise Level dB(A): N

CO: N

HC: N

NOx: N

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): N

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): N

CC: 1

Cylinders: N

Cylinder Layout: N

Number of Valves: N

Camshaft: N

Fuel Delivery: N

Catalytic Convertor: N

Engine Layout: N

Compression Ratio: N

Transmission: AUTO

Gears: 1 SPEED

Engine Code: GFBA1AWB0

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: N

EC Urban (mpg): N

EC Extra Urban (mpg): N

EC Combined (mpg): N

General

Coin Series: Ed 1 [Sound+Vision]

Coin Description: N

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: No

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: 106399

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 47E

Service Interval Mileage: 999999

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 24

Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: N

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 91

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 92

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 81

NCAP Safety Assist %: 80

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5

Badge Power: 252

Badge Engine CC: 0.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 7.6

Top Speed: 130

Engine Power - BHP: 252

Engine Power - PS: No

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 185

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 332

Engine Torque - NM: 450

Engine Torque - MKG: 45.9

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: N/A

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 255/45 R21

Tyre Size Rear: 285/40 R21

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 21" ALLOY

Wheel Style: 5 Y SPOKE

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4771

Wheelbase: 2899

Width (including mirrors): 2193

Height: N

Height (including roof rails): 1702

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 2125

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2740

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): N

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 2000

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750

Max. Loading Weight: 615

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 526

No. of Seats: 5

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1529

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 12.1

Driving Mirrors

Carbon door mirrors

Embellishment Trims

Carbon micro twill structure inlay

Exterior Body Features

Pearlescent paint

Metallic paint

Special metallic paint

Panoramic sunroof

Contrast bumpers in mythos black metallic paint finish

Interior Features

Dinamica microfiber/leather upholstery with diamond stitching, including seatbelts with red edging

Fine Nappa leather upholstery with diamond stitching

Packs

Storage and Luggage compartment pack - Q6

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Plasma blue

Metallic - Manhattan grey

Metallic - Mythos black

Metallic - Glacier white

Paint - Pearlescent

Pearl - Daytona grey

Paint - Solid

Solid - Magnet grey

Paint - Special

Special metallic - Soneira red

Special metallic - Ascari blue

Service/Warranty

Audi warranty - 4 years or 75000 miles

Audi warranty - 5 years or 90000 miles

Towing

Towbar folding

Trim - Leather

Fine nappa leather - Black with steel grey diamond stitching

Trim - Part Leather

Dinamica microfiber/leather - Black with steel grey diamond stitching

Dinamica microfiber/leather - Black with red diamond stitching including seatbelts with red edging

Wheels - Alloy

21" x 9.0J 10.0J 5-arm Aero metallic black gloss turned finish audi sport alloy wheels