FIRST DRIVE: Audi Q6 e-tron: the best electric Audi yet? | Electrifying

#audiq6etron #audielectric #electriccars

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.

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.

Join Nicki as she takes a close look around the new Audi Q6 e-tron. Is this going to a winner when it arrives in the UK? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[dcpo]

Looks great except the legroom for back seat passengers. I can't stand cars that are huge on the outside but don't have room inside

[mdr-lwbn]

Nice to have ports on both sides, but they didn't need to electrify them (IMO) as it's just something that (No doubt!) would be VERY expensive to fix if/when they go wrong 🤔

[neilmurphy]

Ordered mine, the build week was meant to be last week, but now it looks like next week. Moving from a 22 SQ5 sq5 vorsprung to the Q6 launch edition

[bjrnchrstn]

Ordered my launch edition performance. Eta week 49. Right around xmas 🎅

[timscott]

Im just really happy that someone has made an electric suv, finally.

[SnazzBot]

Mad to think that five Seconds to sixty is now considered Mah.

[pu]

Since no one has talked about this, I suspect there is only active cruise control with stop & go but no lane following assist. You cannot let go of the steering wheel.

[jonathanoakey]

So many negative comments! This car certainly isn't for everyone, and yes it's expensive, but the vast majority will be sold as company cars where the price is irrelevant to the person driving it. I have one on order; I looked at everything on the market and this car ticks all of my boxes. I've done a test drive (unlike most of the commenters!) and the rear seat legroom is indeed a bit disappointing but that's not too important for me, and unlike some cars you can get your feet comfortably under the seat in front so that mitigates the problem a bit.
Some other impressions of mine: I don't have an issue with the on-screen aircon controls, they are always there and they work fine. The screens are really great, the interior is a big advance from the older e-tron models (I like the Q4 but when I sat in one after the Q6 it felt old in comparison). The seats are extremely comfortable, and visibility is excellent - the surround cameras, especially the side cameras, will be very useful particularly as it's a wide car.
Audi's main competition has traditionally been BMW and Mercedes, and it's in the same price bracket as those (maybe slightly cheaper than the equivalent Mercedes). The EV market is overturning the traditional pecking order of car brands, though. This is a great car and I'm sure it will be popular with Audi drivers but whether it will stand up against the cheaper competition from companies like Kia, Hyundai, Tesla, BYD and even brands like Peugeot (whose new EVs look very good too) remains to be seen.

[SDKb]

I drive a BMW iX and totally get your point about the center tunnel. The iX doesn't have one so you can put bags in the middle area, front & back - this is a really useful space to put food & drinks on long journeys without taking away leg room.

[Shaggy]

I'd still rather have the Q8 E-tron, or even the older 2019 - 2023 E-Tron. Less efficient, but just looks so much better in and out, quieter and smoother, plus no giant glaring plastic screens in your face, smaller more subtle screens instead which I think is the sweet spot

[lundborg]

Looking forward to getting mine in a couple of weeks.

[mako]

I do like the Audi ETrons, but that side panel on the lower sides sort of bugs me. I would prefer a cleaner line and not additional garbage attached to the doors.

[PaulMeier-cuds]

A great preview, thank you.

I used to drive Audis for more than ten years. I stopped when they bungled the switch to EVs. This starts to look as if Audi are beginning to get it right again and it is telling that it is the engineering rather than the software (still) provides the key selling point. The car is too big for me and at £69k is a silly price. So I would not buy one but it is a serious improvement on what Audi have been doing since before Covid.

[sixtyseven]

It's about time Audi pulled their finger out and came up with something that can stand up to a Tesla tech-wise.
Very impressive stats on the 800 volt system right there (range, regen etc)

[cvautos]

Is all that interior technology really necessary ? The rear lights that you customise, really much of a selling point ?

[mev]

I don't care how nice that charge port opens, when it's chucking it down and I just want to get back in the car, it needs to open quickly and be done. It's way too over thought for something so minor.

[poulpedersen]

It has a lot of good things going for it, but the underwhelming lack of leg room in the back is an instant disqualification.. how disapointing from a big SUV..

[AM_]

This is a pretty nice SUV. Solid updates all around but looking forward to the new A6 now.

[agamjaini]

The final comparison on price made no sense. So they placed the iX3 and iPace as more expensive for lesser range, but then said that both the Polestar 4 (more spacious) and Kia EV9 (much larger) provide more range for a lower price...then how does the conclusion make it look like this is better value overall? 😂

[stevecarr]

Love it, I just hope that I can afford one when my Q4’s PCP is up.