The Audi Q6 e-tron is the first of a new generation of electric models from the German brand. It uses a new, more advanced platform that accommodates larger-capacity batteries for longer driving ranges than its previous models and faster charging, too. As importantly, Audi has given the Q6 e-tron a reimagined interior that focuses on providing the premium trappings buyers expect.
It slots in between the Audi Q4 e-tron and the company’s first electric model, the (newly renamed) Q8 e-tron. The Q6 e-tron shares its mechanicals with the recently launched electric Porsche Macan and competes against a wide variety of SUVs and crossovers, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6 and BMW iX3. We drove it on the mountainous roads of northern Spain to see how it stacks up against the competition ahead of its arrival in Ireland later this year.
How big is the Audi Q6 e-tron?
At 4.77 metres long, the Q6 e-tron is 19 centimetres longer than the Q4 e-tron and 13 centimetres shorter than the Q8 e-tron, though it has the same 1.94-metre width as the latter. It has a long wheelbase (the space between the front and rear wheels) measuring 2.89 metres, which is good news for front and rear passenger space.
How much is the Audi Q6 e-tron?
The Q6 e-tron has a starting price of €75,600 in Ireland. That gets you the Advance specification, which includes the single-motor powertrain with rear-wheel drive. It comes on 18-inch wheels and with solid paint, so the desirable metallic colours will cost you extra.
Audi includes the curved display but groups several other options in packs.
The S line version features different exterior styling including 20-inch alloy wheels. Similar options packages are available for this version, and the interior includes slightly different seats with the ‘S’ logo on them.
As part of the car’s introduction, Audi is offering a Launch Edition, costing €87,600, and this features more equipment as standard and the dual-motor powertrain. There is a considerable volume of specification combinations available, so it’s worthwhile spending some time with the online configurator to see how the different packages look and judge what the best value is for your needs.
A look inside the Audi Q6 e-tron
Over the years, Audi has earned a solid reputation for producing interiors that live up to the premium billing, but the competition has been catching up. That’s why Audi has reimagined its cabin with a fully digital experience and a new dual-screen curved display that provides the driver with an impressive view. Made up of an 11.9-inch instrument display, which Audi calls its ‘virtual cockpit’, and a 14.5-inch touchscreen for the infotainment portion, the curved display uses OLED technology, much like the latest televisions, to provide crisp graphics. Ambient lighting makes the whole unit appear to float at night.
Furthermore, buyers can also specify an additional 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger, providing them with direct access to the infotainment system, navigation and video streaming services. The latter can be viewed during a journey or while charging, but when the car is moving, a clever privacy layer prevents the driver from seeing what is happening on screen.
But there’s more to the Q6 than just fancy screens; the materials used throughout and how it’s all put together go some way to justify the price tag. With the exception of the gloss black plastics that cover the centre console, which are prone to scratches and soon look grubby with fingerprints, every surface you come into contact with feels of high quality. There are generous levels of rear passenger space in the Q6 too thanks in part to the long wheelbase, and this is where it feels much closer to the larger Q8 than the smaller Q4.
Driving the Audi Q6 e-tron
We expect electric vehicles to deliver a reasonably smooth and serene driving experience these days, but that still doesn’t stop the Audi from impressing on both fronts. Our test car benefited from optional adaptive air suspension, and we didn’t get the opportunity to drive the car on the standard setup. The air suspension enhances ride comfort by managing body lean through corners and helping to keep the car level. It stops short of eliminating body movements entirely, which can feel unnatural, but does a comprehensive job of making the Q6 feel stable through corners. Even on the larger 21-inch wheels, the lack of road noise impresses. The cabin remains impressively quiet even at higher speeds.
With up to 387hp at your disposal, that stability is welcome, as the Audi feels more than brisk enough for everyday driving. Much of that is attributable to the torque the dual-motor setup produces, and being electric means there is no lag in delivery. As soon as you roll on the accelerator at any speed, you get this great shove of torque as the motors pull the big SUV along. Compared with previous Audis, the steering has a nicer feel that gives the driver more precise and positive feedback. Contributing to that is a rear bias from the power delivery, and Audi also fits wider tyres to the rear axle to increase grip and traction, especially in corners and when powering out of bends.
There is a high degree of energy recuperation when on the move in the Q6, and Audi’s engineers claim that as much as 95 per cent of the braking can be done without using the friction brakes. That means most of the time when you lift off the accelerator pedal, the car will slow down and put energy back into the battery. Drivers can select how strong this energy recuperation feels by cycling through the menu controlled via a paddle on the back of the steering wheel. In the strongest setting, you experience a one-pedal driving feel where the car slows enough in most instances just by lifting off the accelerator. There is also a coasting mode where no recuperation happens, and the car freewheels.
Whether cruising on a motorway or slowly making your way through city traffic, the Audi has this tremendous sense of quality to it.
There is a higher-power SQ6 e-tron available, with up to 489hp. That is even more rapid and is set up for a sportier driving feel, though unless you actively want the extra performance, you’re not missing out on anything by sticking with the regular Q6.
What’s the electric range of the Audi Q6 e-tron?
The Q6 e-tron uses a 94.9kWh (usable) lithium-ion battery to provide a WLTP combined driving range of between 540 and 625 kilometres, depending on specification. The official energy consumption ranges between 17.0- and 19.6kWh/100km, and although we didn’t quite match those figures during our time with the car, we did come close even with some motorway driving.
One of the upsides of Audi’s new platform is its 800-volt architecture, which enables faster DC charging. Audi states the official peak charging rate at 270kW, meaning a 10-80 per cent recharge can be completed in as little as 21 minutes, provided you can find a charger with enough oomph. That bodes well if you’re using the latest fast chargers that are springing up along the motorway network. The Audi also has 11kW AC charging fitted as standard, which means it can charge more quickly at 22kW public chargers than from a domestic 7.4kW wallbox.
How many child seats can I fit in the Audi Q6 e-tron?
Thanks to ISOFIX anchor points in the outer seats, you can easily fit two child seats into the Audi’s rear. The middle seat in the back is flat but not that wide, so don’t bank on it being suitable for a booster seat before trying it out first. The front passenger seat also has a mounting point for a child seat with a top tether, and the front passenger airbag can be easily disabled.
The Q6 e-tron’s onboard technology
Audi continues to offer its augmented reality head-up display, which is now in its second generation. Available optionally as part of the MMI Experience Pro package, it projects the usual driving-related information, such as speed, directly into your eyeline but will also dynamically animate direction changes from the navigation system to appear as arrows floating in the road as you approach a turn up to 200 metres away, growing as you approach. It might sound gimmicky, but it can be handy when navigating more complex junctions you’re unfamiliar with.
An advanced voice assistant is available in the Q6 e-tron and is summoned by saying “Hey Audi”. More than 800 commands are recognised, including adjusting climate settings or calling someone. This digital assistant will be updated with the technology from ChatGPT to expand what it will be able to understand and do. All the usual smartphone mirroring tech is present, as you would expect, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay included. Audi offers further online services, including Google Maps for navigation and a dedicated app to enable remote access for locking and unlocking, vehicle preconditioning and charging monitoring.
The reasons you’d buy an Audi Q6 e-tron
Besides the premium badge that Audi brings alongside the overall design of the Q6 e-tron and the beautifully finished interior, there’s lots of appeal in the amount of technology available and the fact that it’s built on a new platform. The latter goes some way to future-proofing the model, possibly even making this car more desirable than the more expensive Q8 e-tron above it.
Ask us anything about the Audi Q6 e-tron
If there’s anything about the Audi Q6 e-tron we haven’t covered, or you’d like advice on choosing between it and other cars, you can access our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
