Welcome to my in-depth test of the new full-electric Audi Q6 e-tron which I was able to test over an extensive distance of 500 km over a full week, with a 50/50 mix of highway and country road driving. Audi has been very quiet over the last 3 years – with very few new model launches and constant management changes.
Now Audi is back with a vengeance and brings one new model after the other, both with conventional combustion engines and fully electric vehicles. The Audi Q6 e-tron was launched in August 2024 after a long delay primarily due to software development delays.
The launch of the Q6 e-tron really was overdue. The e-tron, now Q8 e-tron, came in 2019, and the age shows, and the otherwise excellent Q4 e-tron is no longer leading in its segment either. The competition has caught up and is strong, with a.o. Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Mercedes EQE SUV, BMW iX3 to name a few.
What makes the Q6 e-tron possibly the most important Audi of the decade is its platform. The PPE platform was developed together with Porsche and is shared with four other models including the Porsche Macan E.
This Q6 e-tron with 387 HP and quattro all-wheel drive starts at 85,900 CHF and costs 120,340 CHF with the specification as it stands here, including a 100,000 km extended warranty up to 5 years, a towing hitch and a sun roof and 21” alloy rims.
The new lithium-ion battery with 94.9 kWh useable net capacity should give a good, useable range of about 500 km. A heat pump is always on board which should also be the case for vehicles in this price range.
The engines are a new generation. In the quattro models, an asynchronous motor (ASM) is used on the front axle, which can rotate freely during driving without drag losses but it jumps in the moment you accelerate or need the quattro 4-wheel drive. Most of the time the car just uses the electric motor at the rear. Compared to the first e-tron quattro (now Q8 e-tron), the motors are about 30% more compact, lighter and more efficient.
In this Q6 e-tron quattro the two engines combined deliver 285 kW/387 hp and can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 210 km/h.
With a length of 477 cm and a wheelbase of 290 cm and a width of 213.9 cm, the Q6 may be half a size smaller than the big Q8 e-tron, but it still offers the rear passengers plenty of space and a big trunk with 526 to 1529 liters of storage space. There is also a frunk with a capacity of 64 liters under the front hood.
The weight of the car is 2568 kg which is a lot, but it does not feel like it when driving.
This vehicle has the Tech Pro Q6 package which includes air suspension, seat heaters, high tech lighting, sport sound and more. It also has the Edition One Grey package, which includes contrast exterior paint, frunk and trunk storage solutions, and the MMI experience pro package includes ambient lighting and a good, but not that impressive, Bang & Olufsen stereo.
Where the PPE platform stands out is in the charging performance. The drive system has an 800 volt-architecture vs 400 volts in the Q8 e-tron. The advantages of the 800-volt system are lower heat loss and reduced cooling requirements for the electric components.
I did a charging test of the Q6 and managed 10-80% in 23 mins peaking at 283 kW. In 10 minutes, you get 255 km of range which is class leading.
When driving, the Q6 e-tron feels like a very comfortable and competent family vehicle.
And what about consumption and range in practice? Despite all of Audi’s efforts, the Q6 e-tron quattro is not a low-consumption miracle.
My test result was an average of 22 kWh which is a bit disappointing, comparable to the larger and more powerful BMW iX which in colder temperatures hat 20.0 kWh. A Tesla Model Y or even the Model X are both significantly more economical, too.
However, the Audi feel more solid, more modern and more luxurious in many areas, but also stands out in terms of pricing.
Thank you for watching mobility insider.
Filmed in Switzerland in September and November, 2024. Produced by DNTS Productions.
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