Audi Q6 e-tron review

It’s yet another big electric Audi SUV, one that slots into the not inconsiderable gap between the Q8 e-tron and the Q4 e-tron. Yup, Audi is whacking batteries into its even-numbered cars.

This is no copy-and-paste job though: the electric Q8 and Q4 sit on the VW Group’s MLB Evo and MEB platforms accordingly, while this is built upon Audi’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) skateboard. That’s the same one being used in the new 'leccy Porsche Macan, so we needn’t look very far for the Q6 e-tron’s most direct rival. There’s also its swoopier ‘Sportback’ sibling to consider, of course.

Others? Audi has its eye on the Polestar 3 and Mercedes EQE SUV, plus the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, BWW iX3 and - to a lesser extent - the Jaguar I-Pace. Lesser because you can only buy 'em used now.

What’s the elevator pitch?

Same as any other Audi. It’s designed to appeal to executive types who want something powerful, refined and - by virtue of this being an SUV - big enough to bring along the family and all of their belongings.

As is fairly typical within the confines of Germany’s trio of premium brands, the Audi ends up somewhere in between BMW with its focus on dynamics and powertrains, and Mercedes with its penchant for comfort and (annoyingly) overbearing tech.

Powerful, eh? Hit me with them numbers.

There are four versions of the Q6 e-tron: two RWD, two AWD (and therefore dubbed ‘quattro’).

The entry rear-wheel drive version outputs 249bhp (288bhp with launch control) from its single electric motor, for a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds (7.0s with launch control) and a top speed of 130mph. 

Next up is the 302bhp (322bhp with - you guessed it - launch control) RWD variant, which hits zero to 62mph in 6.7 seconds (6.6s with... y'know) and an identical top speed. 

Of the all-wheel drive variants, the lesser car packs 382bhp and 428lb ft of torque courtesy of two electric motors - an induction motor up front and permanent-magnet synchronous motor out back - and that’s good enough for 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 131mph.

Then there’s the SQ6, which turns the wick up to 490bhp for 0-62mph in 4.3s and a vmax of 143mph. Which is unlikely to do your range any good. No gears in either, as you’d expect for an EV: single-speed transmission only.

Speaking of range… how is it?

Depends on the battery size, and what you believe. According to the lab tests, the current base-level rear drive Q6 e-tron will pull up to 326 miles from its 83kWh battery (of which 75.8kWh is usable).

Meanwhile the more powerful rear drive car will supposedly manage up to 393 miles from its 100kWh battery (of which 94.9kWh is usable). If range is the most important thing here, this is the one to go for.

Of the AWD options, the Q6 e-tron quattro will pull up to 382 miles from its identically sized 100kWh battery, while the SQ6 is good for 360. That would imply very decent efficiency of 3.8-4.0mi/kWh, which we reckon is… ambitious. Find our full explanation over on the Driving tab.

DC charging (the type you’ll get at a service station) maxes out at 270kW, and Audi claims 10-80 per cent takes but a mere 21 minutes. On AC the most you’ll get is 11kW, and at that rate a full charge is a 10-hour job. Perfectly fine if you leave it plugged in overnight.

What does one of these cost?

No surprises here, it’s a lot. Prices start from £60,700 for the rear-wheel drive car while the SQ6 is a punchy £93k. But given what it’s up against, those numbers really aren’t that bad. What a world we live in…

The Audi Q6 e-tron is impressive in any number of ways. It’s immensely fast. It’s incredibly refined. The suspension (we’ve only tried the fancy one) sorts out bumps in double-quick time. The brake pedal feel is spot on.

And yet, it’s all a bit… plain. Not boring plain, but beyond being gloriously wafty (and rightly so, because Audi) its personality doesn’t go any deeper than that. That’s a pity, our prototype drive in 2023 suggested otherwise. Meanwhile Audi has unwisely followed Mercedes’ thinking that more screens must be better, and we’d question if the interior has been executed as well as it could’ve been.

You’ll enjoy owning one of these, but you’ll stop well short of loving it.