In presenting this new model, Audi was clear about what its characteristics are. intentions for the future: electric is a point of arrival. The transition will happen, maybe it will be slower than what was planned, but it will happen. And Audi will want to be a protagonist. Maybe even with the new Q6 e-tronthe electric SUV that in some ways collects the legacy of the first e-tron by raising the efficiency of electric technology to a higher level.
New Audi Q6 e-tron: four power levels
From improvements compared to the first model, there have been some, and how many: consumption reduced by 33%, autonomy increased by 56%, charging power increased by 80%, battery cells reduced by 60%. Numbers that speak for themselves, and that characterize the entire range of Audi Q6 e-tron, composed of four versions: the Q6 e-tron with 292 hp and up to 450 Nm, for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.0 seconds; the Q6 e-tron performance with 326 hp and up to 485 Nm, for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.7 seconds; the Q6 e-tron quattro with 387 hp and up to 580 Nm, for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds; and the SQ6 e-tron quattro with 517 hp and up to 580 Nm, for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.3 seconds.
Autonomy and mechanics
We are talking about a 100% electric SUV that the four-ringed company itself has defined “cutting edge of technology”: certainly thanks to the electric quattro drive, but also to the new suspension layout, the high torsional rigidity and the balanced distribution of masses. As for autonomy, Audi has declared a maximum range up to 641 km in the WLTP cycle (but we were able to test first-hand that the real autonomy is lower, just under 500 km). Charging chapter: the power reaches 270 kW in DC, with the possibility of restore 260 km in 10 minutes and go from 10 to 80% charge in 21 minutes. The protagonist of the electrical components of the new Audi Q6 e-tron is certainly the new 800 Volt lithium battery, with a net capacity of up to 94 kWh and characterized by an intelligent and predictive thermal management system.
First electric Audi on the PPE platform
The new Audi Q6 e-tron is the first series model of the German brand based on the native electric PPE platform: compared to the MEB or MLB Evo architectures, just to name a few, it boasts a 30% increase in power density, a 20% reduction in weight and a 60% increase in efficiency, thanks also to the combination with new electric motors. Speaking of the latter, the new electric SUV by Audi can be equipped with one or two electric motors, and you can therefore choose between rear-wheel drive and electric quattro all-wheel drive: in the first case, the single permanent magnet synchronous motor acts on the rear axle, while in the second, the front asynchronous unit is added to the rear engine.
Eye-catching design
Before moving on to the road behavior of the Audi Q6 e-tron, let’s also look at the exterior and interior design of this electric SUV. Aesthetically speaking, it is characterized by a octagonal single frame with three-dimensional gridthe large side air intakes at the front, the daytime running lights separated from the light modules and positioned in line with the upper section of the front light clusters, a side view strongly characterised by the continuous shoulder line, the muscular wheel arches and the striking quattro blisters, and a rear light strip that connects the light clusters. Eight body colours are available at launch, while the range of wheels includes 18″ and 19″ wheels as standardoptional 21″. The SQ6 e-tron quattro version deserves a special mention, which benefits from silver elements on the Singleframe, side mirror caps and side skirt inserts in an aluminum look, specific underbody protection and extractor and 20″ alloy wheels as standard.
A slew of screens and displays
Coming to the interior, digitalization and connectivity are the two watchwords, mainly thanks to an electronic architecture, the E3 1.2, characterized by a extraordinary calculation speed: there are a total of five IT platforms, which control all the functions of the vehicle. The operating system is Android Automotive OS, which concretely materializes in the Audi Digital Stage: a true digital stage, consisting of an 11.9″ virtual cockpit, a 14.5″ curved OLED display for the MMI system and a 10.9″ passenger screen. In addition, we find a Second-generation augmented reality head-up display.
Audi Q6 e-tron: how it goes on the road
And now let’s move on to the driving dynamics of the new Audi Q6 e-tron. It’s difficult to find such negative aspects from this point of view: even though it is a D-segment SUV, since it measures a length of 4.77 meters and boasts a wheelbase of 2,899 millimetres, and despite being characterised by a minimum weight of 2,125 kg (on the SQ6 e-tron quattro it even reaches 2,350 kg), the car always responded promptly to every change of direction, and on any road surface. We in fact tested the new Q6 e-tron on a 183-kilometer route that wound through Florence and its surroundings, and which touched practically every type of road: urban, freeways, motorways, but also climbs and even a stretch of dirt road. The sensations of sportiness and agility were immediate, not a foregone conclusion considering the type of car we had in our hands.
Excellent load capacity, promoted spaciousness
In light of the dimensions mentioned above, the following was particularly appreciated: internal spaciousnessmainly for rear passengers. Spaciousness that also translates into cargo capacity: it stands at 526/1,529 liters in the first three versions, while it is more contained, at 514/1,517 liters, for the Audi SQ6 e-tron. But that’s not all: additional 64 liters are in fact available in the trunk under the front hood, where you can conveniently store the charging cable or even a travel bag. On the technological side, the series of internal displays honors the standards of the category, with an additional plus: the screen for the passenger is in fact darkened to the driver, who can then concentrate solely and exclusively on driving, unlike the front passenger who can instead interact with the display as he or she wishes (watch a film, check the trip details, and so on).
High comfort, as well as…the prices
Driving comfort is also very high: even on the 14-kilometer stretch of dirt road we always felt at ease at the wheel of the Audi Q6 e-tron, thanks to the dual stage shock absorbers capable of combining comfort and roll containment. Shock absorbers which, at a higher level, translate into adaptive air suspension: in this case the individual management of each electro-hydraulic shock absorber comes into play, for a variation of the height from the ground of the car that can reach 65 millimetres. We have already said about the real autonomy which is lower than the declared one (the consumption during our test was around 18 kWh per 100 km), we have not yet said about the prices: The new Audi Q6 e-tron starts at 67,800 euros in the standard version, at 73,300 euros in the Performance version, at 79,500 euros in the quattro version and at 97,200 euros in the top-of-the-range SQ6 e-tron quattro.
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