After Porsche unveiled the all-electric Macan at the beginning of the year, here comes Audi with its equivalent Q6 E-Tron. The newcomer rides on the same Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed by the two luxury brands part of the Volkswagen Group. It’ll do battle with the BMW iX3 coming in 2025 on the dedicated Neue Klasse architecture.
While BMW will make its future iX3 visually stand out from the current crop of gasoline and diesel crossovers, the Q6 E-Tron is a lot like your typical Audi SUV with combustion engines. It follows the strategy used by the current X3/iX3 lineup but with separate platforms. It looks smart with its customizable OLED taillights and Audi’s latest developments in matrix LED headlight technology. We’re getting the impression of a more upmarket product compared to the smaller Q4 E-Tron that shares its DNA with several Volkswagen and Skoda models that sit on the less sophisticated MEB platform.
The newcomer with the Four Rings is 4771 millimeters (187.8 inches) long, making it 37 mm (1.45 in) longer than the current CLAR-based iX3. The Q6 E-Tron is substantially wider, at 1993 mm (78.84 in), or 102 mm (4 in) more than its rival from Munich. It sits 20 mm (0.7 in) closer to the road by having a height of 1648 mm (64.8 in). As for the wheelbase, it stretches at 2899 mm (114.3 in) or 35 mm (1.3 in) more than the iX3’s.
It remains to be seen whether the Neue Klasse-based iX3 will be bigger than today’s model or just about the same. Teasers of camouflaged prototypes released by BMW ahead of the world premiere locked in for 2025 have hinted at roughly similar proportions but surely the dedicated platform will bring some notable changes.
Meanwhile, the Audi Q6 E-Tron is a handsome SUV with a design that plays it safe instead of the striking appearance BMW is preparing for the iX3 – as hinted by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. The interior is packed with screens since there’s one on the passenger side as well, measuring 10.9 inches. Conventional controls are kept down to a minimum as you’ll be accessing most functions through the center 14.5-inch touchscreen and the capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel. The all-digital driver’s display comes as standard and measures 11.9 inches.
Thanks to the dedicated EV platform, this is a practical SUV for its segment. It offers a cargo volume of 526 liters (18.5 cubic feet) behind the rear seats, or 1,529 liters (53.9 cu ft) after you fold them. Should you need even more luggage area, there’s a front trunk that can swallow an additional 64 liters (2.2 cu ft). There’s also plenty of legroom provided by the generous wheelbase and the absence of a central tunnel although we do notice a small hump in the floor.
As far as power is concerned, the base Audi Q6 E-Tron packs 382 hp (285 kW) whereas the hotter SQ6 E-Tron rewards you with 510 hp (380 kW). Both have dual motors and all-wheel drive but two cheaper variants with a single motor and rear-wheel drive will follow. Stick to the regular Q6 E-Tron and it’ll take 5.9 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) whereas the SQ6 E-Tron can do the job in 4.3 seconds. Top speed is limited to 130 mph (210 km/h) and 142 mph (230 km/h), respectively.
At the heart of the electric SUV from Ingolstadt is a new lithium-ion battery pack that uses prismatic cells instead of the round cells BMW intends to use on the Neue Klasse iX3. The Q6 E-Tron has a usable energy content of 94.9 kWh, good for 388 miles (625 kilometers) on a single charge. Once you’re out of juice, the battery can be charged at up to 270 kW, in which case you’ll get back 158 miles (255 kilometers) of range in 10 minutes. Spending 21 minutes at a charging station that supports the maximum power will replenish the battery from 10% to 80%.
Much like BMW is expected to make a sleeker iX4, Audi is also preparing a Q6 E-Tron Sportback with a coupe-like roofline. Only the conventionally shaped model is being revealed today but the less practical derivative with a swoopy shape is likely not far behind. The BMW iX4 is unlikely to arrive before 2027.
The order books are opening this month in Germany where the standard Q6 E-Tron starts at €74,700 while the SQ6 E-Tron is €93,800. The outgoing iX3 retails for €67,300 in its home market. An M Performance version is not offered by BMW but that could change with the Neue Klasse iX3 and a rumored iX3 M60 model.
Deliveries of the Audi Q6 E-Tron to customers are starting this summer.
Source: Audi