Audi has announced that its new Q6 e-tron SUV is now available to order – the electric equivalent of the brand’s petrol-powered Q5 – which sits below the marque’s flagship Q8 e-tron.
Described by Audi as its “next technological leap in premium electric mobility”, the brand is confident that the Q6 e-tron will arrive as a class-leader in the medium SUV category, with its impressive battery range being a key taling point.
Built on the same foundations as the new electric Porsche Macan, the Q6 e-tron can reportedly muster up to 381 miles on a single charge – 50 miles more than the larger Q8 e-tron. For further comparison, rivals like the Skoda Enyaq and Nissan Ariya offer a battery range that sits around the 300-mile mark.
The electric SUV can charge at speeds up to 270kW, and at that speed the battery can gain 158 miles of charge in ten minutes.
Inside, Audi has developed a new dashboard layout to house a brand-new operating system for the 15-inch infotainment screen and 12-inch digital instrument cluster. The front passenger also gets a 12-inch media screen, and the large majority of the car’s settings are controlled by these displays or the voice assistant software.
When it comes to storage space, there is 64 litres of ‘frunk’ space under the bonnet, and 526 litres of boot space in the rear.
Two four-wheel drive models are on offer – the Q6 e-tron ‘quattro’ and the SQ6 e-tron. Both will feature a twin-motor layout and a 100kWh battery. The Q6 produces a combined 380hp, while the SQ6’s peak output is 510hp – which means 0-62mph sprint times of 5.9 and 4.3 seconds respectively.
The electric motors can recover up to 220kW of energy when the car is braking, which is some of the strongest brake regeneration tech seen on any EV so far.
A multi-source heat pump draws air not only from the outside environment but also captures waste heat from the powertrain. Audi says that this new tech means more efficient cooling and heating of the cabin, and improved battery range in temperatures between -10 and +20 degrees.
Pricing for the Q6 e-tron starts from £61k, with the SQ6 version costing just under £93k as standard. Single-motor rear-wheel drive models will join the range later this year, which will lower the SUV’s entry-level price.
The Q6 e-tron range includes three trim grades – the ‘Sport’, ‘S Line’ and ‘Edition 1’, while the SQ6 e-tron is only offered in the top spec ‘Edition 1’ guise.
