Audi has announced that its new Q6 Sportback e-tron – the coupé-SUV equivalent of the brand’s all-electric Q6 e-tron SUV – will go on sale in the UK in November.
The key difference between the regular Q6 e-tron and this new Sportback model is its sloping coupé-style rear roofline, which Audi says is one of the most popular body designs among its customers. Otherwise, both cars have the same foundations, electric motors and battery, interior design.
The front end looks of both cars are identical, and while the car’s tail lights and rear bumper are also unchanged, the Sportback’s design is notably different in the rear, with an angled rear window and ducktail spoiler that Audi argues is reminiscent of the now-retired Audi TT coupé.
Nevertheless, the sloping roofline reduces the boot capacity 511 litres – down from the Q6 e-tron’s 526 litres. The Sportback does still have the SUV’s 64-litre ‘frunk’ storage space under the bonnet, however.
As the Sportback isn’t as tall and has a smoother roofline curve than the SUV, the coupé-SUV has a slight aerodynamic advantage, with a lower drag coefficient that increases the electric car’s battery range to a 402-mile maximum, surpassing the Q6 e-tron SUV’s already impressive range of 381 miles.
That is the rear-wheel drive 100kWh ‘Performance’ model, however. The lead-in Q6 Sportback e-tron model is powered by a smaller 83kWh battery and can muster 334 miles on a single charge.
The new coupé-SUV range will also include the sportier SQ6 Sportback e-tron, which makes use of the same 100kWh battery and has a 4.3-second 0-62mph sprint time, the trade-off being a reduced maximum battery range of 367 miles.
While the standard model is compatible with DC charging speeds of up to 225kW, the ‘Performance’ can charge at speeds up to 260kW, and at that speed the battery can gain 164 miles of charge in ten minutes.
Audi adds that the Sportback should feel more agile on the road when compared to its transitional SUV counterpart, due to several suspension tweaks and new software for the steering system. Both front-wheel drive and ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive models will be available.
Inside, Audi has developed a new dashboard layout for the Q6 e-tron range 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.
Set to join an increasingly competitive field of upmarket coupé-SUVs like the BMW iX2, Skoda Enyaq Coupé and the new Ford Capri, the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron will go on sale next month with pricing starting at over £62k. That is around £2k more expensive than the regular Q6 e-tron, and £20k more expensive than the Ford Capri, which has itself faced reviewer criticism for being rather expensive.
Pricing for ‘Performance’ models instead starts at £66k, while the top-spec SQ6 Sportback e-tron will cost over £95k. The first customer deliveries are scheduled to arrive in April next year.
