The large family premium electric SUV slots between the smaller Q4 e-tron and Audi's flagship e-tron SUV in its EV line-up. Prices are likely to start from upwards of £60,000.
A long-awaited model, the new Audi Q6 e-tron is built on an all-new architecture, named PPE, which will also underpin the future new electric Porsche Macan. This means the Audi Q6 e-tron really will be a cutting-edge new car when it arrives in 2024.
Rivals include cars like the BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQC and the Tesla Model Y.
The new Audi Q6 e-tron will be fully revealed later this year. Bosses have confirmed it will be releaesed for sale from February 2024, with a UK launch likely in the spring. Ordering will open ahead of that, for those keen to buy or lease one of the very first new Audi Q6 e-tron.
Prices are likely to start from around £60,000 for an entry-level rear-wheel-drive model that prioritises range over performance.
You can expect to pay at least £80,000 for a high-performance, four-wheel-drive model with a scorching 600ps and a 0-62mph time of fewer than four seconds.
Controversial styling isn't what conservative owners expect from their expensive SUVs and as a result, you can expect the Audi Q6 e-tron to look like a scaled up version of the company's popular Audi Q4 e-tron.
Fancy LED headlights are all the rage on premium models and you can expect the Audi Q6 e-tron to get some of the best – powerful on motorways and A-roads, pretty and sophisticated looking in town. Expect the car to perform a personal light show for you every time you lock and unlock it.
A bold grille is another essential and you can expect the Q6 e-tron's to be blanked off to improve aerodynamics.
Those aero features will be carried around to the sides of the car. You'll find air breathers ahead of the front doors that smooth the airflow around the car and trims on the alloy wheels that do much the same job. Underneath, you'll see the Audi has a flat floor that helps the car use less energy at a cruise, while a spoiler on the roof smooths the car's wake.
The interior of the new Audi Q6 e-tron has been revealed in full. The centrepiece is a sculpted free-standing curved display which includes the driver display and centre touchscreen infotainment screen. As an added extra, there is an additional front passenger display, too.
The ‘digital stage’ of the new Audi Q6 e-tron comprises an 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit driver display, and a 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen display. Below it, there’s ambient lighting designed to make it appear to ‘float’ at night. An optional augmented reality head-up display is also available for the driver.
Front seat passengers in the new Audi Q6 e-tron have their own 10.9-inch MMI display. This has a privacy mode so they can watch movies without disturbing the driver. It also means passengers can help set the sat nav for the driver – although it is an option, adds Audi. Standard models have a gloss black panel instead.
The wraparound design of the dashboard gives those in the front of the new Audi Q6 e-tron a feeling of being in a cocoon, says Audi. There are plenty of high-quality, soft-touch materials, while all the operating areas are in high-gloss black so they’re clear and easy to use.
The new Audi Q6 e-tron has a comprehensive set of controls in the driver’s doorhandle, for the door mirrors, seat and door functions, light and visibility settings. This means drivers won’t have to dive into the infotainment screen to adjust key settings.
Eco-friendly materials are available in the new Audi Q6 e-tron, such as Elastic Melange, made from 100% recycled polyester. It wraps the dashboard and is also available for the seats.
The new Audi Q6 e-tron has an ample 526-litre boot, which expands to a healthy 1529 litres with the rear seats folded – they are split 40:20:40. There is an additional 64-litre front boot, or ‘frunk’, which Audi suggests is perfect for storing charging cables.
The other benefit of the Audi Q6 e-tron’s PPE platform is that it allows for charging speeds of up to 350kW so its huge 100kWh battery can be charged from five to 85 per cent in around 25 minutes. Perhaps more impressive is its ability to add 186 miles worth of charge in just 10 minutes. The only glaring downside is that few public chargers are capable of these speeds.
The benefit of the huge battery is that it should give the Q6 e-tron a range of more than 400 miles in long-range configuration, slightly less than the 435 miles posted by the more aerodynamic Audi A6 e-tron saloon we previewed earlier.
While the long-range model will have a single motor, high-performance versions will have two motors and four-wheel drive with the potential to produce 646PS – the same as the RS e-tron GT – for 0-62mph in well under four seconds.
While the new Audi Q6 e-tron SUV is months away, you can buy the company’s flagship e-tron SUV right now. The e-tron was Audi’s first mass production electric car bringing new levels of refinement and cabin quality to the firm’s SUV line-up, it was also quick and was one of the first EVs to boast a reliable range of more than 200 miles. As a result, there are a number of second hand e-trons showing more than 30,000 miles on the clock – high for an EV that only went on sale in 2019. You’ll pay £45,000 for one of these higher-miled examples, but we’d advise spending around £50,000 for a car with less than 5000 miles.
We have the latest 2023 new car news on upcoming models such as the new-generation MINI Countryman, the exciting new VW ID. GTI and the practical new Honda CR-V.
We expect the Audi Q6 e-tron to be revealed later this year, with first deliveries in early 2023.
The Audi Q6 e-tron is expected to be priced from £55,000.
The Audi Q6 e-tron is expected to be roughly the same size as the conventionally powered Audi Q5.
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