A new day, comes a new electric vehicle announcement, and this time it’s from Audi, revealing their latest additions to the electric vehicle market: the Q6 e-tron and its more athletic sibling, the SQ6 e-tron. These two midsize luxury electric SUVs differ primarily in their body style and power, with the SQ6 e-tron being a sportback and including enhanced performance.
The design of the Q6 e-tron series marries Audi’s tried and true aesthetics with a touch of modern. The vehicles boast aggressive LED daytime running lights and a stylized grille that offers a nod to classic automotive design amidst a sea of futuristic, grille-less electric vehicles. Regardless of one’s aesthetic preferences, the appeal of these vehicles is undeniable, further accentuated by the standard inclusion of fairly elegant 20-inch wheels. A pioneering feature of the Q6 e-tron is the worlds first dynamic OLED tail lights, offering customizable so-called “digital light signatures” that can give your vehicle a bit of extra character while unlocking or locking the vehicle. These new tail lights also include brightness adjustment based on driving conditions and safety warnings for trailing vehicles via what Audi calls “car-to-X communication.”
Hey Audi, Elon called and wants his X back.
Inside, the Q6 e-tron opts for a minimalistic yet still luxurious cabin, complemented by ambient lighting, featuring an 11.9-inch driver’s display and a large 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Audi also offers an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen so your passenger princess doesn’t feel left out on the fun. The move towards fewer physical buttons aligns with a broader trend among EV manufacturers, aiming for a “cleaner” dashboard design. This includes integrating essential controls like climate adjustments into the touchscreen infotainment system, for better or for worse. When it comes to storage, the Q6 e-tron includes an 18.5 cubic feet trunk and a 2.1 cubic feet “frunk” or front trunk, the latter being notably smaller than the Tesla Model Y’s already pretty small “frunk” for context.
Powering these two luxury EVs are 100kWh batteries, with 94.9kWh usable, incorporating a cutting-edge 800-volt architecture shared with the Porsche Macan EV, which is built on the same platform as the new Q6 e-tron series. This technology enables a peak charging speed of 270kW, allowing for a 10-80% battery recharge in just 21 minutes at compatible DC fast chargers. Performance-wise, the Q6 e-tron is equipped with more efficient dual motors compared to Audi’s previous generation EVs, offering 387hp, a swift 0-60mph acceleration in 5 seconds, and an impressive range of up to 385 miles. The SQ6 e-tron boosts the performance even further, boasting up to 517hp with launch control activated, achieving a 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds, with a range of 372 miles.
Although details on pricing and availability remain to be announced, Audi anticipates starting production later this year, targeting a 2025 model year release. Given their promising range, high peak charging speed, robust performance, and the inclusion of Tesla Supercharger support in 2025, Audi’s new Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron models are shaping up to be highly attractive options for those in the market for a luxury electric SUV.
