First Drive: The Q6 e-tron pushes Audi into a more tech-focused era

What is it?

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Audi was one of the frontrunners in the mass-market electric vehicle segment. With its original e-tron, it showcased an ability to blend electric power with a premium look and feel, making a big impact in the process. With this car – the new Q6 e-tron – Audi is hoping to move the game forward thanks to a new platform and boatloads of equipment alongside plenty of range.

When the original e-tron hit the road it had a few competitors but, old and relatively outdated, these rivals aren’t as cutting-edge as they used to be. You could argue that it’s the Q6 e-tron’s game to lose – but we’ve been out to drive it to see if can deliver a winning experience.

What’s new?

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The new Q6 e-tron is based on a cutting-edge platform and it’s this which has allowed Audi to unlock a whole range of new features and technology. Called Premium Platform Electric – or PPE – it’s going to underpin a number of upcoming Audi models, like the new A6 e-tron, as well as other EVs from inside the wider Volkswagen Group such as the Porsche Macan.

This clever new architecture allows Audi to maximise interior space for the Q6 e-tron without making the exterior proportions overly large. As a result, you get a very similar level of interior space as the larger Q8 e-tron, but in a smaller vehicle overall.

What’s under the bonnet?

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As with pretty much every other electric vehicle on sale, you’ll be able to get the Q6 e-tron in a number of motor configurations. You’ll get the best possible range from rear-motor versions, while the all-wheel-drive quattro variants – like the one we’re driving today – add in more performance and the extra security of four driven wheels. All use a large 94.9kWh battery, though a cheaper Q6 e-tron model with a smaller 83kWh battery will also be along soon.

In this quattro guise, Audi claims a range of up to 388 miles while a top-whack charging speed of 270kW means that a 10 to 80 per cent charge could be conducted in 21 minutes. As with the Q8, there are charging ports handily located on both sides of the car so you’ll never be caught out when parking near a charger.

What’s it like to drive?

Travelling atop the silky-smooth roads of Norway, the Q6 e-tron proves comfortable, refined and easy to drive – so just as you’d want a premium SUV to feel. Visibility isn’t bad, either, and it’s refreshing to have a proper rear windscreen wiper, which is something omitted from so many electric SUVs of late – though we’ll wait for an upcoming coupe-inspired ‘Sportback’ version to disrupt this. This quattro model affords more than enough performance for most occasions, too, and there’s a lot of traction to tap into, even when you’re going around tighter, slippery corners.

It’s not a driving experience which is going to set the world alight and despite quite weighty steering, it isn’t what you’d call sporty. But there’s a generally good sense of balance to the Q6, and though it’s not featherweight at more than 2.3 tonnes, it’s actually lighter than some rivals.

How does it look?

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From front to back, the Q6 e-tron is instantly recognisable as an Audi model. The four rings take a prominent position at the front, while the intricate LED headlights set the technology-focused tone for the whole car. In fact, with Active Digital Light Signatures, they can be configured to show different patterns depending on the driver’s taste and individual elements can dim up or down depending on the situation.

The side panels – or ‘rockers’, as Audi call them – provide a nice break in design for the whole car, too. But it all does feel very in keeping with the rest of the Audi line-up, particularly the smaller Q4 e-tron.

What’s it like inside?

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Looking for a more analogue experience from your next car? You’re not likely to find it in the Q6 e-tron. The interior of the Q6 e-tron is dominated by technology, with the forward portion of the cabin framed entirely by displays with one for the driver, a central one for infotainment and an optional third screen for the passenger. It all blends together into one widescreen setup and though a little intimidating at first, it soon becomes the hub of the whole vehicle. Altogether, you’re getting over 37 inches of screen real estate.

However, the space is good overall. The rear-seat legroom is excellent, even when you’ve got taller riders sitting up front and there’s a decent level of headroom, too. A 525-litre boot is of a good size, too, and more than you’ll get in a petrol-powered Q5. Plus, you get the added bonus of a 64-litre ‘frunk’ which provides ideal storage for the charging cables. It’s particularly handy for when they get wet, too, and saves you from getting your luggage damp by dragging cables inside the main boot.

What’s the spec like?

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Prices for the Q6 e-tron will hover around the £63,000 mark for the single-motor ‘performance’ versions and rise to £68,975 for quattro variants. Costs should dip to around £59,000, too, with the arrival of the smaller-battery variant, The good news is that, regardless of trim, you’re getting that big-screen setup with all of its many functions. In truth, some of the menus are a little over-laden with features but there are ways to shortcut them and we can’t find fault in the responsiveness with icons being easy to touch and operate on the move. The head-up display is clean and incorporates some clever graphics for the navigation and speed limits, too.

At this price, the Q6 e-tron is looking very competitive – particularly when you take into account the ageing nature of its rivals. BMW’s iX3 has been around for some time and the Mercedes EQE can’t offer the same level of technology. Given its breadth of in-car features, the Q6 e-tron does make a very strong case for itself price-wise.

Verdict

The Audi Q6 e-tron delivers an attractive proposition. It gets some next-level technology, drives in a refined and controlled manner and has enough range to ensure that long-distance trips aren’t going to be out of the question. Rapid charge speeds and plenty of in-car space and practicality only add to things.

We mentioned that this was the Q6 e-tron’s game to lose. With what it has come equipped with, we’d say that the ball is in the court of Audi’s rivals.