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Audi’s newest EV, the 2025 Q6 E-Tron SUV and its extra highly effective sibling the SQ6, will sit smack in the midst of Audi’s electrical SUV lineup, nestled between the Q8 E-Tron and the petite This fall E-Tron. The precise sale date of the automotive isn’t till the tip of the 12 months, and I used to be solely allowed to instrument round in prototypes on a car parking zone take a look at observe. Whereas this limits our means to evaluation the car forward of its premiere, it does imply the Q6 has extra time to cook dinner. That’s positively a plus, contemplating that Audi calls the Q6 its most digital automotive but. It additionally rides on a brand-new platform, and our issues with the This fall E-Tron had been primarily with the unfinished really feel of the digital expertise and the tough dealing with of the automotive itself.
Full disclosure: Audi flew me out to Munich to try the Q6 E-Tron in its heart in Munich. They put me up at a pleasant lodge and fed me pretty usually.
Whereas the This fall is constructed on the MEB platform developed primarily for Volkswagen’s ID collection, the Q6 sits on the brand new Audi–Porsche collectively developed PPE structure (Premium Platform Electrical), which made its debut with the brand-new Porsche Macan EV. I believe that is implausible stable floor to construct a really satisfying electrical crossover. Whereas which may give any purchaser pause — leaping into an unproven electrical platform toes first isn’t for the faint of coronary heart — the brief time I spent within the Q6 nonetheless clearly indicated this platform delivers the Audi really feel and efficiency we’ve been hoping for.
That efficiency of the Q6 E-Tron contains 422 horsepower, with 456 hp delivered when utilizing launch management, which is able to ship your Q6 from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated sub-five seconds and to a high pace of 130 miles per hour with the accelerator all the way down to the ground — greater than sufficient for any mid-size SUV. The SQ6 will pump out 483 hp whereas driving and a staggering 510 hp throughout launch management, with a 4.2-second 0-to-60 time and a 143-mph high pace.
Europeans are getting a smaller battery choice that received’t come to our shores. Vary-hungry People would doubtless go on a 80-kWh battery pack anyway. The Land of the Free is getting the 100-kWh, 800-volt lithium-ion battery pack solely. The European officers determine it’s good for nearly 380 miles of vary on the extra optimistic WLTP, however within the U.S., that determine has but to be nailed down. All the corporate may inform us was the Q6 can be good for “over 300 miles,” so we’ll want to attend for the Environmental Safety Company to settle up with Audi at a later date. The batteries are made up of 12 lithium-ion cells that may be changed individually when one fails, including once more to the longevity of the battery; simply considered one of many developments that ups the sturdiness of this EV.
Audi says house owners can cost at 250 kW as much as 40 p.c capability due to superior battery cooling techniques, and it’ll nonetheless be charging 150 kW as much as 80 p.c. The Q6 can get to 80 p.c cost in simply 21 minutes, and after solely 10 minutes of being plugged in, the Q6 can acquire 158 miles of vary. At 80 p.c, you’ll have at the very least just a few hundred miles of journey in your car.
Utilizing Audi’s infotainment system to navigate to the closest charger, the automotive can put together the battery for optimum charging temperatures. This cooling and heating system additionally extends the lifetime of the 800-volt battery and preserves as a lot mileage as potential, although excessive chilly and warmth can nonetheless mess with the vary (can’t blame Audi for physics). The primary-gen Q6 E-Tron will include the CCS plug, which is a little bit of a ache for American drivers, however Audi is popping out with a North American Charging Normal (NACS) adapter for early prospects, and later fashions might be offered with the NACS port. The Q6 comes with charging ports on each side of the car, which is fairly dang helpful for folk who’ve put in a quick charger in their very own storage.
Then there’s the regenerative braking, which picks up additional cost from any type of braking, even when no regen braking is engaged. The braking system within the Q6 permits for probably the greatest one-pedal driving experiences I’ve had shortly. Once more, my time within the Q6 was restricted to a prototype in a car parking zone, however taking my foot off the accelerator led to a really pure feeling of coming from 50 mph to a useless cease, with not one of the sudden jerks of earlier techniques I’ve tried each from Audi and different manufacturers.
And the technological enhancements don’t cease there. Standardization of components within the entrance and rear axles means much less complexity and a better development, resulting in diminished prices. The entrance axle has three totally different variants, whereas the again has two. The rear axle comes with a completely excited asynchronous motor and direct rotor core cooling, which permits Audi to almost abandon heavy uncommon earth metals within the magnets – one other cost-cutting measure that provides to the Q6’s inexperienced bona fides whereas shedding not one of the automotive’s effectivity. The rear axle generates 280 kW whereas the entrance hits 140 kW. The rear motor will primarily propel the Q6, however the entrance motor will be engaged for a very Quattro expertise.
One of many coolest options are the bitchin’ multipixel OLED array lights which, after all, we right here within the USA usually are not going to have the ability to totally take pleasure in. That’s frankly too dangerous, as a result of the transferring lights create a way of depth and dimension that’s really distinctive. Present tips from the Nationwide Site visitors Security Administration and the Society for Automotive Engineers dictates that our lights be continuously burning somewhat than sparkle or create a transferring impact just like the Q6’s can.
There’s hope, nevertheless — it will solely take a fast over-the-air replace to permit our Q6s to be as cool as their European cousins ought to laws change. Hopefully laws do change, as a result of the eight gentle signatures Audi programmed into the car are at their coolest once they can twinkle like a fire, or create a way of motion. For now nevertheless, People will see lights that burn persistently, however they do create very attention-grabbing 3D photos utilizing 360 triangle-shaped OLED segments.
Audi is clearly enchanted with its pretty new lights, correctly. The sharpest traces on the Q6 strike out from the wraparound headlamps and taillights, drawing the attention instantly to those implausible transferring components. The eight totally different gentle signatures will be utilized to totally different driver profiles or set if you get into the car, and the lights can morph and alter to point the driving force is leaving or coming dwelling. Audi additionally features a triangle form to point warning because the car backs up, as the driving force enters and exits the car or usually activates their hazard lights. The outside design additionally highlights the brand new extra superior battery pack. Actually, Audi has lots to point out off with the Q6.
The cockpit can be downright beautiful with a 14.5-inch wrap-around MMI display for the driving force, plus an 11.6-incher and a smaller 10.9-inch display for the passenger. This display is each extra elegant and safer than a center-mounted iPad-looking touchscreen. All the driver’s info is correct there in entrance of them, an more and more novel strategy. There’s additionally a head-up show, however I didn’t actually get to place it by means of its paces within the prototype automotive. The HUD was an issue within the This fall, so it’s nice to see a very elegant, protected and wise strategy within the Q6.
That passenger display is angled so solely the passenger can see it, and it’s good for taking part in video games or watching motion pictures. Sound for such actions will come from the automotive’s audio system, and it’ll be mechanically quieted for issues like driving directions, security alerts, telephone calls or the voice-activated assistant, which will be engaged by the driving force saying “Hey Audi.” The voice assistant can management 800 capabilities by means of over 100 potential instructions, with some so simple as saying “hey Audi, my arms are chilly,” to begin steering wheel heater.
Inside, People get leather-based seats solely, which is a disgrace as the fabric seats look nice, however once more: People. A number of consideration was paid to discovering locations to place recycled supplies, such because the headliner and flooring mats. The again seat is restricted on area and enjoyable stuff, however that’s the place you may stick your noisy children or associates you don’t like very a lot. The Q6 comes with a 18.6-cubic-foot cargo space and a 0.17-cubic-foot frunk. Coloration choices are, effectively, numerous black, white, and grey, plus a crimson and a blue that appears like grey. After all, SQ6 house owners get particular styling for his or her barely extra highly effective efficiency mannequin, together with an S sketched up and down the car and sure particular lighting animations particular to the SQ6.
Driving the Q6 was nonetheless a delight, even when I used to be solely handled to a short while in a prototype. It wouldn’t actually be honest to name this a evaluation of the driving dynamics as a result of brief time spent within the automotive, however the dealing with and regenerative braking had been such an apparent enchancment over the This fall that it’s value noting. The know-how inside and the quantity of knowledge on the curved sprint was initially overwhelming, particularly as Audi phases out much more buttons and knobs for its “most digital Audi but,” however I’m positive that house owners will develop to grasp their car’s readouts rapidly. The complete factor is run on Android, although not Google Auto, as Audi makes an attempt to maintain as a lot growth in-house as potential. Apple Music isn’t obtainable but, however Spotify and Amazon Music are.
Whereas there are just a few bumps within the street, akin to the dearth of NACS charging till the following technology, the Q6 E-Tron is a big leap for Audi each when it comes to know-how and driving dynamics, even in comparison with simply two years in the past after I first drove the This fall. It looks like a superb step towards fixing some key points that middle-of-the-road adopters have with EVs. The Q6 addresses charging time, vary nervousness and EVs’ not-undeserved popularity of pretending to be greener than they really are; the Q6 does all of this and appears wonderful within the course of.
