The Q6 e-tron will be the little brother of the Q8 e-tron, but in many ways it is more advanced than its larger sibling – including with 800 volt architecture and what should be significantly lower consumption.
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Audi launched its Q6 e-tron on Monday, which will be the sister model to Porsche’s electric Macan on the so-called PPE platform the companies share; Premium Platform Electric.
The Q6 places itself, as the name suggests, between the current Q4 and Q8 e-tron in size.
At 4.77 meters in length, 1.97 meters in width and 1.65 meters in height, it is a couple of centimeters larger than the popular Tesla Model Y in all directions. In the BMW universe it roughly corresponds to an iX3 and in Mercedes roughly to an EQC.
619 kilometer range
The battery is 100 kilowatt hours gross and 94.9 kilowatt hours net, which should give a range of up to 625 kilometers according to WLTP. In Norway, however, this is reduced to 619 kilometers thanks to somewhat more standard equipment.
A model with a smaller battery of 83 kilowatt-hours gross is also planned, says Audi. Here you can probably expect a range of around 500 kilometres.
Audi’s original e-tron and its successor, the Q8 e-tron, aren’t exactly known for being the most energy-efficient electric cars out there, but Audi emphasizes that the powertrain on the Q6 should be 30 percent more efficient than the first generation.
Consumption is stated at between 17 and 19.4 kWh/100 km, while the equivalent for the Q8 e-tron is 19.5 – 25.2 kWh/100 km. (The consumption when we drove the Q8 e-tron Sportback in March last year was in the upper echelon of this, with between 24.4 and 25.8 kWh/100 km).
Android Automotive in the infotainment system and the option of a separate screen for the passenger – with privacy barrier for the driver.
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800-volt
The car uses an 800 volt system, like the sister model Macan, e-tron GT, Porsche Taycan, Hyundai Ioniq 5/6, Kia EV6/EV9 and Xpeng G9, among others. Among other things, it provides rapid charging with up to 270 kilowatts, which should provide 10-80 per cent in around 21 minutes under optimal conditions.
If you charge on a 400 volt charger, the battery can be split into two halves with each half of the voltage, so-called “bank charging”. It gives a maximum of 135 kilowatts.
The Q6 has had the charging port moved to the “Tesla location” at the rear of the driver’s side, unlike the Q8, which has it just in front of the driver’s door. Here SQ6.
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A new type of thermal plate integrated in the battery housing should also provide more even and better tempering of the battery before lightning charging, and like the Q8, the Q6 will have a “double” charging port.
A combined CCS and Type 2 port sits at the rear on the driver’s side, while there is a further Type 2 port on the opposite side. The on-board charger is 11 kW, but 22 kW is planned “over the life of the car”, according to Audi.
Regeneration should be able to cover 95 per cent of all braking processes, they state. Max regeneration is a solid 220 kW.
OLED panels in the rear lights allow you to display alerts to the car behind.
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Own S version
The Q6 e-tron will come in two versions, both with identical battery and four-wheel drive, but different engine powers.
- Audi Q6 e-tron quattro: 285 kW (387 horsepower) and 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. Top speed 210 km/h.
- Audi SQ6 e-tron: 380 kW (516 horsepower) in launch control mode. 0-100 in 4.3 seconds. This has a range of up to 598 km and a top speed of 230 km/h.
Both versions have a rear axle-dominated torque distribution, and the tires are also wider at the rear. Active air damping is also available as an option, and the S model also has a sportier (read: firmer) damping, says Audi.
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The luggage compartment measures 526 litres, which grows to 1529 liters if you fold down the rear seats. In addition, you get a frunk of 64 litres. The Q6 is also distinguished by being able to tow a full 2,400 kg with a trailer, which is in the very top tier among electric cars – just behind the BMW iX at 2,500 kg. The car itself weighs 2,350 kg without a driver, but we have not yet been informed of the payload.
Otherwise, the Q6 e-tron comes with small OLED screens at the back, consisting of 60 “pixels” that can be used to show warning symbols to the cars behind you on the road.
At the front, it is the matrix LED that applies, which is therefore capable of dynamically “masking out” the high beam exactly where it is necessary so as not to dazzle oncoming traffic.
This is what the trunk looks like. We first saw it at the motor show in Munich last autumn, when Audi presented the interior.
KameraStein Jarle Olsen / Tek.no
Android Automotive
Inside, you will find a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, in addition to an 11.9-inch instrument panel. As an option, you can also get a separate screen for the front seat passenger, which comes with a covering that prevents the driver from seeing – which in turn means that the screen can be used to show video while driving.
Optional is also a head-up display that is able to show information as if it were laid out on the road in front of you at a distance of up to 200 metres.
The infotainment system is based on Android Automotive, as in, for example, Volvo, Polestar and Renault’s newer electric cars, but both Android Auto and Apple Carplay are supported.
We experienced the back seat as spacious when we first saw it in Munich – including the height. Audi has also made clever cutouts for the knees, which make it a little more spacious if you are long-legged.
KameraStein Jarle Olsen / Tek.no
From just over NOK 750,000
Audi importer Harald A. Møller is also ready with Norwegian prices for the Q6. NOK 759,900 is the starting price, for what should be a fairly well-equipped package.
Of the competitors, for example, the Xpeng G9 costs NOK 639,900 with four-wheel drive, the BMW iX3 costs from approximately NOK 671,000, but it is admittedly only available with rear-wheel drive. A Tesla Model Y Long Range with four-wheel drive currently costs from approximately NOK 536,000.
If you want to upgrade to the SQ6, the starting price is NOK 949,900, and sales should start at the end of March. The first cars will be delivered during the summer.
The Q6 is produced at Audi’s factory in Ingolstadt, Germany, where the headquarters are also located.