Audi Q6 e-tron – Blik to the Future

The combustion engine is on its last legs at Audi. From 2026, the brand with the four rings will only introduce new electric models and 2033 will be the year in which the combustion engine finally retires. That means Ingolstadt is busy preparing the electric offensive for combat. By 2025, Audi’s delivery range should include twenty EVs. Audi currently has the E-tron, E-tron GT and Q4 e-tron in its range. The brand also supplies Sportback versions with a sloping roofline of the E-tron and the Q4 e-tron.

After these models, the Q6 e-tron is the next step. In terms of design, the Q6 e-tron is clearly the bigger brother of the Q4 e-tron. At the front we see split LED headlights in two parts and a closed grille surrounded by a black ‘mask’. An LED strip running over the entire width provides lighting at the rear.

The fact that the Q6 e-tron is longer than the Q4 e-tron is apparent, among other things, from the extra side window in the rear door. The exact size of the electric SUV is not yet known, but expect that the Q6 e-tron will be between the Q5 and Q7 in terms of size – as the number suggests. Audi thus follows the same strategy as with the Q4 e-tron, which is again positioned between the Q3 and Q5.

No top model

The Q6 e-tron will not be the new top model of the electric series. That honor is reserved for the E-tron, which is expected to get a facelift next year. The Q8 e-tron will also follow at a later stage, which will be at the top of the electric SUV series. Why isn’t it called a Q5 e-tron? For the simple reason that Audi has named an electric SUV specifically developed for the Chinese market. In fact, that’s Audi’s version of the Volkswagen ID.6, the longer ID.4 you can’t buy here either. Are we still there?

Audi Q6 e-tron (Illustration: Larson)

The interior of the Q6 e-tron is still a secret, but count on a design that you can compare with the interior of its smaller brother. In that case, the newcomer gets a tidy interior for Audi standards with digital instruments and a large MMI touchscreen in the middle. Below that is probably a row of physical buttons for controlling the climate control. It is not yet known whether the Q6 e-tron will also be marketed as a seven-seater, given the positioning of the model, that is not inconceivable.

The biggest news that the Q6 e-tron brings is not immediately visible. The Q6 e-tron is built on the new PPE platform. It is the first Audi on this basis, which is called ‘Premium Platform Electric’ in full. Audi developed the platform in collaboration with Porsche for the larger and higher-positioned models than those on an MEB basis. The platform is suitable for low cars and SUVs. In addition, several drive configurations are possible with one or two electric motors.

Up to 270 kW

The PPE-based models can handle 800-volt charging structures, meaning charging speeds of up to 270 kW are possible. This allows you to charge 300 kilometers of range in about 10 minutes. The Audi A6 e-tron Concept gives a nice indication of what we can expect from the Q6 e-tron on a technical level. The concept car is equipped with two electric motors that together deliver 476 hp and 800 Nm of torque. A battery pack of 100 kWh provides the power. This should allow a range of 700 kilometers. The driving range of the Q6 e-tron may be slightly lower due to its stature. Also count on the arrival of less violent powertrains. That there is always room for more excessive EV violence, Audi will undoubtedly prove later with a spectacular RS version.

After the Q6 e-tron, the A6 e-tron will in any case follow on the same basis and the Q8 e-tron to be released in the future will also be placed on the PPE platform. Sister brand Porsche is using the platform for the electric Macan for the first time, which will appear in 2023. Audi already has a few things in store for after PPE, because under the name ‘Artemis’ the brand is already working on a completely new architecture for top-class EVs. The debut of the Q6 e-tron is planned for the end of 2022.