Official: Audi Q6 is Audi’s largest SUV

Audi has a completely new electric SUV in the development rooms for the European market, which will be called the Q6 E-tron. The Q6 E-tron will be the technical brother of the electric Macan that Porsche is working on and so both the Audi and the Porsche will be on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform. In China, Audi has now presented the Audi Q6, but that new SUV has nothing to do with the Q6 E-tron and Q6 E-tron Sportback. That’s right.

The Audi Q6 is a new SUV without an ‘E-tron’ designation, so the car will simply be available with combustion engines. So no electric powertrain for the E-tron-less Q6. The Audi Q6 that the Chinese partnership SAIC Audi will produce is 5.10 meters long and has a wheelbase of 2.98 meters. With a car length of well over 5 meters, the Q6 is the largest Audi that exists. Yes, so it is taller than the Q8 (4.97 metres) and even longer than the Q7 extending 5.05 metres. Despite its larger dimensions, the Audi Q6 is no higher on the status ladder than the Q7 and Q8. Where those two top SUVs are on the MLB Evo platform, which is also used by the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg and even Lamborghini Urus, the Q6 ‘just’ sits on the MQB Evo platform.

Audi Q6

You should therefore see the Audi Q6 roughly as the Volkswagen Atlas/Teramont, which is not available here, is up to the Touareg. The Teramont (called ‘Atlas’ in the United States) is also larger than the Volkswagen Touareg, but is also on the cheaper and simpler MQB basis. However, the Audi Q6 is not a Teramont or Talagon with Audi badges. The SUV has its own body and its own windows. The design of the lighting at the rear is somewhat reminiscent of that of the E-tron models. On the back we also see a striking illuminated Quattro logo at the top of the rear window. Mind you, the car in the photos is a richly decorated introductory version, so probably not all Q6s will get this element. The design of the front is also striking. We see optically connected headlights and a hood that fits closely to them. Don’t be surprised if the new Audi Q5 that Audi is developing will borrow some design details from this Q6.

Audi Q6

In China, the Audi Q6 will be available as a 40 TFSI and as a 45 and 50 TFSI. They all have Quattro four-wheel drive. The 40 TFSI has a 231 hp 2.5 four-cylinder engine. The 45 TFSI has a version of the same four-cylinder cranked up to 265 hp and the 50 TFSI has a 300 hp and 500 Nm powerful 2.5 VR6 six-cylinder engine. The latter machine is also available in the Teramont and Talagon and is only available in China. The starting price of the Q6 40 TFSI is converted around €72,500.

The Audi Q6 is not Audi’s first SUV specifically developed for the Chinese market. For example, AutoWeek was able to show you the Audi Q5 E-tron in November 2021. That electrically powered SUV is to the Q4 E-tron what the Volkswagen ID6, sold only in China, is to the ID4: a longer version with seven seats. Other behemoths of the Volkswagen Group in China not supplied here are cars such as the Volkswagen Talagon, the Volkswagen Viloran