Growing up, I always saw Audi’s cars, design language and overall vibe as the most modern, daring, and chic of any automaker in the U.S., but over recent years the brand seems to have lost its way a bit. One of Audi’s biggest distinguishing features nowadays are its OLED lights that can be programmed to display a different light signatures, but overall the things that once set the brand apart just don’t anymore. Now Audi is facing its biggest series of new model launches ever, as it plans to release 20 new or updated models by the end of 2025, and the Q6 E-Tron is the model kicking that off. So does it bode well for Audi’s new wave of new cars? Let’s discuss.
Full disclosure: Audi was generous enough to fly me up to California’s world-renowned wine country to give its new Q6 and SQ6 E-Tron models a first drive. The wonderful folks at Audi had me stay on a vineyard and fed me Michelin Star meals paired with locally grown wines, all while I got to take in the breathtaking scenery of California’s northern coast.
Let’s start with the styling of the Q6 and SQ6, a category that Audi once topped almost unanimously. As an all-electric take on Audi’s best-selling Q5, the brand appears to have leaned toward evolution rather than revolution, and why mess with something that already sells well? Having said that, at least in white like my test car, I fear the Q6 has usurped the Kia Soul as the new champion of the Car That Looks Most Like A Storm Trooper Helmet award. Aside from that similarity, the Q6 and SQ6 look fine, just not groundbreaking or distinctive like the Audis of yore. It’s still sharper looking than some of its competitors like the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Tesla Model Y, at least. Styling is subjective, though, so what do you think?
Audi’s latest design fixation are personalized digital lighting signatures. Top-trim Prestige models get the most adjustability in front daytime running light design choices, with no less than eight slightly different designs to choose from. Only the SQ8 Prestige trim is available with OLED tail lights that also get selectable lighting designs, though they are not independently selectable from the front light designs. Each different front light design is paired with a tail light design, annoyingly. This is a nifty feature, but not one that’s particularly compelling in my eyes.
All Q6 models, including the spicier SQ6, come with a 100-kWh battery pack with 94.4 kWh of usable capacity. The entry-level Audi Q6 E-Tron starts at $65,095 (including $1,295 destination) and makes do with rear-wheel drive, with a single motor producing 302 horsepower under normal use. Launch control bumps that figure up to 322 horsepower and allows for a 6.3-second 0-to-60-mph time. Upgrade to the Q6 E-Tron Quattro for just $2,000 and alongside adding dual-motor AWD, power output jumps up to 422 horsepower under normal use or 456 hp when launch control is active, which shoves it to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. For even more power and speed, the $71,605 SQ6 E-Tron is perched at the top of the model lineup, and it uses a dual-motor setup with 493 horsepower normally and 509 horses in launch mode, allowing for a 4.1-second 0-to-60 time. Audi did not provide any torque figures, nor did it provide any rear-wheel-drive Q6 E-Trons for us to sample on this trip.
Audi has not yet discussed plans for when it will release the Q6 with an NACS charging port or even offer an NACS adapter, so for now all Q6 owners will be limited to CCS chargers or Magic Dock Superchargers. The base Q6 E-Tron is EPA rated at 321 miles on a charge, though that’s only with the optional 18-inch wheels, while the Q6 E-Tron Quattros have 307 miles of range on the standard 19-inch wheels and the SQ6 has a maximum range of 275 miles. Those numbers are competitive, putting the Q6 just behind the Tesla Model Y, on par with the Cadillac Lyriq, and better than the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. The Q6 makes a case for itself with its impressive charging capacities too; Quattro models can charge at speeds up to 270 kW, which can juice it from 10 to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. Only got 10 minutes on a fast charger? No problem, the Q6 can add about 135 miles of range in 10 minutes. Pretty impressive.
Beyond the nerdy technical stuff, the Q6 E-Tron feels pretty much, as Audi positions it, like an electric Q5. It’s built on the Volkswagen Group’s PPE architecture that also underpins the new Porsche Macan EV, which I drove in Germany not long ago. Though Audi and Porsche are part of the same family, the two crossovers feel sufficiently different. The Q6 Quattro shares the Macan EV’s well-calibrated EV-isms, like impeccable brake blending, a thoughtfully tuned throttle pedal, and outstanding charging capabilities though we weren’t able to charge on our drive.
Unlike the Porsche, the Audi Q6 is capable of full one-pedal driving, with four total regen levels. Using the steering wheel paddles, drivers can toggle from no regen at all, to mild regen that feels like an ICE vehicle’s engine braking, to a moderate level that is a nice middle ground. To engage one-pedal drive you have to flick the shifter back again to engage “B” mode. In B mode, the regeneration is powerful and consistent but not abrupt, unrefined, or motion sickness-inducing, contributing to the overall feeling of powertrain refinement. The SQ6’s calibration felt equally well-sorted.
On the road the Q6 Quattro has more than enough power for any situation, feeling peppy even while lugging its 5,369-pound weight and two passengers up the scenic hills in wine country. The ride in my test Q6 Quattro Prestige was quite compliant and comfortable with its trim-standard adaptive air suspension, and that comfort doesn’t sacrifice cornering abilities, either. Honestly, the Q6 Quattro feels like the best choice in the lineup, since it balances good power and speed with the highest levels of comfort in the Q6 lineup, and costs just $2,000 more than the base car. Audi didn’t bring any Q6s without the adaptive air suspension that my testers were equipped with, so sadly I can’t speak to the ride quality in those models.
You don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything in the Q6, but if you really want more power, that’s what the SQ6 is for. It has a standard sport-tuned suspension that feels noticeably firmer than the Q6’s, even when in Comfort mode. The ride isn’t harsh in Comfort but it is quite busy, especially over uneven pavement. I have to say, the SQ6’s steering actually felt quite good. Audi talked about how the Q6’s steering module is mounted directly to the chassis with no bushings, but the SQ6’s steering provides a lot more directness, and it gives the driver a reasonable understanding of what’s happening with the front wheels. I was impressed — it might be the best Audi steering currently available. The SQ6 handles well, too, though not noticeably better than the regular Q6. That’s less of a dig at the SQ6 and more of a positive of the Q6. It doesn’t roll much, but the platform’s heft is felt when the front end starts to push wide.
As with the exterior, the new interior design is nice, but it’s relatively conventional looking and feeling, not particularly distinctive in the current market. It’s got a spacious front cabin with plenty of smart storage solutions, a powerful cooled wireless phone charger, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plenty of cargo space, and a rear seat that’s sufficient for average-sized folks, or above-average-sized folks if the front occupants are willing to scoot up a bit.
The Q6 is the first model to debut the brand’s new interior design language and its new curved MMI infotainment system. The focal point is Audi’s new curved panoramic OLED screen that integrates an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit gauge cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The center screen is quite drastically curved, so operating things from the passenger seat can be a bit challenging, but who cares about the passenger. Well, in the Q6’s top trims, the passenger gets their own 10.9-inch touchscreen called Audi Digital Stage that lets them do as they please without disturbing the driver. It’s basically the same system as the Porsche Macan EV, which was the first passenger screen I actually enjoyed. This is the second.
As someone familiar with the current Audi digital ecosystem, the new MMI interface is a slight improvement in usability for most things, though I actually miss the dedicated climate control screen. The rows of shortcut buttons on the left of the screen are occasionally obscured by the steering wheel, but they’re easy to reach and select while driving, and the “hey Audi” virtual assistant is surprisingly helpful. As with the Macan EV, the Q6 has an optional augmented reality head-up display that’s very bright, very high resolution, and does some nifty things with debatable benefit. Of course, the big news is the augmented reality navigation instructions that superimpose arrows in the driver’s line of sight to clarify directions. While cool, I don’t find the AR nav to be as much of a game-changer as others, but to each their own. The optional Bang & Olufsen sound system has headrest-mounted speakers that announce navigation directions exclusively through the driver’s headrest, which is kinda spooky, but also nice since it prevents music interruption for other passengers.
If you’re looking for a luxurious electric crossover, the Q6 is a solid, if a bit pricey option to consider in the crowded field. If you love Audi’s design language or its user interface and you want an electric crossover, then the Q6 E-Tron is a great choice for you if it’s in the budget. (As of now, federal incentives for EV leases are still in play, so I’d recommend taking that route if possible.) The Q6 E-Tron has great charging capabilities, handles confidently, and does everything well, but it’s just not particularly exciting or compelling. Having said that, it is a midsize crossover after all, so it’s not necessarily made to be exciting. It’s meant to be a luxurious runabout that can do family duties with aplomb, and the Q6 has fun tech too, which seems to top the list of modern luxury car buyers.
