A Porsche, but cheaper? Why 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron is “one of the most important EVs we have ever launched”
Audi is describing its all-electric Q6 e-tron SUV – a twin under the skin with the electric Porsche Macan EV – as “one of the most important Audis we have ever launched, and the start of something really new for us”, as well as promising that it will have “class-leading range”; well in excess of 650km off a charge.
Set to arrive in Australia in the first half of 2025, the Audi Q6 will be offered in various variants including a Performance RWD (rear-wheel drive, not traditionally an Audi feature), a Quattro all-wheel drive and the more potent, and Porsche-like, SQ5.
While the Audi Q6 e-tron will share the same PPE architecture that the Porsche Macan EV is built on, it will also get that car’s selective damping system, delivering improved ride quality.
Inside, you can expect a lot of screens, including a Panoramic OLED display, and the ability for your front-seat passenger to ignore you entirely.
All Q6 e-trons will feature the front passenger touch screen display; a 10.9 inch touch screen that will allow your copilot to select destinations via the satellite navigation and share them with the driver’s screens, choose media or even watch YouTube videos.
The screen is designed with clever technology that means it will be clearly visible to the passenger but not to the driver.
The Q6 e-tron will also have new matrix LED headlights, with multiple light signature so drivers can customise the look of their own daytime running lights. Charging will also get faster, with the new vehicle using an 800-volt architecture that will enable it to be charged from 5 to 80 per cent in as little as 22 minutes.
Another new weight-saving measure is the PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) roof, which replaces a traditional sunroof. This glass roof can change its chemical make-up to adjust the amount of light coming through.
The Q6 e-tron will also be joined next year by the long-awaited Q4 e-tron – which was due to arrive in mid-2024, but has been pushed back, according to Audi, so that Australians will have access to the latest and greatest version – as well as an updated version of the sporty e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT (the range-topping Performance version of which will have a staggering 680kW, 1027Nm of torque and a claimed zero to 100km/h time of 2.5 seconds, making it far and away the fastest road-going Audi ever).
Audi’s Matthew Dale admits there are “a lot of pure electric vehicles arriving in Audi showrooms over the next 12 to 18 months” but says he’s not concerned about reports of a cooling market for EVs down under.
“Do we consider the market, absolutely, but if you look at where the market for EVs is now, it’s at 11.6 per cent, year to date, so it is slowing, but it’s certainly not going backwards,” Dale said.
“For the first time, we’re going to have a BEV in our mid-sized SUV offering, we’re going to have a full breadth of products, and it’s all about offering our customers that choice.”
Expect full pricing and specification details closer to the vehicle’s launch in 2025.
