New 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback with 656km of range to battle Porsche Macan EV, Mercedes EQE SUV and BMW iX

The all-new 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron is set to get even more stylish following the arrival of the new Sportback at this week’s Paris Motor Show, which blends an irresistible combination of sportier SUV-coupe looks with enhanced range.

Locked-in for an Aussie arrival in the first half of 2025, the best of the bunch for range is the new Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron Performance that, thanks to its low-drag body and large 100kWh battery, can cover an admirable 656km on a single change – 15km more than the wagon.

Boosting efficiency are the rakish rear looks that see the Q6 e-tron Sportback sit 37mm lower for an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.26Cd, compared to the wagon’s 0.28Cd.

READ MORE: https://evcentral.com.au/a-porsche-but-cheaper-why-2025-audi-q6-e-tron-is-one-of-the-most-important-evs-we-have-ever-launched/

Of course, those sleek new lines have brought some compromises – but they’re not as bad as you think as the Audi SUV-coupe still manages to offer large 511 litre boot – which is only 15L less than the wagon – and there’s still a 64 litre frunk.

Drop those rear seats down and total boot space is a generous 1373 litres, although that’s 156L less than the more practical, but boring, wagon.

From launch, Audi says the Sportback version will be offered with all Q6 e-tron models, including the new base model that uses a smaller 83kWh battery.

Like the standard wagon, the new Q6 e-tron Sportback is based on the Audi-Porsche developed Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture.

There are four different e-motor combinations available.

The base small battery gets a 185kW e-motor for a 0-100km/h dash of 7.0 seconds (with launch control.)

The longest-range Q6 e-tron Performance combines a 100kWh with a punchier 225kW e-motor, which sees it take 6.6 second for the 0-100km/h sprint.

Finally, there are two dual-motor, all-wheel-drive versions.

The Audi Q6 e-tron quattro, that packs 285kW and provides for a 5.9sec 0-100kmh time, plus the fastest 360kW SQ6 Sportback that launches from 0-100km/h in just 4.3 seconds before topping out at 230km/h – 20km/h faster than all the other variants.

The Q6 e-tron is capable of DC fast-charging at up to 270kW, thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture, although the base model with the 83kWh battery can only handle a 225kW top-up.

Find a 350kW charger and Audi says a 10-80 per cent top-up takes as little as 22 minutes, with 260km of range added in 10 minutes.

Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron
Big screens ahoy in the new Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron

Like the wagon, the new SUV-coupe gets a free-standing panoramic display that blends an11.9-inch virtual cockpit and 14.5-inch infotainment.

There’s also a 10.9-inch MMI front passenger display with privacy mode, self-learning voice assist, 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and recycled materials used throughout the build.

On sale in Germany now from €65,900 for the base rear-drive Q6 e-tron Sportback with the smallest 83kWh, pricing and full specification for the Q6 e-tron range (wagon and Sportback) will be announced later with the mid-size Audi SUV heading to Australian dealerships in the first half of 2025.

Stephen Corby

Stephen is a former editor of both Wheels and Top Gear Australia magazines and has been writing about cars since Henry Ford was a boy. Initially an EV sceptic, he has performed a 180-degree handbrake turn and is now a keen advocate for electrification and may even buy a Porsche Taycan one day, if he wins the lottery. Twice.