Audi A6 reinvented as 350kW electric fastback
Audi has continued accelerating the pace of its electric vehicle roll-out, revealing the A6 e-Tron concept at the Shanghai auto show.
The car’s significance is raised because it is the first Audi based on the new Volkswagen Group PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture.
The forthcoming Porsche Macan battery electric vehicle is tipped to be based on the scalable PPE architecture as well. PPE supersedes the J1 platform which underpins the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-Tron GT.
Reportedly, the A6 e-Tron won’t be the first PPE-based Audi into production, with the yet-to-be-revealed Q6 e-Tron set to go on-sale sooner in late 2022.
Europe, China and the USA are unsurprisingly the priorities for the A6 e-Tron when it is released, but Audi Australia will likely have its hand up.
All battery electric Audis from low-riding A4-sized passenger cars up to high-riding A8-sized SUVs are set to migrate to PPE over time.
The A6 e-Tron reveal came only days after Audi released the production version of the Q4 e-Tron compact SUV family, which is based on the VW Group MEB architecture.
Tech details for the A6 e-Tron include a 100kWh battery pack, a 700km-plus WLTP range and a flagship dual-motor all-wheel set-up that provides up to 350kW/800nm and accelerates from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds.
Entry-level PPE models will a single e-motor still able to hit 100km/h in under seven seconds.
An 800-volt charging structure co-developed with Porsche means the A6 e-Tron can fast-charge at up to 270kW. That means more than 300km of range in 10 minutes. Recharging the battery from five to 80 per cent can be achieved in under 25 minutes.
Other tech features include air suspension allied with multi-links and four wheel steering.
Being a concept – but one that Audi says is 95 per cent production ready – the A6 e-Tron has designer flourishes like oversize (22-inch) allot wheels and super-slim Digital Matrix LED and digital OLED headlights.
The sleek fastback four-door body is made from aluminium and steel and has a stunning 0.22 aerodynamic coefficient of drag. It is inspired by the brand-defining Audi 100 of the 1980s that evolved into the A6.
Exterior measurements broadly align with the current day ICE-powered Audi A6 at 4.96 metres long, 1.96 metres wide and 1.44 metres high. The A6 e-Tron is expected sell alongside the orthodox A6, which is sold in Australia.
Audi did not reveal images or details of the A6 e-Tron’s five-seat interior.
