2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron First Look: Elevated EV Game
There is a lot riding on the first Audi from the new premium electric vehicle platform.
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron is more than an electric midsize luxury SUV. It represents the future of Audi and of the larger Volkswagen Group both mechanically and spiritually. Audi has not been living up to its potential in recent years, and the Q6 embodies a renewed commitment to the brand's long-time mantra of "Vorsprung durch Technik," which is a rallying call for progress and leadership through technology.
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Getting here wasn't easy, and the Q6 E-Tron series had a challenging birth. The five-passenger Q6 E-Tron and the higher-performance SQ6 variant will be the first vehicles to market on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), a scalable architecture for EVs with sophisticated software to make future vehicles (even) more digital and easier to update and upgrade. It also means for now, the Audi Q8, GT, and Q4 E-Tron models all utilize different platforms.
While Audi took the lead on the development of PPE, working with Porsche, it relied on Cariad, Volkswagen's software division, for the electronic architecture known as E3 1.2, a key enabler. And it has not been a smooth ride—developing your own software is hard, as multiple automakers have discovered. That's why we waited longer to see the Q6 E-Tron. And other vehicles have also waited to launch on PPE, including the 2024 Porsche Macan EV .
Audi says the vehicle is a go, and Cariad officials say the software is customer ready. With the Q6 E-Tron global reveal today, order books will open in Europe for deliveries this summer. In North America, orders for the Q6 E-Tron Quattro and SQ6 E-Tron will likely be taken in the fall for delivery in December.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Family Rollout
The all-wheel-drive models launch first, with an entry-level rear-drive version to follow later in the model year for American customers. Europeans will get two rear-drive options with an extra version focused on efficiency. All U.S. models will have the larger-100 kW battery, while Europeans can opt for a smaller 83-kW battery. Still to come: a Sportback (with a faster roofline) and finally the high-performance RS with an unspecified timing.
Hallmarks include in-house power systems and 800-volt technology for faster charging, as well as a new digital cockpit with a sea of screens.
Good Looks in a Crowded Field
The Q6 is a midsize SUV with a long wheelbase, short overhangs, deep sculpted sides, and the signature "Quattro blisters," which are sharp creases on all four corners, a nod to Audi's rally-car roots. There are also high-positioned wraparound digital daytime running lights and a closed mask in place of a grille on the upright face. In back are wraparound taillights and a continuous light strip. And yes, there is a rear wiper. The black insert on the sides say, "This is the battery."
Rear tires are wider than those at the front. Wheel sizes range from 19 to 21 inches in diameter in the U.S.; Europe adds a smaller 18-inch option.
Among the physical changes: A partially redesigned front axle and the control arms are in front of the suspension arms, which helps package the battery. The steering rack is now fixed to a subframe and, with the new front axle, is engineered to improve steering.
Audi's New Digital Interior
The interior is dominated by the Audi MMI second-generation curved OLED panoramic display and Audi's first passenger-side dash display. There is an 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit in front of the driver and a 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen. The additional 10.9-inch passenger screen has a privacy mode, so movie-watching does not distract the driver. There is a physical volume button, but everything else is by touch; Audi reduced the number of haptic knobs.
The 14.5-inch augmented reality head-up display is optional, reflecting information such as speed, traffic signs, and navigation symbols that appear to be floating about 30 feet ahead on the road.
The fully networked digital interior in the Q6 E-Tron family is based on the new E3 1.2 architecture, which makes it possible to offer more and larger screens with higher resolution and introduce a standardized infotainment platform based on the Android Automotive operating system for the first time, but it does not offer Google services because the vehicle uses Audi assistant. It is also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
"Hey Audi" activates the voice assistant for 100 natural voice commands such as "my feet are cold" to control 800 vehicle functions. An avatar of sorts—four moving bars—appears on the center touchscreen and on the HUD. With the help of AI, the voice assistant learns the driver's behavior and can offer support accordingly. Much of the information on the screens is customizable. About 70 apps are available, with more to come in the app store.
The E3 1.2 electronic architecture can be updated and upgraded. It consists of five connected domain computers to cover all vehicle functions for driving, including infotainment, safety, and comfort. It allows many functions to be transferred from the sensor-actuator level to the computer level, decoupling hardware and software and making it possible to eliminate some of the hardware. It is scalable for use across the VW Group.
Benchmark Interior?
Audi was once the benchmark for luxury car interiors, and it's working to regain that status. The Q6's cabin features a soft wrap and sustainable materials. For the U.S., there is a mix of real and artificial leather, while Europe gets cloth seats and cool industrial textured fabrics. There is a metallic mesh that will eventually make its way stateside. Seats come in Normal, Sport, and Sport Seat Plus. There is an attractive steering wheel that is flat on the top and bottom.
For music, tune in to the 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, with four of the speakers integrated into the front seat headrests. You can coordinate the ambient lighting to the audio and the animated light bar running across the dash, which indicates if the vehicle is locked, hazard lights are on, state of charge, and if the vehicle is ready to go.
Up front there are easily accessible USB ports above an open bin with an angled wireless phone charger and ashtray—this is a global vehicle, after all. Rear seats have ample legroom, two USB ports, HVAC controls, pulldown center cupholders, and cargo nets.
The rear cargo area trunk has 30.2 cubic feet of space, and folding the rear seats flat bumps storage area to just over 60 cubic feet. There is another 2.3 cubes of storage in the surprisingly deep frunk.
Matrix Lighting for Most
Audi says it has the world's first active digital light signature with its matrix lights debuting on the Q6 E-Tron. Controlled by one of the five computers on board, the six panels in the rear OLED lights have 360 segments—little squares—that change their pattern every 10 milliseconds. Up front, there are 12 segments that display patterns. There is also a "communication" light with triangle warning symbols in the taillight to warn other motorists of an accident or car breakdown ahead.
That is the good news. The bad news: Every country except the U.S. allows lighting that changes while the vehicle moves. It means American drivers can still choose one of eight patterns of squares for the headlights and taillights, but that design is frozen in place. The only dynamics are the animated hello and goodbye dances when the vehicle is still parked. No warning triangles for us, either.
The hardware for the changing lights is all there, so if—or when—NHTSA approves it, it can be turned on easily via an over-the-air update. In the interim, cross into Canada to see them working properly.
Quick First Drive of the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron
While in Munich we got a brief stint behind the wheel on a closed course in the parking lot. Hey, it's something! The takeaways are that this is a powerful but refined EV with the promise of some excellent dynamics; we experienced the Q6 on a short, slalom-style course. When the tail started to come out, the stability control was quick to correct. The steering is nicely responsive.
Acceleration is instant but not harsh. Launch control adds 40 horsepower. There are no buttons to push; just press down on both pedals and release the brake for a shot of straight-line adrenaline.
We're surprised at how smooth the blended braking is in almost every mode and level of regeneration. You cannot tell if the SUV is braking electronically or mechanically. Even one-pedal mode is smooth and brings the vehicle to a complete stop when in B drive mode. Initial braking comes from the rear axle electronically to recuperate the energy—Audi says about 95 percent of everyday braking can be recuperated. If more is needed, the front axle is activated electronically. Need even more? Mechanical braking from the front and for a panic or ABS stop, the final addition is mechanical braking from the rear axle. It is all blended to make it imperceptible to the driver.
The Quattro has a steel suspension and optional air suspension, which is standard on the SQ6. Our drive on smooth pavement was not sufficient to gauge them. The SUV has an extremely quiet cabin, courtesy of all the acoustic materials in the drive system and cabin.
Power for the Q6 E-Tron
Power is 422 horsepower in the Q6—or 456 horsepower with launch mode. It is 483 horses in the SQ6 or 510 ponies with launch mode. Both can tow 4,400 pounds.
There is an induction motor on the front axle—with no magnets it is less costly and good for 188 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque.
The rear axle has a permanent-magnet motor exclusive to the Q6 E-Tron, producing 375 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. The different front and rear motors results in rear-biased torque distribution.
The dry-sump lubrication derived from motorsports adds about 3.1 miles of range. Compared with the first-generation E-Trons, the rear axle's drive unit offers 62 percent higher power density, 66 percent more torque, and 50 percent less energy consumption, and it costs 15 percent less.
Battery and Range
The new lithium-ion battery is smaller, lighter, and higher density with a chemistry that has more nickel and less cobalt and manganese. The 1,266-pound battery consists of 12 modules with 180 large prismatic cells from CATL for total capacity of 100 kWh, 94.4 kWh of which is usable—enough to give the SUV a range of more than 300 miles. Europe will add an 83-kWh, 10-module battery with 150 cells later. For comparison, the Q8 E-Tron has 36 modules and 432 cells.
With its 800-volt technology and maximum charging capacity of 270 kW, the Q6 E-Tron can boost charge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes or add 158 miles in 10 minutes at a fast charger, Audi says. The thermal management system heats and cools the batteries as needed, using the new electrical architecture to gather data so the vehicle is pre-conditioned when you reach a charger. The battery is kept at the optimal temperature even when the vehicle is not moving to extend its service life.
Fast 800- or 400-Volt Charging
If only 400-volt charging is available, a mechanical switch divides the battery in two, brings them to equal voltage, and then charges both halves in parallel, up to 135 kW.
The onboard charger can handle 9.6 kW of Level 2 charging for those with a 40-amp circuit. The vehicles have charge ports on both sides: AC and DC on the driver side, AC only on the passenger side. The Q6 launches with the CCS (Combined Charging System), but adapters will be available at a later date to use Tesla's NACS (North American Charging Standard). It won't be available in the first model year.
There are more than 30 driver assist and safety technologies, including highway hands-free driver assist, but no ability to automatically change lanes yet, and although Audi is working on Level 3 autonomy, it is still a ways off.
Making the New Audi Q6 E-Tron
The Q6 E-Tron, which begins production this summer, becomes the first high-volume BEV made in Ingolstadt in a plant retooled to add the SUV as well as the new A6 E-Tron next year.
Audi added a battery plant to its headquarters complex to make batteries for PPE models. The target is 1,050 batteries a day on three shifts, more than enough for global production of the Q6 and A6 E-Tron families.
For China, a plant will begin local production of the Q6 E-Tron at the end of the year.
Audi is using its plant in Gyor, Hungary, to make drive systems, including the electric motor, power electronics, and transmission. Three new lines were installed to support PPE for Audi and Porsche models, making everything from the stators to assembling the axles. It is all designed to be scalable. The new motors require 30 percent less space and weigh 20 percent less than ones in the original E-Trons. They are quieter and more efficient with direct cooling to maintain an ideal temperature range for a power-to-weight ratio that is 60 percent higher.
How Much Will the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Cost?
Pricing will likely be announced in July. The Q6 will slot between the $50,000 Q4 E-Tron and the $73,700 Q8 E-Tron. It will compete against the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQB, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Jaguar I-Pace.
Audi is being pushed to realize its potential, and the Q6 E-Tron is the canary in the technology coal mine. Vehicles on the new PPE platform represent the first important step to reclaiming leadership. The call for Vorsprung durch Technik is ringing loudly internally. All eyes will be on the Q6 E-Tron to see if the bugs have been worked out and the luxury brand can resume its prominence.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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