Audi’s newest EV, the 2025 Q6 E-Tron SUV and its extra highly effective sibling the SQ6, will sit smack in the midst of Audi’s electrical SUV lineup, nestled between the Q8 E-Tron and the petite This autumn E-Tron. The precise sale date of the automobile isn’t till the tip of the 12 months, and I used to be solely allowed to software round in prototypes on a parking zone check observe. While this limits our capability to overview the automobile forward of its premiere, it does imply the Q6 has extra time to prepare dinner. That’s undoubtedly a plus, contemplating that Audi calls the Q6 its most digital automobile but. It additionally rides on a brand-new platform, and our issues with the This autumn E-Tron have been primarily with the unfinished really feel of the digital expertise and the tough dealing with of the automobile itself.
Full disclosure: Audi flew me out to Munich to check out the Q6 E-Tron in its middle in Munich. They put me up at a pleasant lodge and fed me pretty recurrently.
While the This autumn is constructed on the MEB platform developed primarily for Volkswagen’s ID sequence, the Q6 sits on the brand new Audi–Porsche collectively developed PPE structure (Premium Platform Electric), which made its debut with the brand-new Porsche Macan EV. I believe that is improbable stable floor to construct a really pleasing electrical crossover. While that may give any purchaser pause — leaping into an unproven electrical platform toes first isn’t for the faint of coronary heart — the quick time I spent within the Q6 nonetheless clearly indicated this platform delivers the Audi really feel and efficiency we’ve been hoping for.
That efficiency of the Q6 E-Tron contains 422 horsepower, with 456 hp delivered when utilizing launch management, which is able to ship your Q6 from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated sub-five seconds and to a prime pace of 130 miles per hour with the accelerator all the way down to the ground — greater than sufficient for any mid-size SUV. The SQ6 will pump out 483 hp whereas driving and a staggering 510 hp throughout launch management, with a 4.2-second 0-to-60 time and a 143-mph prime pace.
Europeans are getting a smaller battery choice that received’t come to our shores. Range-hungry Americans would doubtless move on a 80-kWh battery pack anyway. The Land of the Free is getting the 100-kWh, 800-volt lithium-ion battery pack solely. The European officers determine it’s good for nearly 380 miles of vary on the extra optimistic WLTP, however within the U.S., that determine has but to be nailed down. All the corporate might inform us was the Q6 could be good for “over 300 miles,” so we’ll want to attend for the Environmental Protection Agency to settle up with Audi at a later date. The batteries are made up of 12 lithium-ion cells that may be changed individually when one fails, including once more to the longevity of the battery; simply one in every of many developments that ups the sturdiness of this EV.
Audi says homeowners can cost at 250 kW as much as 40 p.c capability due to superior battery cooling programs, and it’ll nonetheless be charging 150 kW as much as 80 p.c. The Q6 can get to 80 p.c cost in simply 21 minutes, and after solely 10 minutes of being plugged in, the Q6 can achieve 158 miles of vary. At 80 p.c, you’ll have at the least a couple of hundred miles of journey in your automobile.
Using Audi’s infotainment system to navigate to the closest charger, the automobile can put together the battery for optimum charging temperatures. This cooling and heating system additionally extends the lifetime of the 800-volt battery and preserves as a lot mileage as attainable, although excessive chilly and warmth can nonetheless mess with the vary (can’t blame Audi for physics). The first-gen Q6 E-Tron will include the CCS plug, which is a little bit of a ache for American drivers, however Audi is popping out with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter for early prospects, and later fashions shall be offered with the NACS port. The Q6 comes with charging ports on either side of the automobile, which is fairly dang helpful for people who’ve put in a quick charger in their very own storage.
Then there’s the regenerative braking, which picks up further cost from any type of braking, even when no regen braking is engaged. The braking system within the Q6 permits for top-of-the-line one-pedal driving experiences I’ve had shortly. Again, my time within the Q6 was restricted to a prototype in a parking zone, however taking my foot off the accelerator led to a really pure feeling of coming from 50 mph to a lifeless cease, with not one of the sudden jerks of earlier programs I’ve tried each from Audi and different manufacturers.
And the technological enhancements don’t cease there. Standardization of elements within the entrance and rear axles means much less complexity and a neater development, resulting in decreased prices. The entrance axle has three totally different variants, whereas the again has two. The rear axle comes with a completely excited asynchronous motor and direct rotor core cooling, which permits Audi to just about abandon heavy uncommon earth metals within the magnets – one other cost-cutting measure that provides to the Q6’s inexperienced bona fides whereas shedding not one of the automobile’s effectivity. The rear axle generates 280 kW whereas the entrance hits 140 kW. The rear motor will primarily propel the Q6, however the entrance motor could be engaged for a really Quattro expertise.
One of the best options are the bitchin’ multipixel OLED array lights which, after all, we right here within the USA will not be going to have the ability to totally take pleasure in. That’s frankly too unhealthy, as a result of the transferring lights create a way of depth and dimension that’s really distinctive. Current tips from the National Traffic Safety Administration and the Society for Automotive Engineers dictates that our lights be consistently burning quite than sparkle or create a transferring impact just like the Q6’s can.
There is hope, nevertheless — it could solely take a fast over-the-air replace to permit our Q6s to be as cool as their European cousins ought to laws change. Hopefully laws do change, as a result of the eight mild signatures Audi programmed into the automobile are at their coolest once they can twinkle like a hearth, or create a way of motion. For now nevertheless, Americans will see lights that burn constantly, however they do create very attention-grabbing 3D photos utilizing 360 triangle-shaped OLED segments.
Audi is clearly enchanted with its pretty new lights, correctly. The sharpest strains on the Q6 strike out from the wraparound headlamps and taillights, drawing the attention immediately to those improbable transferring parts. The eight totally different mild signatures could be utilized to totally different driver profiles or set once you get into the automobile, and the lights can morph and alter to point the motive force is leaving or coming residence. Audi additionally features a triangle form to point warning because the automobile backs up, as the motive force enters and exits the automobile or typically activates their hazard lights. The exterior design additionally highlights the brand new extra superior battery pack. Truly, Audi has rather a lot to indicate off with the Q6.
The cockpit can also be downright beautiful with a 14.5-inch wrap-around MMI display screen for the motive force, plus an 11.6-incher and a smaller 10.9-inch display screen for the passenger. This display screen is each extra elegant and safer than a center-mounted iPad-looking touchscreen. All of the motive force’s info is true there in entrance of them, an more and more novel strategy. There can also be a head-up show, however I didn’t actually get to place it via its paces within the prototype automobile. The HUD was an issue within the This autumn, so it’s nice to see a very elegant, protected and wise strategy within the Q6.
That passenger display screen is angled so solely the passenger can see it, and it’s good for taking part in video games or watching motion pictures. Sound for such actions will come from the automobile’s audio system, and it’ll be mechanically quieted for issues like driving directions, security alerts, cellphone calls or the voice-activated assistant, which could be engaged by the motive force saying “Hey Audi.” The voice assistant can management 800 capabilities via over 100 attainable instructions, with some so simple as saying “hey Audi, my hands are cold,” to begin steering wheel heater.
Inside, Americans get leather-based seats solely, which is a disgrace as the material seats look nice, however once more: Americans. Quite a lot of consideration was paid to discovering locations to place recycled supplies, such because the headliner and ground mats. The again seat is proscribed on house and enjoyable stuff, however that’s the place you’ll be able to stick your noisy children or buddies you don’t like very a lot. The Q6 comes with a 18.6-cubic-foot cargo space and a 0.17-cubic-foot frunk. Color choices are, effectively, plenty of black, white, and grey, plus a crimson and a blue that appears like grey. Of course, SQ6 homeowners get particular styling for his or her barely extra highly effective efficiency mannequin, together with an S sketched up and down the automobile and sure particular lighting animations particular to the SQ6.
Driving the Q6 was nonetheless a delight, even when I used to be solely handled to a short while in a prototype. It wouldn’t actually be truthful to name this a overview of the driving dynamics because of the quick time spent within the automobile, however the dealing with and regenerative braking have been such an apparent enchancment over the This autumn that it’s price noting. The know-how inside and the quantity of data on the curved sprint was initially overwhelming, particularly as Audi phases out much more buttons and knobs for its “most digital Audi yet,” however I’m certain that homeowners will develop to know their automobile’s readouts shortly. The total factor is run on Android, although not Google Auto, as Audi makes an attempt to maintain as a lot growth in-house as attainable. Apple Music isn’t accessible but, however Spotify and Amazon Music are.
While there are a couple of bumps within the street, similar to the shortage of NACS charging till the following era, the Q6 E-Tron is a large leap for Audi each by way of know-how and driving dynamics, even in comparison with simply two years in the past once I first drove the This autumn. It seems like a very good step towards fixing some key points that middle-of-the-road adopters have with EVs. The Q6 addresses charging time, vary anxiousness and EVs’ not-undeserved status of pretending to be greener than they really are; the Q6 does all of this and appears wonderful within the course of.
Source: jalopnik.com