Audi A6 e-tron gunning for BMW i5 with 542bhp and 450-mile range
Audi has taken the wraps off the new A6 e-tron, revealing its most aerodynamic car ever.
In fact, the super-slippery rival to the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE is the most aerodynamic car in the entire WV Group, out-slicking even the Porsche Taycan. And offer more than 450 miles of range while doing it.
The new A6 e-tron is being offered in two body styles – there’s the familiar Avant estate shape and, for the first time in the A6 name, a Sportback. This replaces the traditional four-door saloon A6 with a sloping rear hatch hinged at the top. Not only does this aid aerodynamics but it also makes the boot more practical.
On the design front, the new A6 is sleeker looking than before, with ultrathin LED lights and a smooth, inverted take on the Audi Singleframe grille. Everything – from the shape of the front bumper to tiny 3D elements on the wings and a smoother undertray – is designed to help the A6 cut through the air more efficiently. There are also flush door handles and option slimline cameras in place of wing mirrors, plus a number of flat-faced wheel designs to enhance this further.
Inside, Audi hasn’t strayed too far from familiar territory, so there’s lots of gloss black plastic and chrome coloured trim detail. For the first time, however, the A6 now has a three-screen dashboard arrangement. A huge curved OLED panel incorporates an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit and 14.5-inch infotainment touch display, while front-seat passengers now get a separate 10.9-inch screen which can play video without being visible to the driver. If that’s not enough displays, the A6 also offers the latest version of Audi’s augmented reality head-up display for the driver.
Other new tech includes a clever panoramic sunroof that goes from clear to opaque at the touch of a button, and an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system with 20 speakers, including four mounted in the front headrests. The new infotainment system runs on Android Automotive OS to offer more features and comes with expanded voice control and, depressingly and predictably, ChatGPT.
Importantly for passenger space, the A6 is the first car on the joint Audi/Porsche PPE platform to feature a flat interior floor.
That’s the same platform as the Q6 e-tron SUV and the new Porsche Macan and Cayenne. Like those cars, the A6 e-tron uses a 95kWh battery, offering more than 450 miles of range in the Sportback and more than 430 miles in the Avant. Charging at 270kW should take the A6 e-tron from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes.
At launch, two powertrains will be available, both using the 95kWh battery. The rear-wheel-drive A6 e-tron performance uses a single 362bhp motor, which is enough to get it from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.
The S6 uses two motors for rear-biased quattro all-wheel drive and a total of 496bhp, which can be temporarily boosted to 542bhp using launch control. This enables a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds and top speed of 149mph. High-spec versions come with adaptive air suspension which alters the car’s firmness and height depending on the drive mode, including dropping the car by 20mm in eco mode to aid efficiency.
Audi says more models will follow later, including more two- and four-wheel-drive variants. The launch line-up will be available to order from September 2, when full pricing will be announced. The A6 is likely to be priced in line with its Mercedes and BMW rivals, so we’d expect a starting price somewhere north of £65,000.
