Background
Is this really the sixth generation Audi A6? Or actually a completely new kind of 'A6'-badged Audi altogether? We'd suggest the latter. The real successor to the outgoing fifth generation model will be badged 'A7', to meet Ingolstadt's new mantra that its combustion model lines must be designated by odd numbers. The A6 e-tron we look at here, in contrast, is quite a different thing, only offered as an EV and with a Sportback hatch body shape selling alongside the usual Avant estate in the model line-up.
It shares nearly all of its engineering with the brand's Q6 e-tron SUV; which means use of the 800V electrical architecture and Premium Platform Electric chassis the Q6 shares with the Porsche Macan Electric. With the Sportback and Avant body shapes and the range of powertrains Audi plans to offer, the market reach here is wide; rivals could be anything from a Mercedes EQE to a BMW i5 Touring to a Porsche Taycan. Let's take a closer look.
Driving Experience
As you'd expect from such an aerodynamic car, all versions of this EV only design look very competitive on range. Even the smallest entry-level 83kWh battery (75.8kWh usable) which is borrowed from the VW ID.7 takes a car up to 384 miles; that standard version uses a 286PS rear-mounted motor (boosted to 326PS with launch control activated) and makes 62mph in 6 seconds. Most A6 e-tron customers though, are expected to choose the 'performance' version's larger 100kWh battery (94.9kWh of it usable), which is the most frugal variant in the range, able to take the car up to 464 miles between charges or (437 miles in Avant guise). Here, the rear motor develops 367PS (380PS with launch control) and gets the car to 62mph in 5.4s. Top speed is 130mph. There's also a dual motor AWD quattro version of this 100kWh model, which adds an extra front-mounted motor that pushes power up to 428PS (462PS with launch control) and drops the 62mph sprint time to 4.5s, though the extra weight means that range falls to a best of 440 miles.
Much the same 100kWh / AWD format is also used by the sportier S6 variant, though here the motor tune is turned up to 503PS, so range drops to 407 miles. Using launch control in an S6 boosts that output for 551PS and gives a 0-62mph time of just 3.9s. Top speed is 149mph. An even faster full-EV RS 6 model will appear later in the production run.
You'll need to make full use of the paddleshift two-stage energy recuperation system to get near those range figures, which when set at its fiercest is capable of sending up to 220kW of energy to the batteries as the car slows. Many customers will want to specify the optional adaptive air suspension system, which can change according to road conditions and will set the car's ride height at four different levels, the most economical one lowering the A6 by 20mm to improve aerodynamics.
Design and Build
The A6 e-tron clearly ushers in a new era of Audi design. Ingolstadt claims it 'establishes a new milestone in aerodynamics' for the brand, harking back to last-century models from the marque like the Auto Union Type C, the NSU Ro80, the Audi A2 and, most notably, one of this e-tron model's predecessors, the MK3 Audi 100, which was the sleekest car of its time. The A6 e-tron isn't quite that, but its 0.21Cd figure puts it close to the industry-leading Mercedes EQS and Tesla Model S.
Visually, the cues are shared more with this car's Q6 sibling than with any previous A6 and the saloon body shape that characterised that model line since the Seventies is absent, replaced by a Sportback five-door hatch with a rear roof line that drops away sooner than that of the alternative Avant estate. Slim daytime running lights flank an inverted body-coloured grille and sit above LED headlights hidden within an intricate grille that emphasises the wide stance.
Big wheels (19 to 21-inches) are pushed right to each corner, plus there are flush door handles and optional digital door mirrors. Large e-tron-branded lower door panels complete the effect. The rear has a full-width three-dimensional light bar with an illuminated four-ring Audi logo. Which is where you'll best appreciate the OLED lighting on top models which can shimmer like a rare jewel by the system gently igniting and extinguishing the unit's OLED crystals.
Inside up-front, there's the expected screen fest, a curved fascia panel joining the two main monitors; an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, to the left of which a further optional 10.9-inch display can be added for the benefit of the front passenger. There'll be a further little screen at each corner of the dash if the digital door mirrors have been specified. As with the A5, there's what Audi calls a 'softwrap' fabric panel flowing uninterrupted across the entire width of the dash that's supposed to give 'an enveloping feeling of space'. As you'd expect, the overall effect is very high end indeed.
Helped by the lengthy wheelbase of the PPE platform, the rear is very spacious and the back seats are staggered like theatre chairs so those at the rear sit a little higher than those at the front. Headroom is better in the Avant version thanks to that variant's extra 40mm of rear roof height. Boot space is unexceptional - and it's disappointing that the Avant offers the same relatively modest 502-litre capacity as the Sportback (up to parcel shelf level). That bespoke platform also frees up further 27-litre under-bonnet 'frunk' space for the charging leads.
Market and Model
Prices start from around £62,000 for the smaller battery 83kWh version. For the 100kWh 'performance' rear-driven A6 e-tron model most will want, you'll need to budget from around £70,000 - with a premium of around £1,800 if you want the Avant body style. There will be the usual 'Sport', 'S line' and 'Edition 1' trim levels. Expect to need from around £97,500 for the top S6.
All variants are generously equipped - and cutting cutting-edge media tech via the fitted Android Automotive OS-based infotainment system. The can be embellished with a range of apps from the built-in online store. These include Music, Video, Gaming, Navigation, Parking and Charging, Productivity, Weather, and News Services.
You will want to keep some budget back for some essential extras. Maybe the augmented reality head-up display that projects navigation instructions, road sign information and speed onto the windscreen ahead of the driver. Or the electrochromic sunroof that can be switched from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch. Maybe also the 20-speaker 830-watt Bang & Olufsen premium 3D sound system with its headrest speakers and highly efficient amplifier. Also tempting is the OLED light tech, which provides a range of customisable lighting signatures, including a setting that'll warn drivers behind to back off if they're following you too closely.
As you'd expect, there's plenty of driver assistance technology too. All models get a reversing camera, a traffic sign-based intelligent speed limiter, adaptive cruise control and a driver attention monitor. And there's the usual semi-autonomous driving system that combines all of these functions to take control of the car on the highway under driver supervision.
Cost of Ownership
Audi reckons its electric motors are among the most efficient in the industry. In this car, the brand uses asynchronous motors in the front axle and permanent synchronous motors on the rear, these units featuring dry sump oil cooling for better efficiency and management of heat. The company reckons these motors offer 62% more power density and 33% greater performance than the earlier generation units fitted to the Q8 e-tron. This A6 e-tron's standard inclusion of a heat pump will preserve driving range in very cold conditions. Audi says in this case it adds around 19 miles of extra range in really cold temperatures.
On to charging, for which, helpfully, the car provides ports on both sides, though only one port can accept the fastest DC charging rate. The main news here (as we told you elsewhere in this review) is the switch to an 800V architecture with the sophisticated PPE platform. This means that your A6 e-tron can be charged at up to 270kW if you can find the right ultra rapid charger. At a fast enough charger, a 10-80% charge can be completed in just 21 minutes; apparently, 197 miles of range can be added in as little as 10 minutes. The sophisticated electric infrastructure also means this A6 can benefit from so-called 'bank charging': that means that at feebler public chargers (of up to 135kW) that can't handle the PPE platform's 800V power, this Audi will split the battery in two and run each half at 400V, optimising battery replenishment speed and efficiency, so charging will still be super-quick.