Audi Q6 e-tron review

Is the Audi Q6 e-tron a good car?

As its name suggests, the Audi Q6 e-tron sits above the Audi Q4 e-tron in terms of size and price, but it also marks a significant step forward in Audi’s EV tech. That's because it’s the first to use the PPE architecture co-developed with Porsche and seen in the electric Macan. 

The Q6’s competition runs across a wide spread of rivals, including pricier alternatives, which are led by the BMW iX but also include the Mercedes EQE SUV and Polestar 3. A new-generation BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60 will also be key rivals in the future.

About the Audi Q6 e-tron

Starting prices for the Audi Q6 e-tron start at around £60,000 for the Sport model. An extra £3,000 is needed for mid-spec S line trim, while the range-topping Edition 1 is another £5,000 on top of that. At the top of the range is the SQ6 e-tron. This offers added performance and sportier styling tweaks for the exterior and cabin, but you’ll have to pay a starting price of around £94,000 for the privilege. 

Sport is the entry level to the line-up, but it still comes with a fair amount of kit. There are 19-inch wheels, LED lights with digital daytime running lights, heated front and outer rear seats, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, a 360-degree parking camera system, and twin organic LED screens.

Upgrading to S line trim adds larger 20-inch wheels, sportier trim and badging, privacy glass, and a three-spoke steering wheel. It also has a black headlining and embossed ‘S’ logos on the front seats.

At the top of the range sits the Edition 1, which is the only trim offered with the SQ6. Edition 1 features 21-inch wheels, air suspension, matrix LED headlights, extra body-coloured trim, and electrically adjustable front seats in a mix of microfibre suede and leather with diamond stitching. It also adds a couple of wholly unnecessary features in the shape of a 10.9-inch passenger screen and Audi’s ‘e-tron sports sound’ synthesised engine note.

Two battery sizes are available, with the 83kWh (75.8kWh usable) coming as standard, or the option of the 100kWh ‘Performance’ battery (94.9kWh usable). That increase in battery size also includes a bump in power, going from 249bhp in standard form up to 302bhp. Four-wheel drive is also available in the form of the quattro version, which features a power boost of its own, reaching up to 383bhp. The quickest is the SQ6 e-tron, with 483bhp.

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The Audi Q6 e-tron is stable at high speed and the brakes are superb, but its ride and handling don’t quite deliver. It’s safe and predictable rather than being fun.

No variant of the Q6 e-tron feels sluggish despite its 2.3-tonne kerb weight, but if you’re after some dynamic flair, you’ll be met with a muted response. It feels overwhelmingly safe and secure, lacking the sparkle for rivals like the Porsche Macan Electric. You can feel the car’s mass in the corners, and while turn-in is accurate and grip is good, there’s little engagement to be found from this big SUV.

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The range starts with the standard Q6 e-tron, which gets a single 288bhp rear-mounted motor (like all of the Q6’s motors, developed in-house and with a greater power density than other Audi EVs). It’s good for a launch control-assisted 7.0-second 0-62mph time, and is available on Sport and S line trims. 

Above that sits the Performance, which ups the ante to 322bhp and chops the 0-62mph time to 6.7 seconds. Next is the quattro, with a dual-motor set-up for a total output of 383bhp, reducing the 0-62mph time to 5.9 seconds. The SQ6 is the top-of-the-range model, and gets a strong 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds thanks to its 510bhp total output when using launch control. The powertrain responds well, but in Normal mode, it can feel lethargic when moving off. Those accustomed to instant acceleration in their EV might prefer the more lively response of Sport mode.

All Q6 models have a top speed of 130mph, while the SQ6 e-tron raises this to 143mph. 

Town driving, visibility and parking

With one exception, the braking system on the Audi Q6 e-tron is fantastic. That flaw comes at low speeds and is the hill-hold system, which engages when you use gentle pressure on the pedal and comes on a little too readily when reversing, meaning precise parking manoeuvres – especially uphill - can be a tad jerky.

That aside, the key to the Q6’s brakes is its ability to recover a huge amount of energy through regenerative braking. This means that the physical discs and pads are used only rarely under heavy braking applications. The pedal’s weight is excellent, feeling strong and reassuring even under heavy use. 

Brake regen can be adjusted through four modes (three via steering wheel paddles and a fourth via a ‘B’ mode on the drive selector) plus an adaptive setting, which we soon turned off because, like all too many systems of its type, we found it hard to predict. In the strongest regen mode, one-pedal driving is possible, and with it engaged, the Q6 pulls to a very smooth stop.

B-road driving and handling

At higher speeds, the Q6 e-tron impresses in some ways, but in others, we hoped for more. The air suspension, controlled by a new multi-link design at the front, works well on larger-frequency bumps, soothing passengers as it glides along the road. However, on uneven cambers or the subsided verges of a British back road, the Q6 becomes flustered. 

Find a poor surface, and it can feel like each wheel is squabbling with its opposite number about where the body should be, rather than working independently to iron out the bumps. This causes a side-to-side wobble over uneven roads. With the damping tightened up in Sport mode, it becomes more controlled, but makes the ride feel unsettled, so there’s a compromise either way. 

Even in this driver-focused mode, the Q6 feels heavy through corners, reminding the driver that there’s a lot of weight at play here. Many rivals do a better job of both controlling and disguising their mass.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

The ride is at its best on a motorway, where sudden bumps are all but non-existent. Stability is solid, and the motor feels like it has plenty to give, making performance seem effortless even at 70mph. Road noise is greater than we’d have hoped for, though – a BMW iX is quieter at speed.

"The Q6 e-tron is the first Audi EV to feature one-pedal driving. There are various strengths for the regenerative braking (controlled via steering wheel paddles), with the most aggressive setting able to bring the car to a complete stop. It’ll provide up to 220kW of recuperation, and Audi claims it can cover '90 per cent of braking scenarios'. Of course, you can switch it off and coast if you’d prefer." – Alex Ingram, Chief reviewer

Electric range, battery life and charge time

Of the four available powertrains, all but the base model get a 100kWh ‘Performance’ battery (94.9kWh usable) – the entry-level car comes with a smaller 83kWh (75.8kWh usable) unit. For the ultimate range, the Performance model in Sport trim with a single motor is the one to have, because it has an official WLTP figure of up to 393 miles between charges. That’s slightly up on the Quattro, which is claimed to manage 382 miles at best, or as little as 338 miles depending on wheel size. The SQ6 is said to cover 360 miles, while models with the 83kWh (75.8kWh usable) battery can do 326 miles. 

Based on our time behind the wheel of the Edition 1 quattro, the car fell slightly short of the most pessimistic WLTP estimates. Our absolute best conditions, at around 15 degrees Celsius (most EVs tend to perform at their best at closer to 25 degrees), produced an efficiency value of 3.1 miles per kilowatt-hour, which translates to a range of 294 miles – 44 miles short of the lowest WLTP figure. That’s not bad for an SUV of its size, but things get worse in town, where the hefty Q6 achieves closer to 2.4 miles/kWh in stop-start traffic.

Find a charger quick enough to keep up with the Q6’s 270kW peak rate, and it means a 10-80 per cent charge of the battery (that’s 206 miles of range based on our real-world efficiency) takes 21 minutes. Using a typical 7.4kWh wallbox home charger, it’ll take just over 12 hours to fully recharge the standard 83kWh battery, while the larger 100kWh battery will take a little over 15 hours. Like many electric Audis, the Q6 has charge ports on both sides: a Type 2 socket on the offside and a rapid CCS port on the other. You also get an energy-efficient heat pump as standard, which should help maintain the driving range in colder weather.

Insurance groups

Insurance starts in group 44 for the base Q6 e-tron Sport, the Dual-motor model sits in group 49, with the SQ6 in group 50. Essentially, the Q6 is likely to be expensive to insure, regardless of the version you go for.  

Tax

The EV powertrain makes the Q6 e-tron incredibly cheap to run for company-car users, with Benefit-in-Kind deductions in the 2024/25 tax year starting from just £479 for a higher-rate tax payer choosing the entry-level car.

It, like all other EVs, no longer qualifies for free vehicle excise duty (VED) road tax, and because of its high starting price, you have to pay an additional luxury car tax surcharge that you’ll need to pay from the second time the Q6 e-tron is taxed, up until it is six years old.

Depreciation

By the usual low standards of large, electric SUVs, the Q6 e-tron’s resistance to depreciation is relatively impressive. Our pick of the range, the base Q6 e-tron Sport, is predicted to retain 53 per cent of its value after three years, while the most heavily depreciating quattro Edition 1 retains over 51 per cent. Compared that with the base Mercedes EQE SUV, which is expected to hold on to only 43 per cent over the same period, and it’s clear that the Audi makes more financial sense. 

If you want something that does even better, though, then the Porsche Macan Electric maintains between 57 to 59 per cent over the same period – although it does cost more to buy in the first place.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool... 

Typically sturdy Audi build quality abounds everywhere, but some might find the Q6’s cabin a little too screen-heavy.

Interior and dashboard design

There’s no getting away from large screens in the Q6 e-tron, with no less than three – including one specifically for the front passenger on higher-spec models – spread across the dashboard. Even some basic controls haven’t fully escaped touch-sensitive input, with a large control panel in the door for the mirrors, lights, locks and electric-seat memory settings. 

While we’d still prefer physical switches for all of these, at least Audi hasn’t confined headlight control within a touchscreen, as is the case for the likes of the Polestar 3.

Materials and build quality

This hasn’t always been true for Audis recently, but the finish is flawless inside, with tight panel gaps and sturdy materials. Our one criticism is that there’s a lot of shiny piano-black plastic around the centre console, which looks great in a showroom but doesn’t fare quite so well once it has been subjected to a little wear and tear.

Audi’s sports seats are supportive, but they’re also very firm. Considering that the Q6 e-tron’s buyers are most probably interested in comfort rather than sportiness, it’s difficult to see what advantage these seats provide over the already comfortable standard seats.

Overall, the Q6 Audi e-tron is a very pleasant car in which to spend time. The screens look great and work very well, while the head-up display is among the clearest in any car currently on sale.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The gently curving displays of Audi’s MMI system measure 11.9 inches for the Virtual Cockpit and 14.5 inches for the main display, presenting a huge amount of information. Many key shortcuts and climate controls remain a permanent fixture on the main touchscreen, but there’s plenty of room for the Google Maps-based navigation system to be shown in a generous size. If we have a criticism, it’s that the main menu icons are fairly small, and with so many of them shown on the same page, it’s difficult to find the functions you need.

The optional passenger display seems like a bit of a gimmick. All of the information contained within it is accessible on the main screen beside it, so it only really makes sense if the front-seat passengers truly can’t stand sharing the use of the central touchscreen.

All versions come with a 180-watt, 10-speaker Audi sound system, but we’re partial to the option of a 830-watt, 16-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system that comes as part of the £3,200 Sound and Vision Pack, which also includes upgraded USB charging ports for quicker charging of your devices.

“We like that the third screen is obscured from the driver’s view while the car is in motion, but until Audi fits video playback or gaming technology to the third screen, it feels surplus to requirements for passengers.” – Richard Ingram, Deputy editor

Buyers are unlikely to be left wanting any more room inside the Q6; when it comes to legroom, headroom and luggage space, the accommodation on offer is impressive.

Dimensions and size

The Audi Q6 e-tron is a standard five-door SUV, and it has the proportions to match. It slots in the Audi line-up between the Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q8 e-tron, and has dimensions to match. It’s also slightly longer than the combustion-engined Audi Q5 and nearly as wide as the larger Audi Q7. 

When compared with rivals, the Q6 e-tron isn’t quite as big as a Mercedes EQE SUV, and takes up a similar amount of space on the road to a Tesla Model Y.

Driving position, seats & space in the front

Audi generally manages to get the basics like the driving position just right, and the Q6 e-tron is no exception. Both the driver’s seat and the steering wheel offer a huge range of adjustment, so regardless of your size, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to set things just right. 

All come with four-way electric lumbar adjustment for the front seats. However, if you want full electric adjustment and memory settings for the driver’s seat if more than one person will be driving the car, you’ll have to go for the top of the range Edition 1 trim. You can’t add this as an option to Sport or S Line trims.

Seats & space in the back

Anyone swapping from either of Audi’s other electric SUVs will find a similar amount of space in the back of the Q6 e-tron; in other words, it’s huge. The seats are comfortable, and the wide bench makes it a pleasant place for three people to sit.

ISOFIX child seat mounting points are provided on the outer positions of the rear seats, and the points are easily accessible behind some simple to remove plastic covers. A further child seat mounting point is provided on the front passenger seat.

Rear seat passengers have access to a small screen to adjust the temperature of their zone of the standard three-zone climate system, and the outer positions of the rear seats are also heated.

Boot space

At 526 litres, the Q6 e-tron’s boot capacity is generous, and predictably, it offers more capacity than its smaller range mate, the Q4 e-tron (520 litres). The main boot offers a large, square area with netted side sections for securing small items. Levers in the boot make it easy to drop the rear seat backs, and with those out of the way, the total volume grows to 1,529 litres. The air suspension can also be lowered from inside the boot area to make it easier to lift large or heavy items inside.

Towing

Those interested in towing with their Q6 e-tron will need to fit the £1,050 folding towbar. Depending on the version you go for, it’ll pull up to 2,400kg, though the obvious caveats regarding limited range apply here.

“The Q6 e-tron has a 64-litre luggage area under the bonnet that allows drivers to store the charging cables separately from their luggage. You can only open it via a lever in the driver’s footwell, rather than using the key, which is a bit fiddly to release with your hands full.” – Alex Ingram, Chief reviewer

The Audi Q6 e-tron was tested by Euro NCAP in 2024, and it scored a maximum five-star rating. Its Child Occupant score of 92 per cent is the highest of any car tested that year, making it a reassuring choice for families. 

The Audi brand appears to have improved in terms of customer satisfaction, according to our latest 2025 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, rising from 27th out of 32 in 2024 to 19th out of 31 manufacturers in 2025. However, that still lags a long way behind its other premium rivals, such as BMW in 8th, or Mercedes in 2nd place.

Best buy: Audi Q6 e-tron Performance Sport

We think you can make the expensive Q6 e-tron a little more affordable by going for the entry-level Sport trim. It’s very well equipped and makes the additional £3,000 jump to S Line seem pointless, because the latter only adds 20-inch wheels that impact the ride and some slightly sportier styling. We’d plump for the Performance battery upgrade with the largest capacity 100kWh battery, giving it the best range. The saving you make compared with S Line Performance is better spent on the Sound and Vision pack, which gets you an excellent head-up display set up and a better sound system.

The Q6 e-tron comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which is par for the course at this price point, but lags behind some less expensive rivals. Audi does offer extended warranties that offer extra time or distance coverage, but they are pricey upgrades. The Q6 also comes with a standard three-year roadside assistance package.

As with most electric cars, the Q6 e-tron has a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty that guarantees the drive battery maintains above 75 per cent of its capacity over that period. If it drops below this figure, it’ll be replaced at Audi’s expense.

The Q6 e-tron’s service intervals stand at 19,000 miles or every two years, which means that just one trip to the garage is required in the first three years of a typical ownership period. The company also offers a choice of service plans that cover either one or two services, for a maximum of four years. The latter can be with or without two years of MOT tests. 

Audi Q6 e-tron alternatives

There are plenty of premium electric SUVs that take the fight to the Q6. The Polestar 3 offers lots of space inside, while the Porsche Macan Electric uses the same platform as the Q6, but places a greater emphasis on driving enjoyment. Higher-spec versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E are also in the same price bracket, as are entry versions of the Mercedes EQE SUV.

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Audi Q6 e-tron pictures

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