Audi Q6 e-tron review

Is the Audi Q6 e-tron a good car?

The Audi Q6 e-tron is an accomplished all-rounder, although it doesn’t really do much to stand out in the jam-packed mid-size SUV market. One area where the Q6 e-tron literally overshadows its rivals, though, is its sheer size. In fact, it’s almost too big to be referred to as ‘mid-size’. The benefit of the Audi’s large stature, though, is a generous helping of cabin space and practicality. The Audi Q6 e-tron also boasts some truly class-leading tech both inside and underneath. Ultimately, the Q6 e-tron looks, feels, and drives like an Audi – for better or worse.

How much does the Audi Q6 e-tron cost?

The Audi Q6 e-tron line-up starts at just shy of £61,000, which means it undercuts the entry-level BMW iX3 by around £4,000. Moving up the range to the mid-spec S Line trim adds a £3,000 premium, while the range-topping Edition 1 sits at around £69,000. 

For those who desire a bit of high-speed flavour to go with their SUV, there is also the option of the SQ6 e-tron. This offers added performance and sportier styling tweaks to the exterior and cabin, but you’ll have to pay a starting price of around £94,000 for the privilege. 

Only the regular Q6 e-tron can be bought in entry-level Sport trim, but this still comes with a fair amount of standard kit, including 19-inch wheels, LED lights with digital DRLs, heated front and rear seats, three-zone climate control, a Bang & Olufsen stereo and twin OLED screens with 360-degree parking cameras.

Moving up to S-Line trim introduces larger 20-inch wheels, sportier trim and badging, privacy glass, and a heated, three-spoke steering wheel. It also has a black headlining and an embossed ‘S’ on the front seats.

At the top of the line-up sits the Edition 1 trim, and while this trim level is an option for the Audi Q6 e-tron, it’s standard fare for the SQ6 e-tron. Edition 1 includes 21-inch wheels, air suspension, matrix LED lights, extra body-coloured trim, and electrically adjustable front seats in a mix of microfibre suede and leather with diamond stitching. It also adds the wholly unnecessary 10.9-inch passenger screen and what Audi calls ‘e-tron sports sound’.

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The Audi Q6 e-tron’s sheer size is most noticeable when sitting behind the wheel, and while this SUV’s length isn’t an issue when attempting to park, its near-two-metre width made narrower streets a bit daunting during testing. Thankfully, all-round visibility is fine, and the standard-fit reversing and top-view cameras further enhance this.

It’s on main roads and motorways where the Q6 e-tron is at its best, where it settles down into a refined and quiet cruiser. If comfort is at the top of your priorities list, we’d suggest avoiding the Edition 1. Even though it has air suspension, we found it far more susceptible to road imperfections than we’d like, even with the Comfort driving mode selected.

If you need to get a move on, every variant of the Q6 e-tron offers a decent amount of shove, regardless of its 2.3-tonne kerb weight. Sport and S Line models come with a single motor that drives the rear wheels, and this produces 249bhp (boosted to 288bhp when using launch control) and 450Nm of torque. It’s good for a seven-second 0-62mph time and top speed of 130mph.

Moving up to the Sport Performance set-up boosts the single motor’s power to 302bhp (322bhp with launch control) and 485Nm of torque, and cuts the 0-62mph sprint to 6.7 seconds. However, the top speed remains the same at 130mph. 

The most powerful version of the standard Q6 e-tron is the Quattro. As the name suggests, it’s four-wheel drive thanks to its dual-motor powertrain, and produces 383bhp and a combined 855Nm of torque. The result is a 0-62mph time of 5.9 seconds and that same 130mph top speed.

If that still isn’t fast enough, you’ll need the SQ6 e-tron. This model is also powered by a dual-motor powertrain, only this time it pumps out 483 bhp (510bhp with launch control), and the same combined 855Nm of torque as the Q6 e-tron Quattro. The SQ6 e-tron will cover the 0-62mph run in just 4.4 seconds, and has a higher 142mph top speed.

No variant of the Audi Q6 e-tron feels sluggish in a straight line, but if you try to display some dynamic flair, you’ll be met with a muted response. It feels like an Audi – in that it’s overwhelmingly safe and secure in its handling – but lacking in sparkle. 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.

The Q6 e-tron is the first Audi EV to feature true one-pedal driving, and it works well. There are various strengths for 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.

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The Audi Q6 e-tron is based on the Volkswagen Group’s latest PPE platform and 800-volt electrical architecture – the latter capable of adding over 150 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Officially, the 100kWh (94.9kWh useable) Q6 e-tron can return up to 393 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. A sleeker Sportback version is also on the way, and its slippery design could see this figure grow. A smaller 83kWh (75.8kWh useable) version is also available with up to 326 miles of range. 

The Q6 e-tron’s excellent comfort ties in nicely with its ability to cover big distances – we saw almost 300 miles of real-world range – without stopping. But while that figure will please those coming from a petrol SUV, we only managed an average efficiency of around 2.8kWh in the Audi Q6 e-tron Quattro, which is nothing to write home about. Unless you can charge at home on an off-peak electricity tariff most of the time, you’ll spend a lot on public rapid charges.

When the need arises, you’ll be able to recharge the battery of the 100kWh version at up to 260kW, and Audi cites adding around 150 miles of range in just 10 minutes is possible when hooked up to a suitably rapid DC charger, with a 10 to 80 per cent top-up taking a little over 20 minutes. The smaller 83kWh version has a peak of 225kW, although its smaller battery pack means a similar 10 to 80 per cent top-up speed of around 20 minutes. Using a typical 7.4kW wallbox charger at home to fully recharge a flat battery will take a little over 15 hours for the 100kWh model, and a little over 12 hours for the 83kWh Q6 e-tron.

Insurance is likely to be expensive, considering the Q6 e-tron sits firmly north of group 45. It’s better news when it comes to depreciation because the Audi’s residual values are stronger than the BMW iX3. Our expert data suggests that the Q6 e-tron will retain between 54-56 per cent of its resale value after three years or 36,000 miles, whereas the BMW will only be worth between 43-45 per cent over the same period.

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For the most part, the Audi Q6 e-tron’s cabin is a high quality affair that feels well put together. However, a selection of rather low-rent and flimsy plastics do make an appearance, particularly for the window controls. The steering wheel isn’t the most pleasant or premium-feeling item to hold, either. Aside from these low points, the remaining assortment of fabrics, metals and even wood are far more suited to a premium interior. 

Our test car was fitted with Audi’s sports seats, and although these seats are supportive, they’re also very firm. Considering that 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 of any car currently on sale.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The Audi Q6 e-tron’s infotainment system looks lush and works wonderfully. The 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit digital dials are a bit busy, but we mainly relied on the excellent (and standard fit) head-up display, which can overlay augmented reality navigation instructions on the road ahead. There’s even a couple of hidden easter eggs here – built-in games to play while charging, controlled via the paddles mounted to the back of the steering wheel.

The main 14.5-inch touchscreen is snappy, and the graphics are crisp, but we’d prefer to see physical switches on the steering wheel and centre console; it’s all too easy to brush the volume control simply by moving the position of your right hand.

We’d avoid the optional (standard on Edition 1 cars) passenger display. It’s a gimmick; all the information contained within is accessible on the main screen. We like that the tech is obscured from the driver’s view while the car is in motion, but until Audi fits video playback or gaming technology to this third screen, it feels surplus to requirements.

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Returning once again to the Q6 e-tron’s size, you do at least benefit from a hugely spacious cabin and big boot. There’s loads of room up front, and plenty of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel. 

The Q6 e-tron is a strict five-seater with no scope to add extra chairs in the boot. If you want an Audi with seven seats, you’ll be forced to consider the petrol or diesel-powered Audi Q7. For now, there is no electric Audi capable of carrying a family of five plus two friends.

That said, even adults over six feet won’t struggle to get comfortable inside the back of the Q6. It’s worth noting that the two cars we tried did without the glass panoramic roof, which sometimes eats into headroom. We expect the forthcoming Q6 e-tron Sportback version to trade some interior space for that sleeker roofline.

The boot on the standard car measures 526 litres with the rear seats in place, or 1,529 litres with everything folded flat. There’s a deep storage area under the boot floor, and a massive frunk, too – though it's a £500 option, and 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. 

Regardless, this is a very practical mid-size SUV for a family, which beats all its main rivals for outright carrying capacity.

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

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The Audi Q6 e-tron hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP yet, but the brand has good form here, and this electric SUV is backed up by a long list of standard safety kit.

Both the smaller Audi Q4 e-tron and larger Audi Q8 e-tron (previously just e-tron) were awarded the full five stars by NCAP when they were tested in 2021 and 2019 respectively. The Q4 scored an impressive 93 per cent in the adult occupant protection category and 89 per cent for child occupancy protection.

The Q6 e-tron should follow in its sibling’s footsteps, with kit such as cross traffic and swerve assist, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking system all fitted as standard. Step up to Edition 1 and you’ll get a proactive passenger protection system for the front, sides and rear.

Reliability is another unknown, with only three Audis featuring in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey – none of which were electric. Furthermore, the highest-placed model was the outgoing Audi A5 in 38th – not a particularly strong showing.

The good news is that EVs are generally less troublesome and often more reliable, so hopes are high that the Q6 e-tron will live up to its premium billing and be a rewarding car to own. The Q6 e-tron has a three-year or 60,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty, which is a bit disappointing compared with the three-year unlimited mileage warranties of rivals BMW and Mercedes. Like most electric cars, the Q6 e-tron has a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty guaranteeing the battery maintains above 75 per cent of its capacity over that period. If it drops below this figure, it’ll be replaced.

Audi Q6 e-tron alternatives

The Audi Q6 e-tron is a solid, if slightly unremarkable all-rounder. As we’ve mentioned on numerous occasions in this review, it feels like a big car – so large, in fact, we’d wonder why anyone might now consider the more expensive Q8.

Starting from £61,000 means the Q6 e-tron faces more premium mid-size SUVs rivals such as the BMW iX3. The BMW may be more efficient, but it can’t hold a candle to the Q6 for modernity and luxury feel. For those with large families there’s the Mercedes EQB which comes with the benefit of seven seats, while driving enthusiasts will be better catered for be the Porsche Macan Electric.