Audi A6 e-tron: Electric hatchback, wagon with over 700km range coming to Australia

Watch out, BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE – Audi is coming for you.

The Audi A6 e-tron has been revealed as a more practical and potentially more affordable alternative to the brand. e-tron GT The flagship vehicle will be offered in both Sportback (liftback) and Avant (wagon) body styles.

Audi has also revealed a sportier version of the S6.

The new electric liftback and wagon have been given an Australian launch date, expected in the first half of 2025.

“We are currently in discussions with the factory to determine pricing and specifications for these models, which will be confirmed closer to launch,” an Audi Australia spokesperson said.

Audi has not confirmed the specifics of the RS6 version, but the company’s statement suggests that this version is coming soon.

That means the range will peak at the moment with the S6, which will be available at launch in Europe alongside the A6 e-tron performance. Other variants will follow.

Each model has a lithium-ion battery.

All-wheel drive models have an asynchronous motor at the front axle and a permanent magnet synchronous motor at the rear axle.

The A6 e-tron is based on an 800-volt electrical architecture, allowing for a maximum DC charging capacity of 270kW. Standard AC charging capacity is 11kW, with a 22kW option to be offered later.

If the charging station operates on 400-volt technology, Audi says the A6 e-tron can use a charging bank. The 800-volt battery is split into two banks, each with 400 volts, which can then be charged in parallel at up to 135kW.

Audi also says the regenerative braking system can recover up to 220kW and has two stages of recuperation that can be adjusted using the gearshift lever.

The article notes that the selectable B driving mode “closely approximates what is commonly referred to as a ‘one-pedal feel.’”

The A6 e-tron is the first passenger car on a premium electric platform, first launched in 2015. Audi Q6 e-tron And Porsche Macan SUV

Adaptive air suspension is optional, and in performance mode can lower the body by 20 mm depending on speed to improve aerodynamics. It is standard equipment on the S6.

The dimensions of the Sportback are as follows:

Audi claims a drag coefficient of 0.21 for the Sportback and 0.24 for the Avant. That makes the Sportback the most aerodynamic Audi ever, as well as the most aerodynamic member of the entire Volkswagen Group lineup.

The A6 Sportback e-tron was first revealed as a concept in 2021, followed by the A6 Avant e-tron in 2022.

Audi designers say they were able to retain 95 percent of the concept’s basic proportions, although some details have changed.

“When it comes to a production-oriented concept, we can initially ignore purely technical requirements and prioritize proportions above all else because they are the most important elements for good design,” says Sascha Heyde, who designed both the concept and production versions.

“This means that designers tend to go a little overboard here. As a result, concept cars tend to have a flatter, wider look than production models.”

Perhaps the most obvious visual change from the concept is the front lights, which feature a two-tier design similar to the Q6 e-tron.

Audi says the slim headlight design and wide grille make the car look “flat and wide” on the road. Digital daytime running lights are optional.

On the A6 e-tron, the main headlights, air intakes as well as sensors for the driver assistance systems are integrated into the dark mask around the grille. On the S6, there are matte silver design elements.

19-inch alloy wheels come as standard on the A6, with the S line and S6 models getting 20-inch alloy wheels. S6 models also have the option of 21-inch alloy wheels.

For maximum aerodynamic efficiency, Audi will also offer 21-inch ‘aero’ wheels with plastic covers.

In addition, Audi also equipped the latest generation of digital camera mirrors, which can be folded electrically and are said to help improve the drag coefficient… although Audi did not specify how much improvement.

At the rear are second-generation digital OLED taillights, which can be used to communicate messages to other vehicles with warning symbols.

The A6 e-tron also has a version with an illuminated Audi logo on the rear doors.

Inside, there’s an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with a 10.9-inch passenger display and an augmented reality head-up display.

The passenger display features Active Privacy Mode, allowing passengers to view media without distracting the driver.

The infotainment system uses the Android Automotive operating system and supports over-the-air updates, with many third-party apps such as YouTube downloadable via the Audi Application Store.

The Audi Assistant, through connection with ChatGPT, will be able to provide additional information such as answers to questions about general knowledge and the weather, in addition to being able to access vehicle functions.

Audi stresses that ChatGPT never has access to vehicle data and all questions and responses are deleted after processing.

Optional is a panoramic glass roof with polymer dispersion liquid crystal technology, which allows you to switch from opaque to transparent and vice versa at the touch of a button. There are four different preset modes.

There’s also a 20-speaker, 830W Bang & Olufsen sound system, with four speakers located in the front headrests.

There’s a host of active safety and driver assistance tech, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and semi-autonomous parking assist, while there’s a new feature called adaptive driving assistant plus.

The feature combines adaptive driving and lane keeping modes, using high-resolution map data and data from other vehicles to calculate the route ahead and “deliver a comfortable driving experience.”

Internal combustion engines today A6 sedan and wagon expected to move to A7 nameplate with their next generation.

Audi has confirmed that it will reorganize its model range so that even-numbered cars will have electric motors and odd-numbered cars will have internal combustion engines.

THAN: Everything about the Audi A6