To be Audi Q4 E-Tron too small for your needs, while Q8 E-Tron too big? Well, look no further Q6 E-Tron 2025Audi’s latest electric crossover is designed to split the difference between its larger and smaller siblings. It’s not exactly the most exciting introduction, but it is, and that’s exactly how Audi introduced the Q6 E-Tron to us during its presentation.
Make all the “same sausage, different lengths” jokes you want, but it’s a smart, practical approach to filling out the lineup. Especially since, if we’re going to run with the old cliché, I’d argue that the quality of the sausage is much more important than the fact that you can get it in different sizes. Plus, as The Q6 E-Tron is the first Audi to use the new Premium Platform Electric architecture jointly developed with Porsche for the Macan EVThis is the first time we get a taste of Audi’s innovative formula.
While it didn’t dramatically change my perception of an electric crossover and left me confused in the process, the Q6 E-Tron proved itself to be a very capable, well-rounded luxury crossover that will sell well when it launches in the United States because, after all, it is an electric Audi.
Full disclosure: Audi wanted me to drive the 2025 Q6 E-Tron so much that they paid for my flight to Bilbao, Spain, provided transportation to my hotel in Donostia-San Sebastian, put me up in a nice room, and provided all-you-can-eat wine and Iberico ham. Audi also happily let me book a later return flight so I could enjoy a few days in Spain on my own. They did not, however, pay for my hotel stay after the official press tour ended. That was all on me.
For those unfamiliar, let’s get the basics straight. The Q6 E-Tron uses a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that produces 422 horsepower in everyday driving, but there’s a temporary launch control mode that gives you 456 horsepower. Weighing in at 5,269 pounds, it can hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. It also has a 100 kWh battery, of which 94.4 kWh are usable, giving Audi an estimated range of 307 miles.
If that’s not enough power for you and you’re willing to sacrifice some range and a bit of cash, there’s also the SQ6 E-Tron, which makes 483 horsepower (or 509 with launch control). It’s a bit heavier, though, at 5,324 pounds, but it’ll hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That’s certainly quicker, but that extra acceleration also drops Audi’s estimated range to 276 miles. In the real world, the lower range probably won’t be a concern, but people really like seeing range numbers that start with a three.
On the outside, the front end is a bit busy, but the overall design of the Q6 is quite nice. The real star of the show, however, is the interior. It’s not as flashy as some of its competitors, but it’s extremely comfortable, well designed, and nicely laid out. The controls are easy to use, although I would have liked a few more physical buttons or knobs. The square steering wheel may feel strange at first, but it’s actually a very nice thing to hold, and it includes one of my favorite features when driving in a foreign country I’ve never been to before—a speed limiter.
I don’t know how many people in the US actually use the speed limiter, but it’s one of those features that I absolutely love. Don’t want to risk getting a speeding ticket, especially in a place where you don’t speak the language? Just set the maximum speed allowed and you’re good to go. It’s especially useful on roads that have curves that are too tight to safely use cruise control. Audi certainly isn’t the only automaker that offers it, but I like it, I use it a lot, and I wish more people knew about it. Don’t worry, adaptive cruise control and all the other important advanced driver assistance systems are there too, I just don’t use them often because most of my driving takes place on winding roads or through a lot of Basque villages. The scenery is absolutely stunning and Donostia is arguably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, so it was hard to be angry when Audi wouldn’t let us drive on the highway for three hours.
On the tech side of things that really matter, the Q6 has a fancy new electronic architecture that promises to be faster and more powerful, as well as Audi’s latest Android-based infotainment system. The driver gets a sharp 11.9-inch OLED display and a 14.5-inch OLED central touchscreen combined into a curved dashboard. If you’re worried about not having enough screen space, Audi will happily sell you a 10.9-inch LED passenger display that uses scientific magic to make itself invisible to the driver, and it actually works pretty well. This is the first time I’ve had a passenger in a car with a passenger display, and I was surprised at how useful it was. It will even let the passenger watch videos while the car is in motion.
Another useful piece of technology is the augmented reality information display. Not only does it have all the features you’d expect from a modern HUD, but it also projects navigational instructions in front of you, which again is very useful in a foreign country. It may be hard to believe, but my Basque is actually much worse than my Spanish.
Even though the US version offers more than 400 horsepower, the Q6 E-Tron I drove didn’t really feel that fast in regular driving. Part of that, of course, is physics. After all, 5,200 pounds is a lot of pounds to move. The much more important part is that the European version we drove only made 382 horsepower. The extra 40 horsepower would be appreciated, but I’m not sure that tells the whole story. I suspect the insulation and refinement that make the Q6 E-Tron such a relaxing, quiet car to drive also make it feel slower than it actually is. It’ll still accelerate and go when you need it to, and the US version will feel faster. I just don’t want anyone to walk into a dealership for a test drive and expect to be blown away by acceleration. As expected, there’s an upcoming RSQ6 E-Tron that will satisfy that need.
One issue I encountered, and it seems some other journalists have encountered as well, seems to be some sort of bug in the native navigation system that gets triggered by a phone with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto running in the background and randomly erases your driving route. Audi has promised to fix the issue by the time the Q6 E-Tron goes on sale in the US, but the first time it happened, we had to rely on whatever route the GPS picked for us when we tried to get back to the lunch spot we had just left for Audi to fix.
Unfortunately for my driving buddy and I, there were a lot of marked roads in the area that weren’t actually roads, which led to some unexpected and potentially trespassing adventures. We eventually made it to our lunch stop so they could remap the driving route, but not before we were directed to drive up a sketchy two-lane road that made me thankful that Spain doesn’t have the gun culture that the US does. It wasn’t a particularly difficult road, but I left the car in Off-Road mode just to be safe, and I can tell you now that the Q6 E-Tron can drive up a grassy hill without any problems. That’s probably the most off-road distance anyone can go in one of these cars, but hey, at least now you know.
As for range, based on the numbers I saw, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Q6 E-Tron beats Audi’s estimates in real-world driving. The improved efficiency of the new electric motor alone reportedly adds 25 miles of range, and you can see Audi has put effort into making this a car that’s usable every day—just a regular Audi crossover that you don’t need to fill up with gas.
US pricing has yet to be announced, but in Europe the Q6 E-Tron starts at €74,700, while the SQ6 E-Tron starts at €93,800. Regardless of how things turn out on this side of the Atlantic, it’s probably safe to assume that the vast majority of buyers will be able to charge at home, so the only reason range would matter is if you were planning a road trip of more than 500 miles. In that case, finding a working, available charger is probably a much bigger concern than how far the car can go on the highway without needing to charge. The good news is that Audi’s navigation system can plan a route for you with chargers along the way. It’s not exactly new tech, but it’s nice to not have to worry so much about finding a nearby charger yourself. Plus, the car can charge at up to 270 kW, so if you can find a fast enough charger, you’ll be back on your feet in no time. Getting 135 miles in about 10 minutes isn’t bad, and you can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes.
By this point, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t really talked much about handling. Mainly because that’s not what this car is for. Not every electric crossover needs to be Hyundai Ioniq 5N. I think it’s capable enough, and it’s not entirely unsuitable for the tight, winding roads we spent a lot of time on, but I also never felt like pushing it any harder. Especially since, while the Q6 E-Tron is typical or even small by American SUV standards, it’s quite large for European roads, and there’s still no way to get around its weight. I don’t even know where I’d try to slide it if I wanted to in the first place.
As a luxury car, though, the Audi Q6 E-Tron is great. You just get in and drive, and you don’t really have to think about it. It’s comfortable, even when you’re dealing with the stress of trying to get lost in Spain. And that’s a good thing. I say let luxury cars be luxury cars. Not everything has to lap the Nürburgring in under eight minutes.
Audi says it expects deliveries to begin in the fourth quarter of this year “with additional variants to follow in 2025.” US pricing is expected to be announced closer to that time.
