Volkswagen Group brand Audi prepares to unleash its new electric vehicle. Twinned with the second-generation Macan on the Porsche- and Audi-developed Premium Platform Electric, the Q6 e-tron will "overtake your expectations" on March 18.
The big question is, what expectations? We already know it's a dual-motor SUV based on a rear-biased platform, and we also know that it's marginally longer than a Tesla Model Y. The four-ringed automaker has also published many photos of thinly camo'd prototypes, and photos of the production-spec interior were published in September 2023.
Otherwise put, very little has been left to the imagination of prospective customers and enthusiasts. Compared to the Macan, which is assembled in Leipzig, the Q6 e-tron will come from the Audi-operated plant in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Audi's largest production facility to date is currently tasked with assembling the A3, A4, A5, plus the Q2 crossover. Ingolstadt achieved net carbon neutrality in January 2024. By 2025, all of the brand's manufacturing facilities will follow suit.
Slotted between the Q4 e-tron and the Q8 e-tron, the Q6 e-tron differs from its zero-emission siblings in many respects. The biggest upgrade, however, is the 800-volt electrical architecture. It should be noted that Audi has an 800-volt electric vehicle to its name, that model being the e-tron GT. The Porsche Taycan received a comprehensive mid-cycle refresh in February 2024, yet the e-tron GT has yet to be updated.
Photo: Audi
Before going any further, it's highly important to highlight that Audi sells a combustion-engined Q6 in China. A full-size luxury crossover based on the MQB platform of the Volkswagen Golf, the Q6 can be had with either a 2.0L I4 or a 2.5L VR6 in combination with a seven-speed DSG tranny.
Although compatible with a single-motor setup, the Q6 e-tron is expected to launch with two such drive units. Porsche did exactly that with the second-generation Macan, and Zuffenhausen's favorite son also made it clear that a single-motor version may be added to the lineup if there is demand for it.
Macan 4 is what Porsche calls the entry-level version, which develops 300 kW (make that 408 ps or hp) at full chatter. It's easy to imagine the Q6 e-tron with this powertrain. Hearsay suggests a Q6 e-tron RS with many similarities to the Macan Turbo, but only time will tell whether Audi Sport will be allowed to mirror the Porker's 470-kW output.
470 kW means 639 ps or 630 hp. Thanks to 1,130 Nm (833 pound-feet), the Macan Turbo needs 3.3 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). The combined WLTP range of the Macan Turbo is 591 kilometers (367 miles), while the Macan 4 levels up to 613 kilometers (381 miles). Both pack a 100-kWh battery with a net capacity of 95 kilowatt hours. Audi could make a case for an S version of the Q6 e-tron, but only time will tell how many specifications will be available in the first year of production.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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