[UPDATE] Audi has released US specs for the Q6 Sportback E-Tron, sold here only with all-wheel drive and the bigger battery pack. The range is estimated at 300 miles. The regular Q6 will have 422 hp (456 hp peak) while the SQ6 is rated at 483 hp (509 hp peak). It goes on sale in the US next spring or summer, with full details to be disclosed closer to launch.
Pioneered by BMW with the original X6, the SUV masquerading as a coupe entered the electric era a few years ago. Audi already has two niche models in its portfolio, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron and the Q8 Sportback E-Tron. For the 2024 Paris Motor Show kicking off today, the Four Rings have prepared the middle child, the Q6 E-Tron Sportback.
As its name implies, it’s a sleeker iteration of the 2025 Q6 E-Tron we saw just a few months ago as a sister model of the new Porsche Macan. Compared to the conventionally shaped electric SUV, the Sportback’s roofline has been lowered by nearly 1.5 inches. That might not seem much but the gently sloped roof helped Audi bring down the drag coefficient from 0.28 to 0.26.
The Ingolstadt-based luxury brand goes as far as to say the coupe-inspired roofline resembles that of the first-generation TT Coupe. We’re honestly having a hard time noticing the similarities since we can’t just ignore the rest of the body, which is substantially bulkier than what the original Tourist Trophy had.
Echoing other Audi models on the Premium Platform Electric architecture such as the A6 E-Tron, the Q6 Sportback E-Tron has split headlights because this trend is in full swing. That’s the easiest way you can set it apart from the smaller Q4 Sportback E-Tron since they’re remarkably similar otherwise. We’d argue a bit more variety would’ve been nice, especially since the future gas-fueled Q5 Sportback isn’t going to be all that different either.
That tapered rear end predictably eats into the cargo volume, albeit the penalty is minimal. With the rear seats in place, there are 511 liters at your disposal. Fold the bench and the volume jumps to 1,373 liters. Since the front section hasn’t been changed, the so-called “frunk” can store an identical 64 liters. An extra 25 liters of storage are scattered around the cabin.
The interior has been essentially carried over from the Q6 E-Tron, complete with a triple-screen setup. There’s a 14.5-inch infotainment flanked by an 11.9-inch driver’s display and a 10.9-inch passenger screen. A head-up display costs extra and comes along with augmented reality tech. You’ll find an identical setup in the A6 E-Tron where physical controls have been kept down to a minimum as well.
Echoing the Q6 E-Tron without the rakish roofline, the Sportback is offered in multiple flavors. Customers can pick from rear-wheel-drive versions with a single motor or Quattro-equipped models featuring a dual-motor setup. There are two battery sizes available, one with a net capacity of 75.8 kWh and the other with 94.9 kWh. At the top of the range sits the SQ6 available exclusively with dual motors and the bigger battery.
The hot one belts out 483 horsepower for a 0 to 60 mph run in as little as 4.3 seconds. Settle for a Q6 Sportback E-Tron with Quattro and you get 382 hp for a 5.9-second sprint. Going further down in the lineup, a rear-wheel-drive Q6 Sportback E-Tron Performance packs a 302-hp punch and hit 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. The base model makes do with 248 hp and takes seven seconds for the sprint.
If the highest range possible is your priority, the Q6 Sportback E-Tron Performance with rear-wheel drive is the one to get. It can cover up to 408 miles (656 kilometers) on a single charge in the WLTP cycle with the bigger 94.9-kWh pack. The cheaper model with the 75.8-kWh battery can travel for 339 miles (545 kilometers).
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Depending on the version you go for, Audi says its coupe-ified electric SUV supports up to 270 kW charging, in which case it takes 22 minutes to go from 10% to 80%. Spend 10 minutes at a charging station and you’ll put enough juice back in the battery for 165 miles (265 kilometers).
Unlike the less sophisticated Q4 E-Tron Sportback that sits on the MEB platform, this fancier electric SUV gets adaptive air suspension for a silky-smooth ride. It also benefits from an 800-volt electrical system, hence the superior charging power. Inside, there’s a Bang & Olufsen sound system with no fewer than 20 speakers, including four mounted in the front headrests.
Following its first outing at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, the Audi Q6 E-Tron Sportback will go on sale in Europe near the end of this year or early 2025. Specifications for the United States have not been disclosed yet.
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