The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Classic interior styling
- SQ6 upgrade
- Great seat comfort
- Responsive, big-screen infotainment
- Big cargo and back-seat space
Dislikes
- A pricey addition to the family
- Doesn’t carve out new shape
- A lot of driver-assist controls to shut off
- Polarized sunglasses dim HUD
- Might sit too low for some SUV drivers
Buying tip
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron promises plenty of range and connectivity for EV adopters who want a luxury midsize SUV.
While Audi still offers gas-powered utility vehicles in the form of the Q3, Q5, Q7, and Q8, it’s the battery-powered SUVs like the 2025 Q6 E-Tron that will convince many drivers to make their own power move.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron? What does it compare to?
A midsize electric crossover that seats five, the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron slots in between the Q4 and Q8 electric SUVs and rivals everything from the Tesla Model Y and BMW X3 to the related Porsche Macan EV.
Is the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron a good car?
With its newest SUV utilizing the brand’s second-generation electric vehicle technology, the Audi Q6 E-Tron represents the vanguard of Audi’s growing EV family of crossover SUVs. While the forthcoming price could temper our appreciation, the Audi Q6 E-Tron earns a high TCC Rating of 8.4 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron?
Everything. It’s the first Audi offering from a new architecture dubbed PPE, and thus shares its underpinnings with the new Porsche Macan EV. Compared to other E-Tron SUVs, it has an 800-volt electrical architecture for quicker fast charging, a larger and more energy dense 94.4-kwh battery pack, more potent and efficient motors, and a hypermodern digital interface that’s more intuitive than overwhelming.
It’s not the most evocative SUV, but it still embodies SUV burliness instead of the aerodynamic jelly bean shape that’s en vogue. The interior evolves Audi’s digital design language, with a stage of screens well integrated into the tiered dash and ringed by a light bar that illuminates with navigation cues. It’s a clean, uncluttered interface, and the learning curve on all the myriad functions gets eased with voice commands augmented by artificial intelligence.
A standard single-motor rear-wheel-drive system makes 322 hp and moves the Q6 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds; we haven’t tested this model yet.
The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system can launch both the Q6 and SQ6 to 60 mph in less than five seconds, and the balance of power, efficiency, and comfort bodes well for future vehicles using this setup. It’s an evolutionary leap beyond the basic Q4 E-Tron and middling Q8 E-Tron. It takes a beat to get used to the brake feel, which is mostly done through regenerative braking.
In the real world, its 94.4-kwh usable battery pack helps boost Audi’s estimated range to 307 miles for the Q6 AWD (on 19-inch wheels), or 276 miles for the SQ6 and its flashier 20-inch wheels. The base RWD model has a 321-mile range. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture, the Q6 can accept up to 270 kw to DC fast-charge from 10-80% in 21 minutes, or at 135 kw it can take 35 minutes.
Sized like the Tesla Model Y, the Q6 E-Tron front seats sit lower than some SUV shoppers may expect, but they’re remarkably comfortable, especially when equipped with available massagers. Rear-seat passengers have plenty of headroom and good legroom at 37.4 inches, but the seatbacks don’t recline.
No crash-test scores are yet available, but every Q6 E-Tron has automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and decent rearward vision despite thick roof pillars.
How much does the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron cost?
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron RWD costs $65,095, including the $1,295 destination fee. It will be offered in Premium, Premium Plus ($68,895), and Prestige ($71,895) grades. Opting for the second motor and all-wheel drive costs only $2,000 more, and the range drops to 307 miles.
The SQ6 E-Tron feels like a deal at $74,195, or just $7,100 more than the Q6 AWD. Range drops to 275 miles. A coupe-like Q6 Sportback model will follow, then a high-performance RS Q6 is planned for 2025. A single-motor rear-wheel-drive version may arrive next year, and it would be cheaper and with similar range, but Audi would not confirm it for the U.S.
Neither model will be eligible for federal tax credits that apply to North American-made electric vehicles.
Where is the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron made?
In Ingolstadt, Germany.
—Editorial Director Martin Padgett contributed to this report.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Styling
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron embraces classic SUV design in a wholly modern skin.
Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron a good-looking car?
The 2025 Q6 E-Tron embodies the long wheelbase and short overhangs of sporty vehicles, but has the burly bod of the modern SUV. It earns a point as does the evolutionary interior to a 7.
The Q6 E-Tron bears many of the same hallmarks as other Audi EV SUVs, starting with a solid shield-shaped nose with active grille shutters woven into its texture, topped by Audi rings and dipped in body-color paint, gray, or black, depending on the model. Ducts funnel air around the wheels, while split headlights add a new tech flourish that’s not available in the U.S. due to NHTSA regulations: LED headlight signatures that can be changed with the car in motion.
From the side, the Q6’s other inspiration comes from another VW Group SUV—the Bentley Bentayga. Strong brows cap its wheels, while panels of gloss black gird the deep sculpting down its flanks. Big aero-shaped wheels range from 19 to 21 inches. At the rear the Q6 E-Tron has another set of adaptive lights that U.S. vehicles won’t get: LED taillights that can vary their display patterns.
Inside, the Q6 E-Tron banks digital displays around the driver, while setting aside a separate touchscreen for the passenger to use. A dogbone-shaped inset of softly padded synthetic leather unifies the cockpit, while an array of metallic or wood trims brace the dash around its 14.5-inch central touchscreen and its pencil-thin fonts and icons. A drive selector saddles the center console, and cupholders sit under a sliding tambour. It’s a classic Audi design in its balance, its coolness, and its regimented layout.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Performance
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron balances performance and efficiency.
- Q6 E-Tron generates up to 456 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds
- SQ6 E-Tron generates up to 509 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds
- Opt for the available air suspension and adaptive dampers
Swift acceleration and ride handling that vary between the world-isolating and the road hugging earn the Q6 E-Tron an 8 here.
Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron 4WD?
A single-motor rear-wheel-drive model is standard, but most shoppers will select the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version. We haven’t tested the base model. Audi employs a 140-kw induction motor on the front axle that helps with takeoff and supplements heavy power demands, but when cruising it virtually decouples, or spins freely, so only the 280-kw permanent magnet synchronous motor in back serves as the propulsion unit. This setup best balances power and efficiency.
How fast is the Audi Q6 E-Tron?
Those more energy-dense and compact motors generate 422 hp in the base Q6, or 456 hp in bursts with launch control that get it to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. In the SQ6, the control module tunes the motors to generate more power, up to 509 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. Torque breaks down to 203 lb-ft from the front induction motor, which gives it that boost off the line lacking in the Q4 and Q8 E-Tron models, and 428 lb-ft in the PSM rear motor.
There’s no trick to launch control: one foot on the brake, one on the accelerator, lay off the brake, then go. Power comes on quickly but the Q6 doesn’t have that gut-dropping pull of more performance-minded electric cars; the SQ6 could make your stomach smile. In both cases, the power is well modulated so it feels linear, and the drive modes provide more nuance to its responsiveness: Dynamic has a firm pedal response, while Efficiency is mushier, as expected. There are also Comfort and Off-Road modes, but with a relatively low ground clearance (unspecified as of press time), we can’t imagine anything more than getting through mud on a dirt path.
An Individual mode enables customization of braking, throttle, and steering inputs, and when owners swap out the standard steel springs for the lovely air suspension and adaptive dampers that we tested, the modes affect the suspension height and the damping. It lowers 0.8 inches in Dynamic from Comfort, or 1.2 inches in Efficiency at cruising speed, while Off-road correspondingly raises it, so at most the air suspension travels about 2.5 inches.
We didn’t test a model with just the steel springs and independent suspension, and the beefier bits in the SQ6, such as thicker anti-roll bars, lead to less squish in turns than the Q6. The SQ6 handles with more agility than its 5,300-pound curb weight would suggest, thanks also to its low ride height and low center of gravity, giving it an almost wagon-like feel that’s missing from the other E-Tron SUVs.
The new electric platform’s diet also gave way to a new steering rack that’s connected to the subframe. The steering through the flat-bottomed wheel feels more connected to the road, and the resistance changes based on how you’re driving, so it’s light and loose at low speeds then tightens up.
Audi’s latest regenerative braking system
Most of the braking is handled by the motors, capturing up to 0.25 g of deceleration. Audi offers up to five regen braking settings that cast the widest net over possible EV adopters. Selecting “B” mode in the gear selector pad in the console activates one-pedal driving so you’re braking by laying off the accelerator. Once at a full stop, it doesn’t creep forward. There are also three paddle shifter settings to modulate the level of regen, including the lowest setting that coasts like a gas car. The default Auto mode leaves it in the hands of the Audi programmers, and they’re good, smart hands; it’ll modulate regen based on the road and the cars ahead.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Comfort & Quality
Sized like the Tesla Model Y, the Q6 E-Tron luxuriates in cabin comfort.
- The newest E-Tron measures 187.8 inches long, 78.5 inches wide, 64.9 inches tall, and has a 114.1-inch wheelbase.
- It’s about eight inches longer than the Q4 E-Tron, and a foot shorter than the Q8 E-Tron
- Cargo room is 30.2 cubic feet, or 60.2 cubic feet with the rear seats down
Supportive front seats, plenty of rear legroom, above average cargo room, and top-notch materials each earn a point to a 9 here.
With plenty of room in front for even tall passengers, the Q6 E-Tron offers a choice of three seat types between its various models, all of which have power adjustments and heating on both front seats, with available cooling. The SQ6 has firmly padded sport seats with more hug than snug. In back, the three-person bench has great sculpting and comfort, as well as ample headroom, but the 40:20:40-split rear seatbacks don’t recline. Small storage spaces abound, but it lacks an open or tiered console popular in many EVs. It does have a 2.2-cubic-foot front trunk to stow the charge cord or a bag of beans.
Build quality is exceptional, and Audi uses mostly synthetic leather or a suede-like blend with cross-stitching. Aluminum trim and soft-touch materials in charcoal hues serve as a seamless contrast to the dash stage of screens, which do not overwhelm the cabin. The haptic door lock panel and side mirror interfaces take some getting used to, however.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Safety
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron has plenty of driver-assist features that can all be minimized so they don’t distract.
How safe is the Audi Q6 E-Tron?
The NHTSA and the IIHS haven’t crash-tested it yet, and the headlight signature made of matrix LEDs customizable in eight different ways has not been legalized for the U.S. Lame. Still, Audi loads it up with standard safety features as well as subtler digitized safety aids, such as a light bar rimming the cowl that gives navigational cues at approaching turns.
Standard driver-assist and safety systems include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection at the front and rear, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, a driver-attention monitor, and a rear-seat reminder.
Audi’s optional limited hands-free driving system works well by combining sensors similar to lidar, cameras, and radars to navigate the car on well marked highways as long as the driver is paying attention.
Thick roof pillars can chunk up views over the shoulder, and that will get even more cramped in Sportback models.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Features
Audi loads the 2025 Q6 E-Tron with next-level multimedia interfaces.
The Audi Q6 E-Tron dons its luxury pedigree with leather and synthetic leather upholstery, its sharp OLED array of screens, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. That earns it a point, as does its progressive infotainment system detailed below, and its buffet of options on the SQ6 E-Tron.
Audi includes a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with four years of roadside assistance. It doesn’t include any scheduled maintenance, so it lands at an 8 here.
Which Audi Q6 E-Tron should I buy?
It seems unlikely the SQ6 is as sharp as the Porsche Macan EV, but the $74,195 Audi SQ6 cabin is more luxurious and comfortable. No Q6 E-Tron models will qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
How much is a fully loaded Audi Q6 E-Tron?
The SQ6 E-Tron and its larger wheels and brakes, sport-tuned air suspension, and sport seats with massagers cost from $74,195 in Premium trim, $78,595 in Premium Plus, and $80,595 in Prestige trim. We love the upgraded Bang & Olufsen sound system with four speakers integrated into the front headrests that can give voice commands to the driver without interrupting music to everyone else.
How does the Q6 E-Tron run infotainment?
The Q6 has a 14.5-inch touchscreen to accompany its 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster, and it runs Audi’s latest infotainment system. A passenger touchscreen of 10.9 inches that’s unreadable by the driver feels less like a gimmick than in other cars, enabling the passenger to act as navigator or to zone out in zone two. It’s less intrusively integrated into the dash than in many luxury rivals.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, but the voice recognition system is now augmented by ChatGPT that can not only process up to 800 vehicle commands (such as “Put down the passenger window”), according to Audi, but it can also learn along with the owner and answer general interest questions. The shift away from the touch interface is a welcome one.
2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Fuel Economy
The 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron AWD has a 307-mile range.
Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron efficient?
It is indeed efficient in both energy use and DC fast-charging. Audi estimates the 2025 Q6 with RWD to peak out at 321 miles, while the Q6 with AWD has 307 miles of range, and an efficiency rating of about 3.2 miles per kwh.
The SQ6 rolls on larger 20- or 21-inch wheels and it’s tuned for performance, so the range drops to 276 miles.
How long does it take to charge the Audi Q6 E-Tron?
The new electric platform used in the Q6 E-Tron is based on an 800-volt system that can accept a DC fast-charge of up to 270 kw. If you can find a public charger pumping electrons at that rate, Audi estimates it would only take 10 minutes of charge to recoup nearly 135 miles of range. That’s fast. Officially, Audi lists the 10% to 80% charge time at 21 minutes.
But the 800-volt system can be split into twin 400-volt circuits that can charge in parallel at up to 135 kw—a more commonly available rate—in 35 minutes. Owners can use Plug & Charge at Electrify America stations that automatically connect to your account, so you don’t need to swipe a card or anything.
At home, on a 40-amp 240-volt AC circuit, the Q6 E-Tron’s 9.6-kw onboard charger fills the battery to full in about 10 hours. Audi says a 19.2-kw onboard charger will be made available at a later date, and when connected to an 80-amp 240-volt circuit, it should cut the home charge time in half.
