Audi’s Q6 e-tron is an electric SUV that feels refreshingly normal

It took the established German luxury car brands a while to respond to the Tesla Model S, but Audi was quicker off the line than most. As rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz are just now completing full lineups of EVs, Audi is moving into its next generation.

The 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron is an electric SUV aimed at the middle of the luxury market. Audi sees the Q6 e-tron as an electric equivalent to its bestselling Q5, and it faces plenty of direct competition from EVs like the Acura ZDX, Cadillac Lyriq, and Mercedes EQE SUV.

That positioning indicates that Audi is serious about making the Q6 e-tron a high-volume model rather than just an exercise in greenwashing, and so does the Q6’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which takes upgrades like the 800-volt charging hardware pioneered by the Audi e-tron GT to the mainstream.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: design

The Q6 e-tron shares its PPE architecture with the Audi A6 e-tron sedan, but Audi made sure the platform was reconfigurable to properly accommodate both body styles. A “low-floor” concept” for the A6 e-tron gives that sedan a sleek and aerodynamic exterior, while a “high-floor” version provides the Q6 e-tron with proper SUV proportions and an elevated driving position.

Much like the Audi Q8 e-tron (nee e-tron), the Q6 e-tron’s styling gives the impression of a conventional SUV first and an EV second. The roof and front end are very upright, the latter emphasized by stacked headlights. All models except the base Premium trim level have “digital” daytime running lights with a cool pixelated look and programmable designs. OLED taillights are available as well. More functionality, including the ability to alter the lighting scheme while moving, is available in other markets, but that’s not allowed under current U.S. regulations.

This design is a quite a contrast to the Jell-O-like look of the Mercedes EQE SUV and the retro futurism of the Cadillac Lyriq, but all three offer comparable amounts of interior space. The Audi’s squared-off roof provides more rear-seat headroom, although legroom in that row is a bit less generous. Cargo space is competitive as well, at a maximum 30.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 60.4 cubic feet behind the front seats. The Q6 e-tron also has a frunk, but it’s mainly for storing charging equipment.

While it looks dramatically different from its A6 e-tron platform mate on the outside, the Q6 e-tron offers a similar layout on the inside. An angular theme echoes the octagonal grille and creased fenders on the outside, while aiding functionality. The dashboard is shaped around the curved main display, which in turn is placed so that air vents aren’t forced down so low that they’re blowing air at knees instead of faces, Audi noted. I was skeptical of the squared-off steering wheel on some models, but it presented no issues while providing an uninterrupted view of the instrument cluster.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: specs

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: tech

The Q6 e-tron has the same screen layout as its sedan sibling, the A6 e-tron. A curved display incorporating an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.5 touchscreen dominates the left two-thirds of the dashboard. It looks pretty impressive at first glance, but closer inspection reveals large bezels needed to make the two screens fit into the same housing.

Audi’s take on the curved display does balance form and function better than many rivals’ attempts, though. The curvature puts the central touchscreen closer to the driver’s line of sight, and within easy reach. As in the A6 e-tron, this means the touchscreen is turned slightly away from the front passenger, but an optional 10.9-inch touchscreen makes up for that. This tertiary screen includes controls for things like audio and climate, as well as streaming video functionality (a filter prevents the driver from watching videos while the vehicle is in motion).

The latest version of Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface) infotainment system is now Android-based, but does not feature integrated Google apps and retains access to standalone Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

This approach also means Audi relies on its own voice recognition system, but first — and second — impressions indicate it’s not up to the standard set by the system Mercedes uses in its EQE SUV. In the Q6 e-tron, voice recognition would be triggered by random bits of conversation. That wasn’t a problem I noticed with the same system in an earlier test of the A6 e-tron, but in that car, the system had trouble comprehending some commands. At least the optional Bang & Olufsen audio system’s headrest speakers can relay responses directly to each front seat.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: driving experience

The shared platform means the Q6 e-tron is mechanically similar to the A6 e-tron. Like the sedan, it will be sold in the U.S. exclusively with a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack (with 94 kWh of usable capacity) and single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains. For this test drive, Audi only had dual-motor models with adaptive air suspension (passive steel-spring suspension is standard) available.

I started in a Q6 e-tron Quattro, which defaults to 422 horsepower, but can temporarily increase output to 456 hp with the standard launch control engaged, getting it from zero to 60 mph in an estimated 4.9 seconds. That’s a substantial upgrade from the single-motor powertrain’s 302 hp (322 hp with launch control) and 6.3-second zero to 60 mph time, and the Quattro beats the acceleration time of the pricier Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4Matic SUV.

Acceleration is really the only sporty thing about the Q6 e-tron, though. California’s Napa wine region has some excellent driving roads with not-quite-perfect pavement, but it was hard to take advantage of them. The air suspension exaggerated small road imperfections that an EQE SUV or Cadillac Lyriq would erase, while preventing the Q6 from getting settled in corners. The steering did at least feel much more dialed in than the helm of an A6 e-tron I had recently driven, so this taller EV weirdly felt a bit more nimble.

Things didn’t improve with the SQ6 e-tron, which ladles on more power without changing the rest of the recipe. The SQ6 is tuned for 483 hp (509 hp with launch control) which shaves 0.7 of a second off the Q6 e-tron Quattro’s zero to 60 mph time. But the difference in handling was minute, and the SQ6 suffered from the same uncomfortable ride as its less-sporty sibling.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: range and charging

Audi expects up to 321 miles of range for single-motor models with 18-inch wheels — the smallest available. Most dual-motor models are expected to get 307 miles, but the SQ6 e-tron is estimated to get just 275 miles of range.

The range estimates are respectable, although Audi uses a big battery pack to get them. This is also a clear illustration of the difference between an SUV and a sedan when it comes to range. The Q6 e-tron and the A6 e-tron share a platform and will be sold with the same-size battery pack in the U.S., but Audi expects some versions of the A6 e-tron to reach up to 390 miles of range.

Fast charging is just as important as overall range for long road trips, and the Q6 e-tron’s 800-volt architecture helps check that box. Dual-motor models can DC fast charge at up to 270 kilowatts and go from 10% to 80% charge in 21 minutes. The equivalent numbers for single-motor models are 260 kW and 22 minutes. All versions can Level 2 AC charge at 9.6 kW, with a full recharge taking an estimated 14 hours.

2025 Audi Q6 e-tron: how DT would configure this car

Between the two versions I drove, the standard Q6 e-tron Quattro seemed like a better choice than the ostensibly sportier SQ6 e-tron. The latter didn’t feel different enough to justify its lower range and higher price. Its base price is $7,100 higher than that of the Q6 e-tron, which starts at $67,095. The test cars were both top Prestige models (Premium and Premium Plus grades were also available) with a few options. That brought as-tested prices to $76,790 for the Q6 e-tron and $83,395 for the SQ6 e-tron.

That being said, this first drive left me very curious to try a base single-motor Q6 e-tron Premium. This version starts at $65,095, offering the option to trade all-wheel drive for other features at an equivalent sticker price. It also uses different, albeit less sophisticated suspension that might address the air-sprung test cars’ ride-quality issues.

The Audi Q6 e-tron didn’t overwhelm me with its brilliance, but it did impress me with how well it understood the assignment. Where rivals like Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz set up to redefine the luxury SUV for the electric era, Audi tries to coax current owners to make the switch through familiarity. As an electric alternative to current gasoline luxury SUVs, it’s hard to fault the Q6 e-tron’s combination of range, charging capability, interior space, and design.