After so many months of waiting, the Q6 e-tron is finally revealed, the first Audi model to use the PPE platform

The Audi Q6 e-tron is one of those announcements that brands release in drips to build anticipation, which in the end tends to achieve the opposite: boredom. We were shown it with eye-catching camouflage, then it was changed, and they focused on offering us a glimpse of its interior to leave us wanting more, announcing that its presentation would be postponed until 2024 so that, finally, they could finalise the details for this coming March.

Now, at last, Audi has officially presented the Q6 e-tron, which is based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) developed jointly with Porsche and the E3 1.2 electronic architecture. Its presence, like that of most of Audi’s “Q” family, is imposing. First, its body measures 4,771 mm in length, together with a width of 1,939 mm and a height of 1,648 mm, while the wheelbase is 2,899 mm; dimensions that guarantee ample, comfortable space for five people and their luggage.

Another hallmark of Audi’s “Q” family is its short overhangs, also a trademark of the new Q6 e-tron, combined with a design that blends sportiness and elegance in equal measure. The Singleframe grille remains the main star of the front end, though fully closed as befits an electric car, with a surround that can be finished in selenite silver or gloss black and that also frames the side air intakes.

On either side of the grille sit headlights where, once again, Audi is at the forefront, presenting what it calls the world’s first active digital light signature. This new technology also offers greater personalisation for each Q6 e-tron owner, with up to eight digital light signatures in the Matrix LED headlights with a new design for the daytime running lights, and in the OLED 2.0 digital rear light cluster. For the first time, the latter will also be able to communicate selectively with the immediate surroundings thanks to Car-to-X technology.

Along the sides we see how the glasshouse gradually narrows until it reaches the rear and the D-pillar, which is slightly raked and supported by the muscular waistline running from the rear door, which also shapes the tail and integrates the OLED 2.0 digital rear light cluster, giving it even greater emphasis. At the top of the tailgate is a discreet rear spoiler combined with a black side moulding, while at the bottom the rear bumper conveys the same sense of width as the front.

Inside, as we were able to anticipate at the time, the Audi Q6 e-tron offers a great sense of space and habitability, largely thanks to the PPE platform, especially in the rear, where the removal of the central tunnel makes much better use of the three seats in the second row. Further back, there is a boot offering a generous 526 litres of capacity, which can be increased to 1,529 litres with the seats folded in a 40:20:40 split; to which must be added 64 litres for the luggage compartment under the front bonnet.

Still inside, now at the front seats, it presents a three-dimensional design oriented to the user’s needs, with elements placed in the foreground or background. The Digital Stage is particularly eye-catching: on one side it consists of the Audi MMI panoramic display, which combines an 11.9-inch screen for the Audi virtual cockpit and a 14.5-inch MMI touch touchscreen in a curved, OLED-technology design; on the other side is the MMI passenger display, a 10.9-inch screen on which the passenger can watch videos, use navigation or view information without distracting the driver. On the technology front, we must not forget the augmented reality Head-Up Display, the Audi Assistant voice assistant with AI support and self-learning function, or the Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with 22 speakers and 830 watts of power.

As for its electric powertrain, there will initially be two versions: the Q6 e-tron with a power output of 285 kW (382 CV), and the SQ6 e-tron with 380 kW (510 CV), with power sent to all four wheels, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 and 4.3 seconds respectively, and reach top speeds of 210 km/h and 230 km/h. Audi later confirms that two further versions will arrive with rear-wheel drive: one aimed at offering the best balance between efficiency and range, and the other positioned as the entry-level version.

As for the versions currently available, both are fitted with a 100 kWh lithium-ion battery of total gross capacity, which will offer at best a range of 625 kilometres. Although no figure is given for the SQ6 e-tron, it is reasonable to assume it will be considerably lower. The good news is that, thanks to 800 V technology and a standard maximum charging capacity of 270 kW, up to 255 km of range can be recovered in just ten minutes, although Audi specifies that this must be at a High Power Charging station.

To learn the prices and specific equipment of the new Audi Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron, we will not have to wait long, as the brand will put them on sale this very March, while the first deliveries to their future owners will begin in the summer.