It has more range, it's more attractive than the SUV, and it barely loses boot space: the Sportback is the body version of the Audi Q6 e-tron that I would buy.

“Sportback” bodies are already a tradition at Audi, one that the new Q6 e-tron could not fail to join: just a few months after going on sale, the electric SUV adds the Q6 Sportback e-tron to its range, this interesting body variant that the brand’s customers appreciate so much. And it is no surprise: Audi’s Sportbacks offer a coupé silhouette that is increasingly fashionable without practically sacrificing interior space or boot capacity.

Let us recall that, leaving aside the Q7, there are already Sportback variants of every SUV in the range, from the Q3 to the Q8. Although Audi also uses this name for other models with a certain coupé line, such as the A6 Sportback or the A7 Sportback… and for others that have nothing coupé about them, such as the A1 Sportback or the A3 Sportback. But let us return to the model at hand.

The differences between the Q6 e-tron SUV and the Q6 Sportback e-tron

Except for the differences associated with the body, with a descending roofline, the new Q6 Sportback e-tron is identical to the Q6 e-tron SUV. This includes the same range in terms of motor and battery combinations, and also the same commercial offer, that is, trim levels, equipment and options. Audi has not yet announced the price difference the Sportback body entails, but it is not very hard to get an idea: in the case of the Q4 e-tron, the difference is about 1,500 euros, while in the Q8 e-tron range the Sportback body costs about 2,500 euros more than the SUV. Let us recall that the Q6 e-tron is available from 71,710 euros for the entry-level version, with a 292 CV motor and an 83 kWh battery.

The Q6 Sportback e-tron’s body keeps the length and width of the SUV, that is, 4.77 and 1.96 metres respectively. But, and here is the main difference, the Sportback is almost 4 centimetres lower (37 mm, to be exact) and has a clearly descending roofline. The first consequence of this is that the aerodynamic coefficient improves, going from a Cx of 0.28 on the SUV to 0.26 on the Sportback. And in an electric car, this translates into more kilometres of range. Specifically, up to 655 km for the Q6 e-tron performance version.

Fine, you will tell me that this is practically anecdotal if we consider that the Q6 e-tron performance with SUV body is homologated at 634 km, just 21 km less than the Sportback. Not much when we are already at ranges above 600 km. And you are right. Range will not be the main argument for paying more for a Sportback, whose main asset is its “coupé” exterior image. But the good news is that adopting the SUV coupé fashion with the Q6 Sportback e-tron not only does not penalise consumption or range, but in this case even adds to them.

And what could be a “problem”, interior space or boot capacity, will not make you look elsewhere either. Audi has already accustomed us to Sportback bodies that maintain good interior space or even slightly improve boot capacity over the SUV version they derive from. That is not the case with the Q6 e-tron Sportback, although the trend continues: its 511 litres of boot capacity are just 15 litres less than on the SUV, keeping, of course, the 64 additional litres under the front bonnet. And rear seat headroom will not be as generous, but in no way so much that they cannot be considered perfectly valid for adults.

Four versions, two 4×2 and two 4×4

And that is as far as the differences between the two bodies go, because as I said above, technically the Sportback and the SUV are identical. The range has four versions, two with 4×2 traction (a rear motor) and two with 4×4 traction (a motor on each axle). The entry version is the Q6 Sportback e-tron, with a 292 CV motor and an 83 kWh battery, offering a range of 545 km. Also with a motor on the rear axle, the Q6 e-tron performance delivers 326 CV and reaches 655 km of range, thanks to a 100 kWh battery.

The two 4×4 versions also use the larger-capacity battery. The Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro reaches 443 CV of system power, with a remarkable range of 636 km. The sportiest version, the SQ6 Sportback e-tron, develops 517 CV of system power and reaches a range of 607 km. In all cases the architecture used is 800 volts, with maximum DC charging powers ranging from 225 to 270 kW depending on the version. In any case, going from 10 to 80% capacity at suitable high-power charging stations takes between 20 and 25 minutes.

There are also no differences in the interior design of the dashboard, dominated by the huge curved panoramic screen that integrates the instrument cluster and the multimedia system display. The trim levels are the same as on the SUV: advanced, S line and Black line, and the price jumps between versions, as well as the price of the options, will be equivalent to those of the Q6 e-tron SUV currently on sale. The Sportback will be available for orders at the end of this same year.

Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron | Image gallery