Audi was one of the first manufacturers to launch a large electric crossover. This happened in 2018, and the E-Tron (now Q8 E-Tron) initially stood out as an impressive entry into the electric luxury field, even enjoying decent success in the country just before the cancellation of the tax benefits for luxury electric vehicles with a price tag of NIS 393,000.
But soon it became clear that the effort that succeeded in surpassing Mercedes and BMW came at a cost: advanced features such as a camera instead of a side mirror did not shine, the official range of 400 km was quite theoretical, and reliability took time to stabilize. Audi did undergo a comprehensive facelift for the car a year ago, but the lessons can truly be seen in the new Q6 E-Tron, slightly smaller than the Q8 E-Tron and much more advanced.
The Q6 E-Tron fits between the Q4 to Q8, and in many ways surpasses the latter. With a length of 4.77 meters, a width of 1.99 meters, a height of 1.65 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.90 meters in the European version - there is also a longer Chinese version - it is much closer to the big brother in dimensions than to the small one. Like them, it only has five seats, leaving room for a generous rear cargo compartment of 526 liters, with an additional front compartment of 64 liters.
Design: Audi continues to maintain its solid line, and does not succumb to trends. The Q6 Audi looks impressive at first glance, a bit more muscular with bulges on the side, electrically sleek with a front grille that is sealed off. Technological and design innovations mainly concern the LED headlights in the front and the OLED in the back, capable of creating shapes and conveying messages to other drivers. A nice idea, but it remains to be seen how expensive these sophisticated headlights will be, as they might be the first casualties in any minor accident, affecting insurance prices.
Technology: The main asset lies beneath the design: The Q6 is the first model built on the new platform of the luxury division in the Volkswagen Group, the PPE. The second is the new Porsche Macan, followed by the electric successors of the A6 sedan and the flagship model A8. The development of the platform, particularly the millions of lines of code required for all functions, delayed the launch by nearly a year, but they created an electric vehicle capable of fast charging at a rate of 270 kilowatts per hour, and capable of significant future upgrades.
For the development, as usual, the company Cymotiv from Tel Aviv was involved, with Volkswagen partnering with former senior members of the Israeli intelligence agency, including Yuval Diskin, the CEO Zafrir Katz, and the VP of Business Development, Dr. Tamir Behor, responsible for cybersecurity within the group.
Passenger compartment: The more advanced passenger compartment, still in a very clean design with few physical buttons, an abundance of recycled materials, and a unique integration of a 14.5-inch multimedia screen and an 11.9-inch instrument panel, facing the driver. The passenger can watch movies away from the driver's eyes on their own 10.9-inch screen.
Audi didn't stop there and also integrated an advanced head-up display system, simulating an 88-inch screen on the front windshield in front of the driver's eyes, capable of projecting speed, navigation, and more data. Of course, there is also Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, a voice assistant, ambient lighting, and over-the-air updates (OTA) that are supposed to save visits to the dealership and allow Audi to sell you new capabilities in the future.
Engine and performance: Currently, there are two versions, both with hybrid propulsion. The regular Quattro has 388 PS, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, reaches 210 km/h, and an official combined range of 625 km. The SQ6 has a maximum output of 510 PS, accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, and reaches 230 km/h, shortening the range to 598 km.
Electricity: Currently, there is one battery version with 100 kWh (95 net), allowing slow charging at 11 or 22 kW, depending on the finish level, while fast charging at 270 kW - faster than Tesla, slower than Genesis 60GV, adds 255 km in about ten minutes of Audi charging. In the future, rear-wheel-drive versions will also be launched, with a smaller battery, likely 84 kWh, a range of about 650 km, and a discounted price.
Audi boasts that the Q6 is more dynamic than its competitors, yet it is a twin to the Porsche. To convince us, we were allowed to drive a few laps in a wide parking lot at the launch site. This was not even the beginning of their test drive, but a charge that easily impressed with the smooth operation and the blessed refusal to create an absolute dependence of the driver on the screens, and the ability to change the character of the car by choosing between different driving modes, where the sporty one also adds artificial but dramatic engine noise.
To ensure a sporty behavior, an uncommon interest in electric cars, unlike the performance of cars on, the rear tires are wider than the front ones, the dual drive can distribute power between the wheels, and the steering is more precise. I didn't see the landscape blurred before my eyes, but the sensation was much less palpable than what could be expected from an electric car of this size. Audi leaves the true sports performance to Porsche and perhaps to a future RSQ6 version.
The production lessons include transferring production to Audi's main factory in Ingolstadt, Germany, only the electric engines will be produced in Hungary, where the Q8 e-tron is made. Audi has also taken over the production of batteries, but the cells will come from the Chinese company CATL. The capacity to produce 300,000 batteries per year suggests that the Germans are anticipating success for electric cars based on the new platform.
Importer Audi, Champion Motors, has not yet announced the local price, but in Europe it is expected to range from 75,000 to 95,000 euros, which suggests an Israeli price starting at around NIS 500,000, which will decrease in the future with planned discounted versions. Not cheap, but a kind of electric luxury with a reasonable price, similar to what Skoda does for Volkswagen, and somewhat surpassing the Q8 e-tron. The local launch is expected in the last quarter of 2024.
Facing Chinese competition in the luxury market, Audi presents itself: technological but accessible, solid yet luxurious, magnificent without being tasteless. The Q6 is already Audi's third crossover, continuing to electrify, and we are already curious to see which new electric crossover will be launched under the Q4.
The writer was a guest of Audi in Munich.