It’s safe to say that Audi has been playing catch-up in the luxury EV game. This new A6 Sportback E-Tron fills a big void in the lineup. After several crossovers and SUVs, the German luxury brand is finally launching an electric sedan. Well, it has a tailgate, which technically makes it a liftback if you don’t think the term hatchback is correct. This is effectively Audi’s belated answer to the BMW i5 and the Mercedes EQE.
Unlike the i5 which shares its CLAR underpinnings with the 5 Series, the new A6 E-Tron is built on a dedicated EV architecture. The Premium Platform Electric (PPE) is the same used for the recently launched Q6 E-Tron, a BMW iX3 competitor. In addition, the hardware can also be found underneath the new Porsche Macan, an electric-only crossover.
It’s a stylish car that could’ve looked even better without the split headlight theme some BMWs have also embraced. Audi says the A6 Sportback E-Tron is its most aerodynamic production car in history thanks to a drag coefficient of just 0.21. The low Cd is partially made possible by the implementation of side cameras and aero-optimized alloy wheels.
Customers will get to pick from rear- and all-wheel-drive flavors of the A6, plus a hotter S6. The base model is the first modern Audi sedan with a RWD layout. It has 362 horsepower and does 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, en route to 130 mph (210 km/h). Go for the Quattro and output jumps to 422 hp. This dual-motor variant reaches 60 mph from a standstill in 4.3 seconds while having the same maximum speed.
The dual-motor, Quattro-equipped S6 E-Tron will be the king of the hill. Well, until Audi comes out with a full-fat electric RS6. Meanwhile, the highest-performing derivative packs a 496-hp punch. Activate launch control and you get 543 hp, reducing the sprint time to 3.7 seconds. The sportier variant maxes out at 149 mph.
There aren’t any battery options since Audi fits all A6 and S6 models with the same lithium-ion pack featuring a net energy content of 94.4 kWh. The German luxury brand promises more than 750 kilometers (466 miles) of range for the rear-wheel-drive model. Going for the S6 means you’ll be sacrificing some of the efficiency since the range will drop to 670 kilometers (416 miles). It’s worth mentioning these are not the WLTP figures but rather Audi’s own estimations.
Once you’re out of battery juice, the fully electric A6 can be recharged at 270 kW thanks to its 800-volt technology. It’ll take 21 minutes to go from 10% to 80%. Ten minutes spent at the charging station will give you 310 kilometers (193 miles) of range.
Inside, there’s a screen-heavy dashboard with an 11.9-inch driver’s display, a 14.5-inch infotainment, and an optional 10.9-inch screen for the front passenger. On top of that, customers can order the car with a new generation of Audi’s head-up display featuring augmented reality tech. Speaking of things that cost extra, the panoramic sunroof takes advantage of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) to switch from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button.
Audi will open the order books in September and charge €75,600 at home in Germany for the A6 Sportback E-Tron. The i5 M60-rivaling S6 Sportback E-Tron kicks off at €99,500. Much like BMW has the i5 Touring with an electric M Performance version, there’s also an A6/S6 Avant E-Tron wagon.
Source: Audi
