2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron

Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron a good-looking car?

The 2025 Q6 E-Tron embodies the long wheelbase and short overhangs of sporty vehicles, but has the burly bod of the modern SUV. It earns a point as does the evolutionary interior to a 7. 

The Q6 E-Tron bears many of the same hallmarks as other Audi EV SUVs, starting with a solid shield-shaped nose with active grille shutters woven into its texture, topped by Audi rings and dipped in body-color paint, gray, or black, depending on the model. Ducts funnel air around the wheels, while split headlights add a new tech flourish that’s not available in the U.S. due to NHTSA regulations: LED headlight signatures that can be changed with the car in motion. 

• Q6 E-Tron generates up to 456 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds

• SQ6 E-Tron generates up to 509 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds

• Opt for the available air suspension and adaptive dampers

Swift acceleration and ride handling that vary between the world-isolating and the road hugging earn the Q6 E-Tron an 8 here. 

Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron 4WD?

Yes, dual-motor all-wheel-drive is standard. Audi employs a 140-kw induction motor on the front axle that helps with takeoff and supplements heavy power demands, but when cruising it virtually decouples, or spins freely, so only the 280-kw permanent magnet synchronous motor in back serves as the propulsion unit. This setup best balances power and efficiency. 

How fast is the Audi Q6 E-Tron?

Those more energy-dense and compact motors generate 422 hp in the base Q6, or 456 hp in bursts with launch control that get it to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. In the SQ6, the control module tunes the motors to generate more power, up to 509 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. Torque breaks down to 203 lb-ft from the front induction motor, which gives it that boost off the line lacking in the Q4 and Q8 E-Tron models, and 428 lb-ft in the PSM rear motor. 

There’s no trick to launch control: one foot on the brake, one on the accelerator, lay off the brake, then go. Power comes on quickly but the Q6 doesn’t have that gut-dropping pull of more performance-minded electric cars; the SQ6 could make your stomach smile. In both cases, the power is well modulated so it feels linear, and the drive modes provide more nuance to its responsiveness: Dynamic has a firm pedal response, while Efficiency is mushier, as expected. There are also Comfort and Off-Road modes, but with a relatively low ground clearance (unspecified as of press time), we can’t imagine anything more than getting through mud on a dirt path. 

An Individual mode enables customization of braking, throttle, and steering inputs, and when owners swap out the standard steel springs for the lovely air suspension and adaptive dampers that we tested, the modes affect the suspension height and the damping. It lowers 0.8 inches in Dynamic from Comfort, or 1.2 inches in Efficiency at cruising speed, while Off-road correspondingly raises it, so at most the air suspension travels about 2.5 inches.   

We didn’t test a model with just the steel springs and independent suspension, and the beefier bits in the SQ6, such as thicker anti-roll bars, lead to less squish in turns than the Q6. The SQ6 handles with more agility than its 5,300-pound curb weight would suggest, thanks also to its low ride height and low center of gravity, giving it an almost wagon-like feel that’s missing from the other E-Tron SUVs. 

The new electric platform’s diet also gave way to a new steering rack that’s connected to the subframe. The steering through the flat-bottomed wheel feels more connected to the road, and the resistance changes based on how you’re driving, so it’s light and loose at low speeds then tightens up. 

Audi’s latest regenerative braking system

Most of the braking is handled by the motors, capturing up to 0.25 g of deceleration. Audi offers up to five regen braking settings that cast the widest net over possible EV adopters. Selecting “B” mode in the gear selector pad in the console activates one-pedal driving so you’re braking by laying off the accelerator. Once at a full stop, it doesn’t creep forward. There are also three paddle shifter settings to modulate the level of regen, including the lowest setting that coasts like a gas car. The default Auto mode leaves it in the hands of the Audi programmers, and they’re good, smart hands; it’ll modulate regen based on the road and the cars ahead.

• The newest E-Tron measures 187.8 inches long, 78.5 inches wide, 64.9 inches tall, and has a 114.1-inch wheelbase. 

• It’s about eight inches longer than the Q4 E-Tron, and a foot shorter than the Q8 E-Tron

• Cargo room is 30.2 cubic feet, or 60.2 cubic feet with the rear seats down

Supportive front seats, plenty of rear legroom, above average cargo room, and top-notch materials each earn a point to a 9 here. 

With plenty of room in front for even tall passengers, the Q6 E-Tron offers a choice of three seat types between its various models, all of which have power adjustments and heating on both front seats, with available cooling. The SQ6 has firmly padded sport seats with more hug than snug. In back, the three-person bench has great sculpting and comfort, as well as ample headroom, but the 40:20:40-split rear seatbacks don’t recline. Small storage spaces abound, but it lacks an open or tiered console popular in many EVs. It does have a 2.2-cubic-foot front trunk to stow the charge cord or a bag of beans.

Build quality is exceptional, and Audi uses mostly synthetic leather or a suede-like blend with cross-stitching. Aluminum trim and soft-touch materials in charcoal hues serve as a seamless contrast to the dash stage of screens, which do not overwhelm the cabin. The haptic door lock panel and side mirror interfaces take some getting used to, however.

How safe is the Audi Q6 E-Tron?

The NHTSA and the IIHS haven’t crash-tested it yet, and the headlight signature made of matrix LEDs customizable in eight different ways has not been legalized for the U.S. Lame. Still, Audi loads it up with standard safety features as well as subtler digitized safety aids, such as a light bar rimming the cowl that gives navigational cues at approaching turns.

Standard driver-assist and safety systems include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection at the front and rear, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, a driver-attention monitor, and a rear-seat reminder.
Audi’s optional limited hands-free driving system works well by combining sensors similar to lidar, cameras, and radars to navigate the car on well marked highways as long as the driver is paying attention. 

The Audi Q6 E-Tron dons its luxury pedigree with leather and synthetic leather upholstery, its sharp OLED array of screens, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch wheels. That earns it a point, as does its progressive infotainment system detailed below, and its buffet of options on the SQ6 E-Tron.

Audi includes a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with four years of roadside assistance. It doesn’t include any scheduled maintenance, so it lands at an 8 here. 

Is the Audi Q6 E-Tron efficient?

It is indeed efficient in both energy use and DC fast-charging. Audi estimates the 2025 Q6 to have 307 miles of range, and once the EPA certifies it this fall it should have an efficiency rating of about 3.2 miles per kwh. That makes it a 10. 

The SQ6 rolls on larger 20- or 21-inch wheels and it’s tuned for performance, so the range drops to 276 miles.