Test Drive Audi Q6 e-tron: Sleek Little Brother

Audi keeps it pleasantly moderate: Under the 4.91-meter-long Q8 e-tron, they place the approximately 4.75-meter-long Q6 with various drive packages. Colleague Joaquim Oliveira from press-inform already took a seat and found ample space, which was to be expected because: 2.9 meters of wheelbase and no central tunnel create space in the rear. The Q8 borrowed the cargo compartment under the trunk floor and the frunk – thanks for that!

One-Pedal-Mode makes the brake pedal redundant here too

The chassis also took cues from the Q8 e-tron: Essentially adopting the multi-link axles and tuning them accordingly. The Q6 e-tron is expected to be zippier not just because of its smaller dimensions, but also due to the progressive steering. Also familiar from the Q8: the shift paddles on the steering wheel for three levels of recuperation. When you select the B-mode, you get a One-Pedal-Mode: In level one, the Q6 e-tron uses 20 percent, in level two 60, and in "B" then 100 percent of the regenerative braking force.

Oliveira appreciated the precise but very light steering in the prototypes, which adjusts according to the selected driving mode, with the "Balanced" program leaving the most convincing impression on him. However, the selected driving program not only adjusts the steering and throttle response curve but also dynamically adapts suspension and damping.

Fundamentally rather firm setup

Fundamentally, the Q6 e-tron – again analogously to the Q8 e-tron – has a rather firm setup, which is further accentuated by the large 21-inch wheels with 255 tires at the front and 285 soles at the rear. Here, the air suspension helps to modulate the ride and can increase the ground clearance from 180 mm by 45 mm, but it costs extra for all except the SQ6 e-tron. However, for Oliveira, the chassis tuning was not varied enough: For inexperienced passengers, there is not much difference between Comfort and Dynamic modes – the Q6 remains fundamentally rather firm.

At the steering wheel, Audi is now also switching to touch surfaces, which are however large and clearly marked. Their behavior can be "touched out" over time – nonetheless, such "advances" remain questionable, and one repeatedly wonders why ergonomically well-operable buttons are being replaced by touch surfaces whose "response behavior" one first has to "learn".

The range starts with the rear-wheel-drive Q6 e-tron 45, followed by the Quattros up to the Q6 e-tron 55 Quattro with 295 kW / 401 PS and the SQ6 Quattro, which can deliver up to 380 kW / 517 PS at peak. This model is said to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and feels correspondingly powerful.

The engines are an in-house development by Audi and come from Győr

The new electric motors have been developed by Audi itself. They are assembled at the Hungarian plant in Győr. While an induction motor (ASM) works at the front, a permanent magnet motor (PSM) operates at the rear axle. Andreas Ruf, responsible for the development of the electric motors, explained:

“The front asynchronous motor is more efficient in idle mode than the permanent synchronous motor in dry running, where it suffers significant energy losses. We use the permanent synchronous motor on the non-dominant axle only in very sporty vehicles, when immediate torque is required at the slightest acceleration.”

The main drive works at the rear, and if needed, the Q6 e-tron engages the front axle when the driving program or lack of traction calls for it, even acoustically if desired. During strong acceleration, both motors work simultaneously, with a torque distribution of 30:70. According to Ruf, the front motor engages earlier in Sport mode than in Comfort mode, but the total output remains the same. Audi has distinguished this by software in the pedal mapping, which makes intermediate acceleration and response faster in the Sport program. The speed is limited to 210 km/h, with the SQ6 allowed to reach up to 230 km/h.