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Test Drive: Audi SQ6 e-tron - Quickly Upgraded

The Audi SQ6 e-tron has a lot to prove: fend off the powerful competition from China, and complete the top end of the Q6 range without harming its sibling, the Porsche Macan Electric. All of this, however, comes at a cost...

Driving fast (up to 230 km/h) and charging quickly (up to 270 kW) - that's what the "S" in the SQ6 e-tron stands for, among other things. | Photo: Audi
Driving fast (up to 230 km/h) and charging quickly (up to 270 kW) - that's what the "S" in the SQ6 e-tron stands for, among other things. | Photo: Audi
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Audi quickly followed up with the Q6 – introducing the “S” – which definitely stands for fast, sporty, or simply “ssssst.” The Q8 e-tron must achieve success quickly in the (upper) mid-sized segment, as it already arrives late due to software issues. “Despite the competition from the USA and China, we are convinced that we will succeed with the Q6 e-tron,” beams Product Manager Philippe Bornert, hinting at Tesla’s Model Y and the BYD Tang. Incidentally, there will be a long version of the Ingolstadt SUV for the Chinese market. Naturally, the domestic market also plays an important role in the strategists’ plans with the four rings, as good money can still be made in Germany, and no one wants to lose the butter from their bread on their own doorstep.

The SQ6 e-tron fits between the two electric Macan models

That’s why we immediately got behind the wheel of the Audi SQ6 e-tron, which will be the top model until the RS variant appears. With a power output of 360 kW / 489 PS, it is anything but underpowered. A car that sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and reaches speeds of up to 230 km/h plays in the fast league. Naturally, the Audi SQ6 e-tron invites a direct comparison with the Porsche Macan Electric, with which it shares the Premium Platform Electric (PPE). This collaboration has already proven successful with the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT. Especially when it comes to electromobility, it pays to keep an eye on costs and share the financial burden between two shoulders.

Because in the case of the battery, the weight does not only matter monetarily but also physically: the SQ6 e-tron is fitted with a 100 kWh battery (94.9 kWh net), allowing the Ingolstadt EV to achieve up to 598 kilometers according to WLTP. An important element of the PPE architecture is the 800-volt technology, which enables faster charging with a maximum of 270 kW. Audi states that the batteries can be charged from ten to 80 percent in 21 minutes. In our practical test, we arrived at the fast-charging station with just four percent battery. To save energy for range, the battery could not be cooled down to the ideal 25 degrees and was at 35.2 degrees. Therefore, the Audi Q6 e-tron charged at “only” up to 229 kW, but maintained this level for quite a while, enabling 55 kWh to flow into the energy storage in 15 minutes. An impressive performance.

If the HPC charger only offers 400 volts, the SQ6 e-tron switches to bank charging

In case only a 400-volt power station is available, the battery engineers in Zuffenhausen and Ingolstadt devised the bank charging method. This involves splitting the 800-volt batteries into two halves and filling them with 400 volts and a maximum of 135 kW. This splitting is done with switches, thus saving an inverter or booster needed to match the voltage, which enhances efficiency and consequently the charging performance. When charging with AC at a wallbox, the SQ6 e-tron delivers only average performance. Due to the 11 kW technology, it takes ten hours to fill the empty batteries. For a premium vehicle costing at least 93,800 euros, this is a significant drawback. In the future, a 22 kW variant will be available as an option.

Unlike Porsche: Audi sticks with the decoupled asynchronous machine at the front

It's a good move, even though Audi is already behind schedule and like the Macan, came to market about two years later than originally planned. The collaboration wasn’t entirely smooth. Interestingly, there are notable differences between the two corporate relatives. The Audi SQ6 e-tron’s power output lies between the Macan Electric (300 kW / 408 PS) and the Macan Electric Turbo (470 kW / 639 PS). Both brands take their own approach to the drivetrain: while the Zuffenhausen-based company uses permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) at both axles focused on performance, Audi opts for a mixed solution. At the rear is a PSM, and at the front, an asynchronous E-machine (ASM). This is evident from the power distribution of the SQ6 e-tron: 140 kW / 190 PS with 275 Nm of torque at the front and 280 kW / 381 PS with 580 Nm at the rear.

The SQ6 is deliberately more balanced in axle load and tuning than the Macan

Audi deliberately chose this combination because the ASM drive does not generate any electrical drag losses when running unpowered, meaning it doesn’t contribute to propulsion. The reason is greater efficiency compared to a full PSM configuration, as the machine decouples from the drive whenever possible. In Ingolstadt, they always talk about the “Audi DNA,” which is supposed to be balanced. This is also reflected in the driving behavior. The SQ6 e-tron is not as focused on agility and sportiness as the Macan Electric, driving more smoothly and not quite as sharply. The Porsche does everything a bit more nimbly, be it steering, navigating through curves, or accelerating progressively out of corners.

 

Other differences are that the Macan Electric, unlike the Audi, has rear axle steering and the Macan Electric Turbo has a performance rear end, where the electric machine is rotated around the vehicle's transverse axis and positioned further back at the same time. The result is a rear-biased axle load distribution of 48 percent in the front and 52 percent in the rear. For comparison: In the SQ6 e-tron, it is 49.3 percent in the front and 50.7 percent in the rear. This matches Audi's desire for neutral driving behavior. A locking differential on the rear axle is also absent in the Audi.

To prevent misunderstandings: The Audi electric car is quite quick on the go. The engineers in Ingolstadt have made a significant leap forward, especially in terms of steering, over the past few years. The steering feel is natural, no longer as synthetic as it once was, and the execution of control commands is precise despite the approximately 2.4-ton curb weight. At any time, you know how the traction is.

Let's talk about charging and efficiency. Audi indicates an average consumption of 18.4 kilowatt-hours per 100 km. During our test drive with many curves, we achieved 24.7 kWh/100 km, which would realistically be enough for about 380 km. With a gentle accelerator foot, the SQ6 e-tron can at least be brought under 20 kWh/100 km net, but despite the "engine shut-off" in the front, it is not truly economical.

The infotainment: A big step compared to the Q4 e-tron

Inside, Audi follows the trend towards curved screens. The monitor for the virtual instruments measures 11.9 inches and the adjacent touchscreen is even 14.5 inches. Like Porsche, the passenger now also has their own screen, which is 10.9 inches large. The head-up display with augmented reality projects the display like a virtually 88-inch-sized screen onto the street. Audi has learned from the weaknesses of the Q4 e-tron: The display of content is more contrast-rich than before, so the flying arrows that show directions are clearly visible even in bright light. The screens integrate pleasantly into the surroundings, and we can easily reach the central touchscreen. The digital instrument display is overloaded, and it takes a while to get used to the flood of information.

Space is not an issue in a 4.77-meter-long car without a driveshaft. So, you also find plenty of space in the rear of the Audi, and the trunk is large enough with a volume of 514 liters. By folding down the rear seatbacks, this increases to 1,517 liters. However, Audi has not optimally utilized the design freedoms offered by an electric vehicle: While the engineers in Zuffenhausen lift the gear selector for the automatic transmission up into the dashboard to create space in the center, the engineers in Ingolstadt still use a classic center console, resulting in a more confined feeling than in the Macan Electric.

Do you need the fast S in the Q6 e-tron? Fundamentally no, as the weaker siblings are not slow either. But those who value true electric "whoosh" will find significantly more of it here. Although Audi charges a high price for it.

What does it mean?

The SQ6 e-tron is necessary to round off the Q6 program from the top. And certainly, a top-end RSQ6 e-tron with 600+ PS is still to come. However, compared to the Kia EV6 GT or Hyundai Ioniq 5N, Audi charges a princely sum of 19,100 euros more than the Q6 e-tron quattro with 285 kW...

For us behind the wheel: Wolfgang Gomoll; press-inform

Technical Data:

Motors: permanent asynchronous machine in the front, permanent synchronous machine in the rear

Power in kW (PS) at rpm: 360 (489)
Max. torque (Nm) at rpm: rear: 580, front: 275
Top speed (km/h): 230
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s): 4.4
Battery capacity gross/net: 100 kWh/94.9 kWh
Consumption EU third mix (l/100 km): 18.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 0
Weight, manufacturer’s specification (kg): 2,350
Max. payload (kg): 615
Dimensions (L/W/H): 4,771 / 1,965 / 1,702 mm
Max. load volume (L): 514 to 1,517
Price (Euro): from 93,800, 
Base model (Euro): from 68,800

Translated automatically from German.
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