There’s No Need for Gimmicks with the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron: Review of the First Drive

Since major industry companies began pursuing Tesla over ten years ago, eliminating imitators one after another and covering their low-drag capsules with the least creative bodywork possible, that question has plagued me.

At last, Audi came up with a response to this exact query. The Q6 e-tron is the name of it. In favor of a stunning, upright, mid-size crossover style that coincidentally moves on electrons, it abandons the jellybean standards of contemporary EV design.

Audi is currently engaged on what it has called the biggest model initiative in its history. By the end of 2026, they plan to introduce or significantly revamp 20 new vehicles, including four brand-new model lines.

These evolving times will also be reflected in the company’s new name. The Audi Q5 and other odd-numbered model lines will now be powered by internal combustion. EVs will be found in even-numbered vehicles, such as this very Q6.

Many of these even-numbered next-generation cars are supported by Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE), which is the skateboard that Ingolstodt will ride into the future. PPE features reduced dimensions, weight, and number of EV components, as well as a 30% reduction in energy usage and a 33% improvement in system performance when compared to the previous generation of E-Tron models. Its architecture and cooling have also been improved for performance. These are significant advancements.

Customers have recently begun to reject EV design on the market, opting for gas-powered cars over competing EVs, according to an Audi product manager. This is because EVs were so focused on visibly proclaiming their EV-ness.

Audi therefore reverted to some of its own traditional traditions in order to reject these unsightly EV conventions. The Q6 e-tron and its high-performance SQ6 companion do not have slab sides. A pair of swollen blister-style fenders are used instead, supported by taut creases that strake along the Q6’s side to produce intriguing and athletic angles. Additionally, the Q6 has a tapered greenhouse aft of the D-pillar that gives it a little more athletic appearance, and an upright cabin sits atop a considerable beltline.

A pair of fender flares protrude from the fenders, round the front and rear tires with 255 and 285 sections, respectively. There are slight overhangs in front and back, and the wheelbase is 114.0 inches.

This is a fantastic crossover that, in my opinion, defies the jellybean norms that most vehicle buyers find annoying. It’s all taken directly from a tried-and-true script. According to Audi, these sleek body lines also serve to set the company apart from its rivals. Comparable panels with smooth, ingot-like surfaces are easier to mass make than panels like the Q6’s rear quarter.

To a certain degree, Audi manufactures these intricate panels since other automakers are unable to produce them due to their difficulty. It’s an intriguing idea, and I hope it becomes popular soon. Instead of stealing cheesy-looking garbage, every firm should aim for attractive yet difficult-to-build content.

With only a few “e-tron” badges and a body-color-matched nose plate in place of a slotted grille to reveal its battery-powered drivetrain, the Q6 appears fantastic from the outside. The interior is no exception. Many readers will not be surprised to learn that the cabin of the Q6 is a pleasant place to drive. However, that does not imply that the cabin has a comparable return to tradition. Instead of the whitewashed minimalism that detracts from the character of many EVs in the market, this cabin celebrates Audi’s unique blend of sleek futurism.

But since it’s still 2024, there are a lot of screens in this opulent room. However, these screens are really well-executed; they are packed with information without being overly graphic.

An 11.9-inch Audi OLED “Virtual Cockpit” sits directly in front of the driver in the main single curved display panel, which cants toward the driver. The right side of the curved display is filled with a 14.5-inch touch OLED screen.

When a video is playing, a third screen that is optionally located forward of the passenger automatically goes off for the driver (but not the passenger) thanks to some clever filter technology. This implies that your passenger can watch White Lotus season three while you’re driving, and the only thing that will divert the driver is the screams of fear and moans that will undoubtedly fill the sound.

This three-screen set includes Audi’s voice assistant. All you have to do is say “Hey Audi” to change almost everything in the interior. I found the system to be largely functional, asking questions about everything from simple math to intricate directions.

“Hey Audi” is a great way to access procedures that might otherwise need a few touches on the center stack. For instance, “Hey Audi” may be used to switch on or off your head-up display or to change the level of voice instructions that are shouted via a speaker in your headrest. “Hey Audi” can also be used to change any feature of the automobile itself.

In any case, using an OEM voice assistant (although one that runs on Android) that doesn’t activate when “Audi” is said but appears to be really tuned into the “Hey Audi” prompt is pleasant. Here, BMW, you are being viewed with a great deal of contempt.

Lastly, there is a HUD that uses too many animations and details. You can definitely change how much information the HUD shows, but I found this one to be rather distracting. After a little experimenting, I decided to turn it off for the majority of the day while we drove on the nice roads in wine country, California, north of San Francisco.

The Q6 e-tron isn’t a “performance” EV per se, unless you’re thinking of “performance” as sitting in near silence, listening to music, enjoying the smooth ride, and having a private chat with your passenger. Instead of using performance statistics, Audi employees made a point to explaining the Q6 in terms of normality throughout their presentation. I’m cautious not to believe the stories public relations representatives tell the media (for instance, there would be a lot of messaging about tweaking for “comfort” if the handling was a mess), but it’s also pointless to automatically discard them.

With a smooth ride and some of the best noise isolation available, this car is quite comfortable. For most of my journey, the inside of the Q6 was darn near silence due to the absence of ICE sounds that permeate the cabin but also cover up irritating frequencies, squeaks, and rumbles. In many other SUVs, you can hear the grating hum of pedestrian warning systems from within the cabin when you’re driving at moderate speeds. The Silverado EV is the most blatant offender. Not in this instance.

Audi must have used a ton of soundproofing in this cabin. The Q6 E-Tron appeared to have a quieter cabin than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SV (which costs $180,000) that I recently drove, with less noise from the road and drivetrain. However, I didn’t have a decibel meter on either trip.

The Q6’s optional air suspension makes for a comfortable ride as well. The suspension responds to sudden compressions with control and smoothness. The body movements of an SUV weighing over 5,000 pounds are well-controlled, despite the fact that the springs themselves seem quite rigid. Every seat in the cabin can accommodate my 6-foot-1-inch frame. It’s also rather roomy.

With destination costs included, the rear-wheel-drive Q6 e-tron, which has a single rear motor producing 322 horsepower and 321 miles of electric range, starts at $65,095. A front motor that is often off except in situations requiring acceleration or traction is added by the Q6 e-tron Quattro. That costs $67,095 and comes with 307 miles of electric range and 456 horsepower. In addition to adding around 50 horsepower and cutting the 0–60 mph time from 4.9 seconds (with the Q6 e-tron quattro) to 4.1 seconds, the SQ6 increases the price to $74,195.

All models can charge from 10 to 80 percent in around 21 minutes thanks to the new Audi PPE 800-volt design.