Audi Q6 e-tron review

Our opinion on the Audi Q6 e-tron

The Q6 e-tron is the best all-round electric SUV Audi has delivered so far. Its cabin space and interior finish are great, while performance and efficiency are above average – if not class-leading. There are areas for improvement, though, with the ride, handling and refinement leaving us lukewarm. Stick to the lower end of the available trims and powertrains, and you get a lot of car for the money. It's just a shame that compared with the outstanding BMW iX3, the Q6 e-tron comes up short.

About the Audi Q6 e-tron

Based on the same PPE architecture co-developed with Porsche and seen in the electric Macan, the Audi Q6 e-tron is officially classed as a mid-size SUV. However, it is one of the largest cars in this sector, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s a full-sized SUV, which is good news in terms of interior space, because the Q6 e-tron is a pretty solid choice as an upmarket electric family car.

For those who prefer the sleek look of a coupe, there’s the choice of the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron. This variant changes the body from a traditional boxy SUV into a more svelte design, but while the improved aerodynamics boost efficiency ever so slightly, this does come at the cost of slightly reduced practicality.

As well as our individual drives of the Audi Q6 e-tron in the UK and Europe, we put the car up against the Polestar 3 in a head-to-head twin test. Due to its interior space, excellent build quality and steady real-world efficiency, the Audi ran (four) rings around its Swedish opponent. However, in SQ6 form, this Audi could only manage a third-place finish in our five-car premium electric SUV test (which you can read about here), with its high price and lacklustre driving experience marking it down compared with the BMW iX3, which won the test.

Audi Q6 e-tron prices and latest deals

Starting prices for the Audi Q6 e-tron start at around £60,500 for the Sport model with the smaller battery. The 'performance' model with its higher capacity 100kWh and more potent electric motor comes in at just over £64,000, while quattro four-wheel drive will set you back at least £69,500. At the top of the range is the high-performance SQ6 e-tron with a starting price of at least £87,000. If you’d prefer the Sportback, this commands a £2,500 premium over the equivalent standard Q6 e-tron.

If you're interested in getting yourself an Audi Q6 e-tron, we can help. Configure your ideal Audi Q6 e-tron now to get top offers from local dealers, check out the latest Audi Q6 e-tron leasing deals, or search for used Audi Q6 e-tron models with our Buy A Car service. You can even sell your existing car for a great price with Auto Express Sell My Car.

The Audi Q6 e-tron is stable at high speed, but its ride and handling don’t quite deliver. It’s safe and predictable rather than being fun.

No variant of the Q6 e-tron feels sluggish despite its 2.3-tonne kerbweight, but if you’re after some dynamic flair, you’ll be met with a muted response. It feels overwhelmingly safe and secure, lacking the sparkle you’ll get from rivals like the Porsche Macan Electric. You can feel the car’s mass in the corners, and while turn-in is accurate and grip is good, there’s little engagement to be found from this big SUV.

Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

Both the SUV and Sportback ranges of the Q6 e-tron start with a single 249bhp (288bhp with launch control) rear-mounted motor, which is good for a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds (7.0 seconds with launch control). Above that sits the 'performance', which ups the ante to 302bhp (321bhp with L.C) and chops the 0-62mph time to 6.7 seconds (or 6.6 with L.C).

Next is the quattro, which has a dual-motor set-up giving you four-wheel drive. It's been updated since the Q6 e-tron was launched, increasing power from 383bhp to 422bhp, and cutting the 0-62mph time from 5.9 seconds to 5.4 seconds. Unfortunately, even with this bump in power, it still lags behind the xDrive50 iX3, which produces 463bhp (462bhp with L.C) and reaches 62mph in a very swift 4.9 seconds.

Audi's answer to that is the 483bhp (510bhp with L.C) SQ6, which gets a strong 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds, or 4.3 seconds with launch control. The powertrain responds well, but in Normal mode, it can feel lethargic when moving off. Those accustomed to instant acceleration in their EV might prefer the more lively response of Sport mode.

All Q6 models have a top speed of 130mph, while the SQ6 e-tron raises this to 143mph. 

Town driving, visibility and parking

With one exception, the braking system on the Audi Q6 e-tron is fantastic. That flaw comes at low speeds and is the hill-hold system, which engages when you use gentle pressure on the pedal and comes on a little too readily when reversing, meaning precise parking manoeuvres – especially uphill - can be a tad jerky. We'd recommend you turn the auto hold function off.

That aside, the key to the Q6’s brakes is its ability to recover a huge amount of energy through regenerative braking. This means that the physical discs and pads are used only rarely under heavy braking applications. The pedal’s weight is excellent, feeling strong and reassuring even under heavy use. 

Brake regen can be adjusted through four modes (three via steering wheel paddles and a fourth via a ‘B’ mode on the drive selector) plus an adaptive setting, which we soon turned off because, like all too many systems of its type, we found it hard to predict. In the strongest regen mode, one-pedal driving is possible, and with it engaged, the Q6 pulls to a very smooth stop.

Country road driving and handling

At higher speeds, the Q6 e-tron impresses in some ways, but in others, we hoped for more. The air suspension, controlled by a new multi-link design at the front, works well on larger-frequency bumps, soothing passengers as it glides along the road. However, on uneven cambers or the subsided verges of a British back road, the Q6 becomes flustered. 

Find a poor surface, and it can feel as if each wheel is squabbling with its opposite number about where the body should be, rather than working independently to iron out the bumps. This causes a side-to-side wobble over uneven roads. With the damping tightened up in Sport mode, it becomes more controlled, but makes the ride feel unsettled, so there’s a compromise either way. 

Even in this driver-focused mode, the Q6 feels heavy through corners, reminding the driver that there’s a lot of weight at play here. Many rivals do a better job of both controlling and disguising their mass.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

The ride is at its best on a motorway, where sudden bumps are all but non-existent. Stability is solid, and the motor feels like it has plenty to give, making performance seem effortless even at 70mph. Road noise is greater than we’d have hoped for, though – a BMW iX is quieter at speed.

"There are various strengths for the regenerative braking (controlled via steering wheel paddles), with the most aggressive setting able to bring the car to a complete stop. It’ll provide up to 220kW of recuperation, and Audi claims it can cover '90 per cent of braking scenarios'. Of course, you can switch it off and coast if you’d prefer." – Alex Ingram, Chief reviewer.

The entry-level car comes with a smaller 83kWh (75.8kWh usable) unit that claims up to 329 miles on a single charge. For the ultimate range, the 'performance' model in Sport trim with a single motor and a 100kWh battery (94.9kWh usable) is the one to have, because it has an official WLTP figure of up to 398 miles between charges. That’s slightly up on the quattro, which is claimed to manage 388 miles. The SQ6 is said to cover 365 miles.

Due to its slightly slipperier shape, the Q6 Sportback e-tron boasts mildly increased WLTP ranges. The smaller battery gets a boost up to 338 miles, while the larger pack can officially return up to 410 miles. 

We found that our Edition 1 quattro SUV test car fell slightly short of its 347-mile WLTP estimate. In temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius (most EVs tend to perform at their best at closer to 25 degrees), it produced an efficiency value of 3.1 miles per kWh, which translates to a range of 294 miles. As predicted, the more potent SQ6 proved thirstier during our five-car electric SUV supertest, averaging 2.8 miles per kWh, or 266 miles per charge.

Find a charger quick enough to keep up with the Q6’s 270kW peak rate, and it means a 10-80 per cent charge of the battery (that’s 206 miles of range based on our real-world efficiency) takes 21 minutes. Using a typical 7.4kWh wallbox home charger, it’ll take just over 12 hours to fully recharge the standard 83kWh battery, while the larger 100kWh battery will take a little over 15 hours. Like many electric Audis, the Q6 has charge ports on both sides: a Type 2 socket on the offside and a rapid CCS port on the other. You also get an energy-efficient heat pump as standard, which should help maintain the driving range in colder weather.

Insurance groups

Insurance starts in group 44 for the base Q6 e-tron Sport, the Dual-motor model sits in group 49, with the SQ6 in group 50. Put simply, covering the Q6 will take its toll on our bank account. 

This is a recurring theme with German premium electric SUVs, though, as the entirety of BMW iX line-up sits in group 50. In fact, it's also the same story for the Swedish Polestar 3, so the Audi actually looks a little bit more affordable in comparison.

Tax

The EV powertrain makes the Q6 e-tron incredibly cheap to run for company car users, with a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just four per cent for the ‘26 to ’27 tax year, five per cent from ‘27 to ‘28, and seven per cent for the ‘28 to ‘29 tax year.

All EVs are now liable for VED road tax, though, and because the Q6 e-tron costs more than £50,000 when new, you’ll also have to pay an additional luxury car tax surcharge that’ll apply from the second time the Q6 e-tron is taxed up until it is six years old.

Depreciation

By the usual low standards of premium electric SUVs, the Q6 e-tron’s resistance to depreciation is relatively impressive. The line-up is predicted to retain between 45 and 53 per cent of its value after three years, which is more than the Mercedes EQE SUV, which is expected to hold on to only 40 to 49 per cent. The BMW iX3, meanwhile, manages to hold on to around 58 per cent.

If you want something that’ll preserve even more of your money, though, then the Porsche Macan Electric maintains between 57 and 60 per cent, although it does cost more to buy in the first place.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool...

You get plenty of equipment for your money with the Audi Q6 e-tron, with even our preferred entry-level Sport featuring:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Three-zone climate control
• Heated and electrically adjustable front seats
• A 14.5-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment
• An 11.9-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster
• Wireless phone charging
• Front and rear parking sensors with a 360-degree camera system

The pricier S-Line has sportier styling touches both outside and in, larger 20-inch alloys, privacy glass and a three-spoke steering wheel. Black Line comes with more gloss-black exterior trim, even bigger 21-inch alloys, and the side mirrors are included in the standard driver's-side memory settings. The range-topping Vorsprung does include some more meaningful extras, such as matrix LED headlights, a panoramic glass roof, a heated steering wheel, and a 705-watt, 16-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system. It also includes a 10.9-inch passenger-side touchscreen, but we'll get on to that particular feature later. 

It seems the days of endless option packs are long gone at Audi, because the only pack available on Sport, S-Line and Black Edition trims is the £3,200 Technology Pack, which adds adaptive Matrix LED headlights, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel, an augmented reality head-up display, some faster charging 100-watt USB sockets in the front and two 60-watt USB sockets in the back, plus the uprated Bang and Olufsen sound system from Vorsprung models. There's also a panoramic sunroof for £1,525.

Vorsprung trim includes the Technology Pack as standard, but you can add fine Nappa leather for £925, and integrated headrest speakers for the Bang and Olufsen sound system for £395.

Interior and dashboard design

There’s no getting away from large screens in the Q6 e-tron, with no less than three – including one specifically for the front passenger on higher-spec models – spread across the dashboard. Even some basic controls haven’t fully escaped touch-sensitive input, with a large control panel in the door for the mirrors, lights, locks and electric-seat memory settings. 

While we’d still prefer physical switches for all of these, at least Audi hasn’t confined headlight control within a touchscreen, as is the case for the likes of the Polestar 3.

Materials and build quality

This hasn’t always been true for Audis recently, but the finish is flawless inside, with tight panel gaps and sturdy materials. Our one criticism is that there’s a lot of shiny piano-black plastic around the centre console, which looks great in a showroom but doesn’t fare quite so well once it has been subjected to a little wear and tear.

Audi’s sports seats are supportive, but they’re also very firm. Considering that the Q6 e-tron’s buyers are most probably interested in comfort rather than sportiness, it’s difficult to see what advantage these seats provide over the already comfortable standard seats.

Overall, the Q6 Audi e-tron is a very pleasant car in which to spend time. The screens look great and work very well, while the head-up display is among the clearest in any car currently on sale.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The gently curving displays of Audi’s MMI system measure 11.9 inches for the Virtual Cockpit and 14.5 inches for the main display, presenting a huge amount of information. Many key shortcuts and climate controls remain a permanent fixture on the main touchscreen, but there’s plenty of room for the Google Maps-based navigation system to be shown in a generous size. If we have a criticism, it’s that the main menu icons are fairly small, and with so many of them shown on the same page, it’s difficult to find the functions you need.

Of course, you can get around some of that by using voice controls as we did during our five-car group test. While Audi's system isn't as outdated as that of the Lexus RZ, where you're still required to use scripted voice commands, the Q6 could be more helpful, particularly given the rather limited information it provided about charging stations compared with its rivals. BMW's latest system is much slicker and better at letting you know what else it can do.

The passenger display reserved for Vorsprung trim seems like a bit of a gimmick. All of the information contained within it is accessible on the main screen beside it, so it only really makes sense if the front-seat passengers truly can’t stand sharing the use of the central touchscreen.

All versions come with a 180-watt, 10-speaker Audi sound system, but we’re partial to the option of a 705-watt, 16-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system that comes as part of the £3,200 Technology Pack, which also includes upgraded USB charging ports for quicker charging of your devices.

“We like that the third screen is obscured from the driver’s view while the car is in motion, but until Audi fits video playback or gaming technology to the third screen, it feels surplus to requirements for passengers.” – Richard Ingram, Deputy editor.

Buyers are unlikely to be left wanting any more room inside the Q6; when it comes to legroom, headroom and luggage space, the accommodation on offer is impressive.

Dimensions and size

The Audi Q6 e-tron is one of the larger cars in the mid-size SUV class. It’s slightly longer than the combustion-engined Audi Q5 and nearly as wide as the larger Audi Q7. It takes up a similar amount of space on the road to a BMW iX3, Porsche Macan Electric, and Tesla Model, but it isn’t quite as big as a Mercedes EQE SUV.

Seats & passenger space

Audi generally gets the basics, like the driving position, just right, and the Q6 e-tron is no exception. Both the driver’s seat and the steering wheel offer a huge range of adjustment, so regardless of your size, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to set things just right. All come with electric front seat adjustment, four-way electric lumbar adjustment, and memory settings for the driver’s seat. If you want the position of the side mirrors included in the driver's seat memory settings, then you'll have to go for Black Edition or above.

Anyone swapping from either of Audi’s other electric SUVs will find a similar amount of space in the back of the Q6 e-tron; in other words, it’s huge. The seats are comfortable, and the wide bench makes it a pleasant place for three people to sit. Taller passengers will feel a bit snug in the back of the Sportback. Legroom is adequate here, but the sloping roofline reduces headroom.

Isofix child seat mounting points are provided on the outer positions of the rear seats, and the points are easily accessible behind some simple to remove plastic covers. A further child seat mounting point is provided on the front passenger seat.

Rear-seat passengers have access to a small screen to adjust the temperature of their zone in the standard three-zone climate system, and the outer rear seats are also heated if you go for the Technology Pack on Sport, S-Line, and Black Edition models, while range-topping Vorsprung gets these as standard.

Boot space

At 526 litres, the Q6 e-tron SUV’s boot capacity is generous, and predictably, it offers more capacity than its smaller range mate, the Q4 e-tron (520 litres). The main boot offers a large, square area with netted side sections for securing small items. Levers in the boot make it easy to drop the rear seat backs, and with those out of the way, the total volume grows to 1,529 litres. The air suspension can also be lowered from inside the boot area to make it easier to lift large or heavy items inside.

The Q6 Sportback’s curved roofline does inevitably eat into luggage space, but at 511 litres, the boot is still large enough for family use. The floor area remains the same size, though. 

If you need even more space in either model, there's 64 litres of under-bonnet storage. This used to be a £250 option, but is now included for free.

Towing

Those interested in towing with their Q6 e-tron will need to fit the £1,100 folding towbar. Depending on the version you go for, it’ll pull up to 2,000kg in rear-wheel drive form, and 2,400kg with quattro four-wheel drive.

For those who need an even more capable load lugger, the BMW iX has a capacity of up to 2,500kg.

“The Q6 e-tron has a 64-litre luggage area under the bonnet that allows drivers to store the charging cables separately from their luggage. You can only open it via a lever in the driver’s footwell, rather than using the key, which is a bit fiddly to release with your hands full.” – Alex Ingram, Chief reviewer.

The Audi Q6 e-tron was tested by Euro NCAP in 2024, and it scored a maximum five-star rating. Its Child Occupant score of 92 per cent is the highest of any car tested that year, making it a reassuring choice for families. 

The Audi brand appears to have improved in terms of customer satisfaction, according to the latest Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. The brand rose from 27th out of 32 brands in 2024 to 19th out of 31 manufacturers in 2025. However, that still lags a long way behind its other premium rivals, such as BMW in 8th, or Mercedes in 2nd place.

Best buy: Audi Q6 e-tron Sport performance

We think you can make the expensive Q6 e-tron a little more affordable by going for the entry-level Sport trim. It’s very well equipped and makes the £3,000 jump to S Line seem pointless. We think that money is better spent on the Technology Pack, because it costs a similar amount as the jump from Sport to S-Line, and the pack contains more useful equipment than S-Line's slightly sportier styling and larger 20-inch wheels that negatively impact the ride. 

We’d plump for the 'performance' battery upgrade with the largest capacity 100kWh battery, giving it the best range.

Audi Q6 e-tron alternatives

There are plenty of premium electric SUVs that take the fight to the Q6. The Polestar 3 offers lots of space inside, while the Porsche Macan Electric uses the same platform as the Q6, but places a greater emphasis on driving enjoyment. Higher-spec versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E are also in the same price bracket, as are entry versions of the Mercedes EQE SUV. The Alpine A390 has a brilliantly engaging driving experience but practicality and interior quality are below the Audi’s. 

The Q6 e-tron's strongest rival is the latest BMW iX3, which not only features an intuitive and highly impressive infotainment system but also offers more driving range for less money.

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