Audi A6 e-tron: Electric hatch, wagon with over 700km of range coming to Australia

Look out, BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE – Audi is coming for you.

The Audi A6 e-tron has been revealed as a more practical and likely more affordable alternative to the brand’s e-tron GT flagship, and will be offered in both Sportback (liftback) and Avant (wagon) body styles.

Audi has also revealed sportier S6 versions of these.

The new electric liftback and wagon have been locked in for an Australian launch, which is expected during the first half of 2025.

“We are currently in discussion with the factory to determine pricing and specification for these models, which will be confirmed closer to the launch date,” said an Audi Australia spokesperson.

Audi hasn’t specifically confirmed an RS6 version, but its remarks suggest one is coming.

That means the range will top out for now with the S6, which will be available at launch in Europe along with the A6 e-tron performance. Other variants will follow later.

Every model features a lithium-ion battery.

All-wheel drive models have an asynchronous motor on the front axle and a permanent-magnet synchronous motor on the rear axle.

The A6 e-tron is based on an 800-volt electrical architecture, which allows for a maximum DC charging capacity of 270kW. There’s 11kW AC charging capacity as standard, with optional 22kW capability to be offered later.

If a charging station works with 400-volt technology, Audi says the A6 e-tron can use bank charging. The 800-volt battery is split into two banks, each with a voltage of 400 volts, which can then be charged in parallel at up to 135kW.

Audi also says the regenerative braking can recuperate up to 220kW, and there’s two-stage recuperation which can be adjusted using the paddle shifters.

It notes the selectable B drive mode “comes close to what is colloquially called the ‘one-pedal feeling'”.

The A6 e-tron is the first passenger car on the Premium Platform Electric, which debuted in the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan SUVs.

Adaptive air suspension is optional, which in efficiency mode can lower the body by 20mm depending on the speed to improve aerodynamics. It’s standard on the S6.

Dimensions for the Sportback are as follows:

Audi claims a drag coefficient of 0.21 for the Sportback and 0.24 for the Avant. That makes the Sportback the most aerodynamic Audi ever, as well as the more aerodynamic member of the entire Volkswagen Group lineup.

The A6 Sportback e-tron was first revealed in concept form in 2021, with the A6 Avant e-tron following in 2022.

Audi designers say they’ve been able to retain 95 per cent of the concepts’ basic proportions, though various details have changed.

“When it comes to a production-oriented concept, we can initially ignore the purely technical requirements and prioritise proportions above all else because they are what is most important for a good design,” said Sascha Heyde, who designed both the concept and production versions.

“This means that designers tend to exaggerate a little here. The result is that concept cars tend to have a somewhat flatter, broader stance than would be possible for the production models.”

Perhaps the most obvious visual change from the concepts is the lighting up front, with a split-level look resembling that of the Q6 e-tron.

Audi says the slim headlight design and wide grille make the vehicle appear “flat and wide” on the road. Digital daytime running lights are optional.

On the A6 e-tron, the main headlights, air intakes, as well as sensors for the driver assist systems are integrated into a dark mask around the grille. On the S6, there are chunky matte silver design elements.

19-inch alloy wheels are standard on the A6, with S line and S6 models getting 20-inch alloys. S6 models also get the option of 21-inch alloy wheels.

For maximum aerodynamic efficiency, Audi will also offer a 21-inch ‘aero’ wheel with plastic covers.

Also optional are Audi’s latest generation of digital camera mirrors, which can fold electrically and are said to improve the drag coefficient… though Audi doesn’t say by how much.

Down back, there are second-generation digital OLED tail lights, which can be used to communicate messages to other vehicles using warning symbols.

The A6 e-tron also features an illuminated version of Audi’s logo on the tailgate.

Inside, there’s a 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with a 10.9-inch passenger display and an augmented reality head-up display.

The passenger display has an Active Privacy Mode, allowing a passenger to watch media without distracting the driver.

The infotainment system uses the Android Automotive operating system and supports over-the-air updates, with various third-party apps like YouTube downloadable via the Audi Application Store.

The Audi assistant, via connection to ChatGPT, will be able to provide additional information such as the answers to questions on general knowledge and the weather in addition to being able to access vehicle functions.

Audi stresses ChatGPT never has access to vehicle data, and all questions and answers are deleted after processing.

Optional is a panoramic glass roof with polymer-dispersed liquid crystal technology, allowing you to switch it from opaque to transparent and back with the push of a button. There are four different preset modes.

Also available is a 20-speaker, 830W Bang & Olufsen sound system, with four of these speakers located in the front headrests.

There’s a range of active safety and driver assist technology, including adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and semi-autonomous parking assist, while there’s a new feature called adaptive driving assistant plus.

This combines adaptive cruise and lane centring, while also using high-resolution map data and swarm data from other vehicles to calculate the route ahead and “enable a comfortable driving experience”.

Today’s combustion-powered A6 sedan and wagon are expected to move to the A7 nameplate with their next generation.

Audi has confirmed it’s reshuffling its model lineup so that even-numbered vehicles have electric power and odd-numbered vehicles have combustion power.

MORE: Everything Audi A6