► PPE platform shared with Q6 e-Tron
► Rear or four-wheel drive
► EQE and i5-beating range
The rise of electric cars has led to some pretty strange events, and the Audi A6 Sportback e-Tron is the perfect example. After decades of front and four-wheel drive saloons and estates, Audi has built one with rear-wheel drive.
Naturally, you can get a twin motor car with four-wheel drive, but it’s one of the rear-drivers that predictably gets the headline range figures. At up to 463 miles of range officially, it’s over 100 miles up on the BMW i5 40 and betters the Mercedes EQE 350+ by 32 miles according to the WLTP.
It sounds promising, but is the A6 Sportback e-Tron more than a set of big numbers? Find out in our review, and if your curious about how we get to our verdict, check out our how we test page.
At a glance
Pros: Impressive range, strong acceleration, decent to drive
Cons: High rear floor, busy driver’s display, no air suspension in the UK
What’s new?
Pretty much everything. It’s based on Audi and Porsche’s PPE platform that also underpins the Q6 e-Tron and Macan electric, and there’s been a heavy focus on aerodynamics. Opt for the camera-based door mirrors and the drag co-efficiency is as low as 0.21, making the Sportback the most aero efficient Audi ever.
What are the specs?
The entry-level A6 e-Tron makes do with an 83kWh (75.8 usable) battery that powers a single 322bhp electric motor on the back axle. It’ll officially do 383 miles, has a maximum charging speed of 225kW, 0-62mph takes 6.0 seconds and it’ll hit 130mph flat out, but sadly none were available for to test.
Next up is the A6 e-Tron Performance – an odd choice of name given its use in the RS lineup – which gets a power increase to 375bhp and a larger 100kWh (94.9 useable) battery that boosts the driving range to that healthy 463-mile figure above. It can take up to 270kW for a 21-minute 10-80% rapid charge time and gets from 0-62mph in a snappy 5.4 seconds.
If you want four-wheel drive, you’ll need an A6 e-Tron quattro. Obviously. An additional electric motor for the front axle helps take total power to 456bhp and drops the 0-62mph time to just 4.5 seconds. Range does take a hit, dropping to 438 miles, though. There is also an Avant and S6.
How does it drive?
Very well, although that statement comes with a very large caveat. Every single car on the launch event in Tenerife was fitted with adaptive air suspension that the engineers very proudly told me about, with one suggesting it’d be essential in the UK. Sadly, it’s not an option we’ll get on these shores as UK punters are much more interested in bodykits and big wheels than something that’ll make their car drive better.
Instead, UK cars get regular coil springs for their multi-link axles, with air only available on the S6. It’s a shame as an A6 e-Tron on air soaks up what few road imperfections I could find in Comfort mode and controls its body movements well. Dynamic mode usefully sharpens things up without making the ride too much worse.
The steering is typical Audi: not communicative, but precise and pleasingly weighted if you avoid Dynamic mode. It’s easy to string corners together, helped by a brake pedal that feels remarkably normal unlike many EVs out there. Various levels of regen are available, with handy paddles behind the steering wheel used for most selections.
Tip it into a corner and you’ll find precious little body roll and plenty of grip from the Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres – apparently what we’ll get in the UK. The front-end hangs on gamely, and the ESC’s sport mode will even let you adjust your line with the throttle.
Heavy braking or a quick direction change reminds you of just how heavy the A6 is, but it’s no worse in that regard than the competition. It certainly feels like a far more polished product than the Mercedes EQE.
What’s it like inside?
The A6 e-Tron feels like a big, spacious car up front. The seat winds back a long way, there’s reasonable headroom and a wide armrest separating driver and passenger. It’s a very screen-heavy interior, with the latest generation of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit now spanning 11.9-inches, and the main touchscreen 14.5-inches.
I’m a big fan of Audi’s older Virtual Cockpit, but this looks far too busy and the touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel are more of a pain to use than the old physical ones. That’s also true of the touch panel on the door for stuff like the mirrors. At least the graphics look sharp, and the software is responsive, just like the main touchscreen.
Annoyingly you must use it to change temperature, although those controls at least sit at the bottom of the screen and there is voice control. Similarly, there are some shortcut icons that make it easier to get where you need to be. I’m pleased to report the lane assist is a button press away from deactivation, while the speed limit warning requires a press of a button and a poke of the screen.
Quality is for the most part good, save for some surprisingly hard and scratchy surfaces on the door cards below the armrests. I’d live with it in something A4-sized and significantly cheaper, but it’s not acceptable on a car that starts at £60k and rises to over £85k. Bear in mind that we’re talking about the regular A6 e-tron range – the S6 is near enough £100k…
Rear space is a bit disappointing for something just 7cm shy of five meters long. Headroom is tight, legroom not particularly generous and the floor is high. I really don’t have long legs, but my knees were pointed at the ceiling. The A6 Avant e-Tron we review elsewhere has a higher roofline and therefore more headroom, but the other issues remain.
Boot space is a decent 502-litres, or exactly the same as the A6 e-Tron Avant. You’ll need to fold down the seats and load to the roof to appreciate the extra load space.
Before you buy – trims and rivals
Continuing to ignore the S6, there’s a choice of three trim levels. Entry-level Sport has all the kit you really need, with next-rung S Line only really providing visual changes for a not insubstantial price increase. If you want more kit, you’ll need to jump to Edition 1 or just raid the options list.
The A6 e-tron’s biggest rivals are undoubtedly the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, although there’s always the more spacious VW ID.7, too.
Verdict
Audi’s second outing for PPE is for the most part a success. The heavy focus on aero has helped it jump to the top of the class for range, and the rear-drive A6 e-trons are significantly quicker than their equivalents from BMW and Mercedes, too.
It’s good to drive – at least on air suspension – with a polished feel to the controls and chassis tuning. I just wish it was more accommodating in the back, and interior quality was a bit better in places.