Audi has pulled the covers off its new Q6 Sportback e-tron at the Paris Motor Show, which takes place this week.
It’s essentially a sleeker version of the Audi Q6 e-tron SUV that was unveiled earlier this year, featuring a coupe-inspired sloping roof.
Audi South Africa says it plans to launch the new Sportback model, alongside its conventional Q6 sibling, towards the end of the second quarter of 2025, with pricing to be determined nearer to the time.
The Q6 e-tron is based around the company’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture and is 37mm lower than the regular Q6 SUV. Despite the sloping roof that’s said to be inspired by the Audi TT, the new model still boasts a boot capacity of 511 litres with the seats in place, while customers can also opt for a 64 litre ‘frunk’ at the front end.
Those who like to travel between cities can look forward to the longest driving range of any electric Audi model to date, with the German carmaker claiming coverage of up to 646km between charges in the 225kW rear-wheel ‘Performance’ version fitted with the 100kWh battery.
Audi is also offering an entry-level rear-drive model, producing 185kW and fitted with an 83kWh battery that enables a claimed range of up to 537km.
The upper half of the line-up includes two all-wheel drive variants, with the quattro offering 285kW of power and a 627km range and the SQ6 performance flagship upping the ante with 360kW, but a slightly lower range of 590km.
An 800-volt electrical system and sophisticated battery thermal management make for impressive charging performance, says Audi. Thanks to a maximum charging power of 260kW, the vehicle can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 22 minutes at a high-powered fast-charging station.
The cabin of the new Q6 Sportback, as with the regular Q6 and the new Q5, features Audi’s MMI panoramic display, with a passenger display also being available.
Other highlights include augmented reality head-up display and significantly expanded voice control options via the self-learning, AI-supported digital assistant, which can recognise over 800 commands.
Furthermore, the SQ6 gets a standard Bang & Olufsen Premium sound system, with 3D sound experience and 20 loudspeakers, of which four are integrated into the front seat headrests.
More information on the South African line-up will be made available closer to launch.
IOL