Audi Q6 E-Tron review: High-quality exterior, plastic interior

Around three years after the introduction of the compact Q4 E-Tron, Audi followed up with the next-largest SUV, the Q6 E-Tron, in 2024. Its exterior reflects Audi's design language of the past five years, with accentuated "cheeks" above the fenders and a paneled front end designed as a grille.

The exterior design is to be expected for an electric Audi SUV, but the vehicle's width of almost 2 meters - even without side mirrors - means it is less suitable for everyday use in urban areas.

The test car is an all-wheel-drive model. This "Edition One Grey" is already 16,140 Swiss francs more expensive than the base Q6 E-Tron Quattro. Options include a panoramic glass roof (1,990 Swiss francs), S-Line leather interior (3,500 Swiss francs), the Tech Pro package with adaptive air suspension (3,920 Swiss francs), and enhanced infotainment including a head-up display (4,810 Swiss francs). With a discount of just over 3,200 Swiss francs, the test car price comes to 121,525 Swiss francs, a good 41 percent more than the base price.

Stepping into the Q6 E-Tron Quattro, you're immediately transported into the world of Audi infotainment. The seats are comfortable and offer plenty of lateral support. The displays are clear, but a bit overloaded with information.

The space is generous in all front and rear seats, sufficient even for tall passengers, even on longer journeys. Audi benefits from the electric drive system, which allows for a flat floor without a wide tunnel between the seats.

All-round visibility is good inside the vehicle, and the view through the rearview mirror is also adequate, although the rear window in the Q6 E-Tron is already quite small. Visibility over the front, however, is limited, and you don't get a good sense of what's in front of you. Parking distance sensors and a surround-view camera image help here.

Less pleasing is the high proportion of hard plastic used in the interior. The dashboard and door panels appear low-quality and are prone to scratching. It's reminiscent of the materials used in a budget car, such as a Dacia. This doesn't suit Audi, and it doesn't fit with the vehicle's price tag of more than 120,000 Swiss francs. Competitors from Mercedes and BMW do a much better job, for example, with microfibers that are almost as cost-effective as plastic.

The trunk is well-sized, with a standard volume of 470 liters. An additional 64 liters are available under the hood for storing charging cables and small items. Those who didn't order this "frunk" at the time of purchase can retrofit it for an additional CHF 275.

Thanks to the optional air suspension, the test car has 28 millimeters less ground clearance during normal driving. This results in improved stability when cornering. Furthermore, the body height adjusts depending on speed and driving mode, making this type of suspension a true all-rounder.

This happens without sacrificing basic comfort, even though the Audi's tuning is rather firm, as is typical of the brand. The steering is sufficiently direct, and straight-line stability works well even without constant steering correction.

Thanks to all-wheel drive, the Q6 E-Tron Quattro's traction is exemplary, maintaining perfect roadholding at all times without wheel spin. The driving stability programs intervene gently in emergencies without unsettling the driver. Audi delivers the expected quality here.

Those who choose the Q6 E-Tron Quattro get the most powerful version with 387 hp. The car proves to be correspondingly powerful in the test. The factory-measured time of 5.9 seconds from a standstill to 100 km/h seems credible in the test. Such power, which is only found in sports cars with combustion engines, is to be expected from electric cars with all-wheel drive these days. The car proves to be correspondingly confident in daily use, always equipped with sufficient power reserves for spontaneous overtaking maneuvers on country roads and highways.

A pleasant feature is the seamless and smooth power transmission at all times. The drive system operates without any audible engine or transmission noise, and the Q6 E-Tron Quattro doesn't produce a synthetic soundscape to compensate for the lack of a combustion engine. Such gimmicks are usually reserved for even sportier electric cars.

The discrepancy between factory-stated fuel consumption and real-world consumption was already a problem in the heyday of combustion-engine cars. This is no different for electric cars, and in the case of the Audi Q6 E-Tron Quattro, it's particularly striking. The standard value of 19.3 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers stated by Audi importer Amag was only achievable in stop-and-go traffic in the city center. The test resulted in a total of 26.5 kWh per 100 km, almost 30 percent more. The range was correspondingly low, at less than 400 kilometers.

At current prices for household electricity, this discrepancy isn't a problem for drivers of cars with their own charging stations. However, those who regularly charge publicly face high costs, just below those of cars with diesel or gasoline engines. Many electric car manufacturers, not just Audi, have to address this problem, which becomes even more apparent during the colder months.

Considering the Audi Q6 E-Tron Quattro's exterior appearance, powerful drivetrain, and well-tuned setup, it offers everything an electric SUV of this size should. However, the extremely high option prices, which significantly increase the car's price, and the inferior choice of materials in the interior are both annoying. Audi needs to improve this, then the electric Q6 can become as popular as the smaller Q4 electric car. As it stands, however, the price and product quality aren't yet in line.