Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback Review & Prices

The Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback is the slinkier, more stylish sibling to the regular Q6 e-tron SUV. It trades some practicality for looks, with its sleek coupe-like roofline reducing boot space, but in all other ways it’s identical to its boxier sibling.

It’s a bit like having a trendy messenger bag instead of a bulky rucksack - you carry less, but you look cooler.

Alternatives to the Q6 e-tron Sportback are wide-ranging and include the Porsche Macan Electric, BMW iX3, Mercedes GLC Electric, Polestar 4 and Tesla Model Y - all stylish SUVs which offer a long range and plenty of tech.

The Q6 e-tron Sportback is a handsome thing. What look like impossibly slim lights just under the edge of the bonnet are actually the OLED daytime running lights, and the main beam units are tucked discreetly into the bodywork slightly lower down. At the back, there’s a full-width LED light bar (although the Q6 lacks the illuminated Audi four-rings badge that lights up red, as found on the new A6 e-tron electric saloon).

Compared to the polarising BMW iX3 and Mercedes GLC Electric, or the blobby Tesla Model Y, it’s a real supermodel - without too many electric car-typical features that mark it out as an EV.

Inside, there’s the same sweep of screen across the top of the dash that you get in the A6 e-tron, which includes an 11.9-inch instrument panel and a 14.5-inch infotainment screen. The big main display is angled slightly towards the driver, but if that makes your passenger feel left out, you can optionally have an extra touchscreen for them too.

It’s not all bad, though. The infotainment system is easy enough to use and really snappy in operation, with a permanent bar at the bottom of the screen for your climate controls so they’re never too far out of reach even if you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.

It doesn’t feel entirely convincing when you start poking and prodding, though. There are areas of the Q6’s interior which feel really cheap, especially the flimsy cover for the cupholders. There’s also a lot of piano black plastic, which is a magnet for fingerprints and dust, and the switchgear doesn’t have that reassuring heft we’ve grown to expect from Audi.

Annoyingly, there are precious few physical switches, and the ones it has tend to be under sleek-looking but deeply unsatisfying shiny panels that conceal many different buttons. It doesn’t work as well as separate switches and it feels nasty.

Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 335-407 miles
Efficiency: 3.3-3.9 miles per kWh
Battery size: 75.8kWh / 94.9kWh
Max charge speed: 225kw / 270kW
Charge time AC: 8hrs, 0-100%, 11kW / 10hrs, 0-100%, 11kW
Charge time DC: 21mins, 10-80%, 225kW / 21mins, 10-80%, 270kW
Charge port location: Left rear
Power outputs: 292hp / 326hp / 388hp

The seats are very comfortable and highly adjustable - even if our £70,000 test car did come without electric adjustment (which felt very stingy). The steering wheel feels great too, avoiding the overly-fashionable design or too-thick rim of the BMW iX3.

Space inside the Q6 e-tron Sportback isn’t as good as the regular Q6 SUV, but it’s still not bad. There’s plenty of legroom for two rear passengers, and the middle seat isn’t too narrow or high up to be usable for a third either. But as you’d expect from the sloping roofline, headroom is restricted especially if you’re over six feet tall.

The boot is a good size though, at 511 litres in capacity - a bit smaller than the iX3 or GLC Electric, but in our testing we found its square shape was easier to fit suitcases in than those cars. What you lack due to the sloping roofline is space for big, boxy items, so don’t go appliance-shopping.

There’s also a useful 64-litre ‘frunk’, ideal for cable storage or just hiding away any muddy items you don’t want in the car with you.

There are a few versions to choose from - the regular, ‘Performance’, or ‘Quattro’. Standard models get a single, rear-mounted motor with 248hp and a 75.8kWh battery, good for a range of up to 335 miles (officially). The Performance powertrain gets a larger, 94.9kWh battery and 302hp, so it’s a bit quicker but crucially returns up to 407 miles per charge in official tests.

The Quattro model has dual motors and the same battery as the Performance, so while range is reduced a little to 395 miles it gets a whopping 422hp. If you need more, you can go for the even sportier SQ6 e-tron Sportback.

The Performance model is the one to go for as it has more than enough pace for everyday life, doesn’t cost much more than the standard car and has the longest range. But that 407-mile figure is a bit of a pipe dream. We never saw more than 250 miles of range over a very high-mileage week, including lots of long, gentle motorway runs - that’s thanks to really poor efficiency, which means more time spent charging and a pricey bill if you use public fast chargers.

If you want longer range from your electric car, the BMW iX3 or Tesla Model Y will both do much better in the real world with over 300 miles possible between charges.

At least you don’t need to spend ages at the ‘pumps’ - the Q6 e-tron has a charge speed of up to 270kW, which is really rapid and means a 10-80% charge of that vast battery takes just 22 minutes.

To drive, the Q6 e-tron doesn’t really put the ‘Sport’ in ‘Sportback’. It’s not much fun on a twisting road because it feels so heavy - it leans in bends, the steering is pretty lifeless, and the suspension is geared more towards comfort than handling. If you’re really being silly, the rear-drive models will get their tails out - but you’ll need to be going some to do this.

That focus does mean that it’s very comfortable the rest of the time, though. The Q6 e-tron is super-quiet and relaxed on the motorway, and Audi’s assisted driving tech operates really smoothly. That makes it a pleasure to do long journeys in, with comfy seats and a good stereo helping to keep you alert and entertained.

It’s fine around town, too. The visibility isn’t fantastic and it can be quite difficult to judge where the corners are, but with gratuitous application of the parking sensors and cameras you can be left to enjoy the way it irons out speed bumps and potholes. A BMW iX3 is less comfortable around town, though it’s almost as good on the motorway and much better on a twisty road making it an overall nicer car to drive.

Verdict

The Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback is an expensive car that doesn’t measure up to cheaper alternatives in terms of range, performance or interior quality. It’s very comfortable to drive and charges up quickly, but a Tesla Model Y is a much better all-rounder and costs far less.

You can get a great price on this big, sleek electric SUV by checking out Carwow’s Audi Q6 e-tron Sportback deals. Undecided? You can browse other new Audi deals, as well as plenty of other used Audis from our network of trusted dealers. When it’s time to sell your current car, you can do that through Carwow, too.

The Q6 e-tron Sportback costs from just over £63,000, which is a lot more than a Tesla Model Y or a BMW iX3. The Performance model is £3,500 extra and well worth having for the extra range, but once you’ve added that to the mid-spec S-Line trim you’re in a nearly £70,000 car.

Standard equipment for the Q6 e-tron Sportback includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with high-beam assist, sports seats, adaptive cruise control, and keyless entry. You don’t get nice touches like the passenger display, Matrix LED headlights, a glass roof or a posh stereo until the £77,765 ‘Vorsprung’ model, though.