Times are changing at Audi, and the rapid evolution of its product line is well underway. As Audi moves its gas-powered vehicles to an odd-numbered naming scheme and reassigns the even numbers to all-electric vehicles, some of the automaker’s best-known nameplates are taking on new shapes.
The A6 has traditionally been offered as a midsize luxury sedan powered by gasoline or diesel engines, but it’s now a battery powered vehicle wearing a streamlined fastback silhouette. Claiming a coefficient of drag of just 0.21, the 2025 A6 Sportback E-Tron is the slipperiest model ever produced by Audi. Although Audi’s powertrain offerings for its midsize cars have shifted drastically, its focus on blending technology, luxury, and performance has remained the same.
Design and Lighting Come First
Sharing Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture with the Q6 E-Tron SUV, the A6 E-Tron rides on a long wheelbase with short overhangs. As a contrast from gas-only models, its body color grille signals that the A6 is powered by a battery and electric motors. With aerodynamics as a focus, the A6 E-Tron has functional air curtains on either side of the front fascia and an active cool-air intake beneath the grille.
In keeping with other recent Audi designs such as the new A5, the A6 E-Tron’s slim DRLs are complemented by a black mask that hides the primary headlight functions like the high and low beams. For additional exterior personalization, Audi enables eight different front and rear signature lighting patterns that are configurable from the infotainment display. For the first time in Audi history, the A6 E-Tron can be equipped with an illuminated four-ring logo for the front and rear.
Down the sides, the A6 E-Tron has softened “Quattro muscles,” meaning the haunches over the wheel arches are deemphasized compared to what you’ll see on the smaller A5. The door handles are hidden away into the doors, enhancing the A6’s tapered profile. Audi calls out the A6 E-Tron’s battery-centric design with a swooshing black piece of trim, visually lowering and lengthening the midsize car. Wheel sizes from 19 to 21 inches are available, with a total of nine available designs.
A sporty-looking, but still functional, diffuser adds some flare to the rear of the A6 E-Tron. A Sportback bodystyle with a short decklid will be the only configuration available in the United States. This model is nowhere near as stunning as the gorgeous A6 Avant E-Tron, which won’t be coming to our shores, featuring a long roof that gently slopes toward the tailgate and a rooftop spoiler. Regardless of body style, the A6 E-Tron family wears a tail light design that pops away from the bodywork, with left and right housings connecting via a singular lightbar.
Globally, the Audi A6 E-Tron’s tail lights use 450 OLED segments to provide dynamic lighting signatures and display warnings for following vehicles based on road data. This technology won’t be offered in the United States, however, due to regulations governing exterior automotive lighting.
Those desiring sportier character can option an S Line appearance package or a more powerful S6 Sportback E-Tron variant with exclusive paint colors and Audi’s signature Alu-Optic accents. We’re disappointed that the hotter S6 Avant E-Tron won’t be coming to the United States, however, although we hope the automaker will surprise us with the return of an RS6 successor down the road.
Audi A6 E-Tron Performance, Range, and Charging
Fans of the Audi brand may be surprised to hear that the automaker, once known for offering front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive cars, offers the new A6 Sportback E-Tron with a standard rear-wheel drive configuration. That single-motor model develops 362 hp and tops out at 130 mph. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph takes just 5.2 seconds. While EPA figures are still pending, Audi claims 466 miles of driving range on the European WLTP efficiency test cycle. That figure should fall somewhere between 350 and 400 miles when the A6’s range is standardized under our country’s testing procedure.
The far-driving sedan’s capability is enabled by a 100-kWh battery, with 94.4 kWh usable, underpinning all A6 and S6 E-Tron variants. The battery can be charged with Level 2 AC power at 9.6 kW and DC fast charging at a rate of 270 kW thanks to the A6 E-Tron’s 800-Volt architecture. Audi claims a 21-minute charge from 10 to 80 percent.
Those in search of all-wheel drive capability can spring for the A6 Sportback E-Tron Quattro, which receives a second motor for a total output of 422 hp. Its 0-60 mph time drops to 4.3 seconds, although top speed remains the same. Expect these dual-motor versions of the midsize Audi to receive a slight range penalty, dropping maximum driving distance below 350 miles based on our estimates. The sporty S6 Sportback E-Tron develops 496 hp under normal driving conditions thanks to a more powerful dual-motor setup. Using launch control, the S6 springs from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds according to Audi’s figures. The sprightlier Sportback claims a higher top speed too, topping out at 149 mph. As a boon to driving enthusiasts, the S6 E-Tron’s rear-biased powertrain can favor the motor driving the back wheels even at full throttle.
We’re expecting solid driving dynamics from all versions of the A6 E-Tron. A low ride height, staggered front and rear tires, and available adaptive air suspension serve as the basis for the midsize EV’s athleticism. A regenerative braking system can recuperate up to 220 kW, with two stages of recuperation. Coasting and regen are controlled via paddles on the steering wheel, while toggling the “B” driving mode offers one-pedal driving feeling, although Audi doesn’t allow for complete stops with its regenerative system.
A Luxurious, Tech-Forward Interior
The first thing you’ll notice as you get settled inside the A6 E-Tron’s interior is the curved panel of digital displays that serve as the cabin’s center point. Every version of the sedan receives a standard 11.9-inch version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen. On the passenger side, there’s a 10.9-inch touch display with nearly all of the same functionality as the main infotainment panel, allowing passengers to have control of media and even input a new destination to the A6’s navigation. In order to keep the driver’s attention focused on the road, the passenger display features an Active Privacy Mode. The light from the display is directed solely to the passenger while this setting is engaged, hiding the screen from the driver’s view. Audio comes courtesy of a 20-speaker arrangement from Bang & Olufsen.
Instead of looking at the passenger’s screen, the A6 E-Tron’s driver keeps their attention focused with a head-up display featuring augmented reality projection. The reflected image shows basic information such as speed, traffic signs, driver assistance systems, and navigation directions. Audi also equips augmented reality directions, with graphics that look as though the image is integrated into the real world. Digital mirrors will be offered in other markets, but the United States has yet to federalize this camera-based system for our roads.
The A6 E-Tron’s infotainment tech makes use of the Android Automotive OS, enabling over-the-air updates and an Audi Application Store. You can download YouTube or other third-party apps from categories such as music, video streaming, gaming, navigation, parking and charging, productivity, weather, and news services. Voice controls are standard, enhanced by the ChatGPT artificial language model technology provided by the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service. Audi’s software not only promises to have an impressive ability to interpret commands, but it should also be able to predictively offer a destination, adjust the air conditioning, or output a weather report.
Overhead, an available electronically shading glass roof can be configured as opaque, transparent, or with a variety of other patterns. Effectively a digital curtain, the transparency can be activated in stages via nine segments like a traditional sunroof, or you can select a striped pattern that alternates which cells are opaque to diffuse light more evenly throughout the cabin. Soft close doors and a projected spot to place your foot for the automatically opening trunk add a bit more convenience to the A6’s daily livability. Few manufacturers provide a keyless or phone-free solution for opening an EV’s frunk, but the A6 E-Tron’s frontal storage area can be opened with a swipe of the hand over the front four-ring logo. The A6 E-Tron is a practical pick for hauling cargo too; its trunk measures 26 cubic feet. Dropping the rear seats opens up a total of 40 cubic feet overall.
Audi plies the A6 E-Tron with a generous list of active safety features as well. The automaker’s Adaptive Driving Assistant Plus feature provides a gentle assist to acceleration, braking, maintaining speed or following distance, and lane keeping. Using swarm data and traffic information, the A6 E-Tron can also further inform these automatic adjustments for variable conditions. Other standard tech includes Audi’s Park Assist Plus, a reversing camera, a traffic sign-based speed limit assist, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and a distraction and drowsiness warning.
How Much Does An Audi A6 E-Tron Cost and When Can I Get One?
The 2025 Audi A6 Sportback E-Tron should start north of $80,000 when it arrives in the United States. Stepping up to the S6 Sportback E-Tron hikes up that sum just south of $110,000 due to its additional performance hardware. Ordering opens up in fall 2024. A6 and S6 E-Tron models will be available in dealers starting in spring or summer 2025. We’re going to miss the existing model’s decadent engine options, but these EVs should satisfy our desire for comfort and speed.
