Audi A6 e-tron luxury EV globally unveiled

The A6 e-tron will rival the BMW i5

Audi has taken the wraps off the first-ever A6 e-tron. The all-new Audi A6 e-tron will be offered in both Sportback and Avant body styles and will be based on the brand's PPE architecture.

Starting with the design, the new Audi A6 e-tron features split headlamps, with the DRLs on top and the main cluster with Matrix LEDs below. Other styling details include a large grille finished in body colour, angular front bumper, two sharp character lines on the bonnet, sleek door handles and large 19-inch wheels which can be upgraded up to 21 inches. At the rear, the A6 e-tron features the familiar full-width LED lightbar with variable light patterns, a subtle diffuser on the rear bumper and an illuminated Audi logo.

The new Audi A6 e-tron measures 4,928 mm in length, 1,923 mm in width and 1,527 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,946 mm, a 502-litre boot at the rear and a small 27-litre frunk.

Inside, the dashboard is quite similar to that of the Q6 e-tron SUV. It includes a single-curved display with two screens: an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. There is also an additional 10.9-inch screen for the front passengers. The electric sedan comes with ambient lighting all around the dashboard and doors, a new steering wheel and a new touchpad on the driver's door pad for the mirrors, seat and light controls. There's also a toggle switch on the centre console for the drive selector and a rotary dial for media controls. Other features include a 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, a full ADAS suite, a 360-degree camera and a panoramic glass roof.

The Audi A6 e-tron comes in three variants: RWD, Quattro and the range-topping S6. All three variants feature a 94.4 kWh battery pack. The base trim gets a single motor in the rear axle producing 362 BHP, while the mid-spec Quattro trim gets dual e-motors - one on each axle, with a total power output of 422 BHP. The range-topping S6 e-tron also has dual electric motors producing 496 BHP, which increases to 543 BHP when using launch control. Driving range varies anywhere between 610 km to 756 km, depending on the variant. Audi also claims a fast-charging capability of up to 270 kW, allowing for 10-80% charge in just 21 minutes.

The Audi A6 e-tron will go on sale internationally in the coming months and will rival the BMW i5. Prices for the new luxury EV are expected to start from around 75,000 euros.