New Audi Q6 e-tron revealed with customisable headlights

The Audi Q6 e-tron has finally arrived to sandwich itself between the smaller Q4 e-tron and the larger Q8. It offers a range of over 380 miles, a hi-tech interior with three screens and even customisable headlights.

Yes, you read that correctly: Audi’s alternative to the new Porsche Macan EV (both cars share the same underpinnings) debuts a new exterior design language and interior, the former features Audi’s new digital matrix light technology. This not only enables greater illumination of the road, but the individual light clusters can be personalised front and back to display a pre-configured pattern of your choice. They can also inform other drivers of impending hazards, as well as when the Q6’s semi-autonomous driving systems are active.

While owners are able to express themselves via the car’s advanced exterior lighting, the remainder of the Audi Q6 e-tron’s exterior is something of an unassuming blank canvas. It’s certainly a good looking car, with a blanked-off version of Audi’s trademark hexagonal grille and a muscular stance, however, the Porsche Macan (as well as other rivals such as the Lexus RZ) are perhaps a little more striking.

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Audi Q6 e-tron: interior technology

Personal tastes aside, the Audi Q6 e-tron’s interior – which was revealed in its entirety earlier this year – marks what is undeniably a huge leap forward in terms of interior tech offerings, compared with the aforementioned Audi Q8 e-tron. 

As is almost always the case nowadays, the focus here is on screens, with those in the front greeted by three large glossy displays. Two of these are mounted in a singular curved panel and function as the digital instrument cluster (which Audi dubs the ‘Virtual Cockpit’), as well as the main central touchscreen. 

Like in the Porsche Macan, there is also the option for the front passenger to get their own display; this can be used to stream video content, as well as monitor the current sat-nav directions or change the radio station. Furthermore, if two screens aren’t quite enough for the driver, you can specify an ‘Augmented Reality’ head-up display, which can project things like your current speed and even sat nav maps onto the windscreen.

We’ve already had a chance to poke around the inside of the new Audi Q6 e-tron, with our experience revealing what could be a new class leader in terms of rear passenger space. There’s plenty of legroom and kneeroom, while Audi says the Q6 offers 526 litres of boot space, with a 64-litre ‘frunk’ under the bonnet – ideal for storing charging cables.

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Specs, range and powertrains

While full UK specs are yet to be revealed, Audi will offer two versions of the Q6 in the UK at launch: the standard Audi Q6 e-tron Quattro (£68,975) and the high-performance SQ6 e-tron (£92,950). 

The former gets a 383bhp dual-motor setup and gets from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds. Powering it all is a hefty 95kWh (useable) battery pack, which provides a range of up to 381 miles. The hot Audi SQ6 e-tron can almost be considered a separate model in and of itself, with an uprated 510bhp output, which propels the car from 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds when launch control is activated. The extra power will probably mean range is reduced somewhat, although Audi is yet to provide exact figures.

Regardless, both models feature DC ultra-rapid charging at a maximum rate of 270kW, which is lightning fast compared to the 150kW speed of the BMW iX3. This means the Audi can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in “around 21 minutes”. The Ingolstadt-based marque also says that the Q6 e-tron utilises a new ‘multi-source’ heat pump, which not only draws in air from the outside, but also excess heat from the powertrain. This, says Audi, boosts range by around 20 miles in conditions between -10 and +20 degrees centigrade.

The Audi Q6 e-tron will go on sale on 29 May, when full UK specs will also be revealed. As with the smaller Audi Q4 e-tron and larger Q8 e-tron, we expect Audi will eventually release a sleeker-looking Q6 Sportback e-tron version, most likely incurring a premium of around £3,000 over the standard car.