Audi next year will launch a new electric crossover positioned between the mid-size E-Tron and compact Q4 E-Tron. It will go by the name Q6 E-Tron, and prototypes have been out and about for more than a year (shown below).
Now we have the first spy shots of a prototype for a coupe-like version to be called the Q6 Sportback E-Tron. It will sit together with coupe-like versions of the E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron already on sale.
The Q6 E-Tron duo is being developed alongside an electric Porsche Macan that’s also due next year. Underpinning them will be a new Volkswagen Group platform known as the PPE (Premium Platform Electric), and primarily developed by Audi and Porsche.
VW Group has been quiet on specs for the PPE platform but we know it will have an 800-volt electrical system, allowing for charging rates as high as 350 kilowatts. Range should also be more than 300 miles for the biggest battery.
2023 Audi Q6 E-Tron spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Look for single- and twin-motor configurations to be on offer. We may also see a triple-motor configuration for range-topping grades, which in the case of the Q6 E-Tron would be an RS-badged model.
The Q6 E-Tron is expected to be revealed late this year or early next. The Q6 Sportback E-Tron should debut about six months to year after the regular crossover. Look for it to arrive as a 2024 model.
Audi has ambitious plans for EVs, as the automaker aims to have 20 in its lineup as early as 2025. It has already launched the E-Tron, E-Tron Sportback, E-Tron GT, Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-tron, and will soon add the Q6 E-Tron duo, as well as an A6 E-Tron and updated E-Tron duo. An electric A8 replacement is also expected to be revealed in 2024 and start sales in 2025.
The automaker also announced last year that it will launch its final car equipped with an internal-combustion engine as early as 2026. This means you can expect most models in the Audi lineup to switch to electric power as they are redesigned. Stay tuned.