The world has two big challenges at the moment. The first is global warming, and the second is that the first one should be checked. For that, the widespread use of EVs is the cardinal step. China, which has another problem of not having any gasoline reserves, smartly has spent more than USD 30 billion to push the case of EVs by way of subsidies and other incentives. The result is that Beijing, which used to choke earlier, is getting its healthy lungs back. More than 30% of all automobiles in China are running on electric power, except for luxury EVs which are piling up and moving slowly globally. In India, Mercedes EQE, BMW iX, and Audi Q8 e-tron are hard sell today, and what is sold has lost way more value than its ICE counterpart in the after-sales market. Keeping all the above scenarios in mind, the Audi Q6 e-tron comes with a full tank of oxygen with the right shape, design, tech, range, driving dynamics and, hopefully, at the price point that will move the sales needle. Today, consumers are nervous about getting a luxury green number plate that costs beyond one Crore. On the one hand, the Volvo C-40 recharge is of great value at the Rs 55 Lakh mark, and the ring is open with no luxury players stretching its range to touch the Rs 75-85 Lakh price point. This is the sweet spot that Audi is aiming for with its Q6 e-tron, which will be available in a few months. It’s a salivating tech proposition that should electrify Audi's portfolio and give the e-tron the muscle power it needs to clear the haystack on its road to electrification. The Q4 e-tron, which is already selling in other markets, does not make for a great price offering after taxes, and it will outprice itself for India, given the current scenario.
Tech Verdict
By far, it can be safely called the Tech EV car of the year in its segment for all the above reasons. With a totally new cabin experience, drive-train and entertainment system, it does bring a lot more to the party. Price will be a key deciding factor, and it can convert a lot of ‘likes’ into ‘buy now’. The lower it gets from a price point of Rs 80 Lakh, the more attractive the Q6 e-tron gets. As a car, it is a freshly brewed café con leche, difficult to resist
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The steering design has been rethought. It's hexagonal with haptic controls, but it’s a relatively lighter steering setup. Even in dynamic mode, it feels too easy on your palm & fingers. That solid feeling of a Q7 or the current Q8 is missing, though it’s precise and even with minimum input, it steers in the right direction. This would make driving for softer & shorter palms more comfortable. Ladies would love it, and the gents would eventually get used to it. However, I would still prefer the current steering setup of the existing Audis. The road noise, which is the only noise that makes or breaks the cabin experience of an EV, has been managed well with noise cancellation speakers and magnetic fluids. Only when you are in dynamic mode do the speakers in your headrest emit that EV performance noise, which, though artificial, is somewhat satisfying. The drive train and chassis, along with the platform, are all new, and the future e-trons will be coming with that. There are two motors, one on the front axle and one on the rear. It has been designed to be more rear-biased, and at corners, you do feel that the tail is slightly over-eager to wag out.
Something very important and very trivial is the turn-by navigation voice guidance, which annoys the other passengers in the car. It has been smartly integrated so that only speakers fitted inside the driver's headrest are making the sound without dialling down the music so much for other passengers. A head-up display and a navigation system with an augmented reality feature are also thrown in, along with a great-sounding 830-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo system.
The SQ6 definitely throws your head back, and it's supremely agile when throttled in, but the Q6 does not fall too behind. The roads from Bilbao to Saint Sebastian are winding and well-paved, and the Q6 moves with your whip. We could not get to taste the offroad mode, which, when pressed, gives it a higher ground clearance of 27 mm. The one we were driving was also riding in air springs, but what we will get in India will be steel damping with air suspension most likely thrown in as an option, and that will definitely change the ride quality.
BATTERY & TECH
In any EV, battery and range are the two most important conversation points, and they are essentially the heart and soul of the car. The Audi Q6 e-tron can patt itself with a completely newly developed high-voltage battery, which has resulted in the longest range in its existing current portfolio. A range of 625 km [WLTP] on a full charge coming out of 100 kWh [ Gross ] and 94.9 kWh [Net ] does spice things up in its favour. Compared to the previously used battery systems by Audi, this new battery tech consists of twelve modules with 15 cells per module. For reference, the HV battery in the Audi Q8 e-tron consists of 36 modules and 432 cells. Q6 e-tron has an 800-volt architecture, and the reduction in number of modules also reduces installation space. It's also lighter and better integrated with the cooling system. It's a classic case of less is more, requiring fewer cables and high-voltage connectors, including the number of screw connections- In addition, the electrical connections between the modules are shorter, which significantly reduces power loss and weight.
The above is a little technical, but what we need to know is that Audi claims the upcoming Q6 e-tron only needs ten minutes at a fast-charging station to generate a range of up to 255 kilometres with a maximum charging capacity of up to 270 kW. Only 21 minutes are needed to charge the high-voltage battery from 10 to 80 per cent. It's interesting to know that the Q6 e-tron is the first vehicle to offer bank charging on a charging station that works with 400-volt technology. The 800-volt battery is automatically divided into two batteries at equal voltage, which can then be charged in parallel with up to 135 kW. On the other hand, an AC charging station or home charger with up to 11 kW can juice up an empty battery overnight.
Even the cabin design has been redesigned, and there is a passenger side 10.9-inch LED screen thrown in with an 11.9-inch gauge display along with a 14.5-inch infotainment screen, which is curved and it’s an OLED screen. There is another small screen with control options moved to the driver's grab handle sitting on the door. It’s not moving around of screens but smart use of it, which does not look like an overkill. For example, the passenger side screen is only visible to the driver at a standstill, and when the wheels are moving, it's opaque to the driver’s eyes, which essentially reduces cabin distraction. Also, the use of OLED definitely raises the bar because earlier, only the S class used to have OLED in its MMI screen, and even the current generation of Q8 e-tron does not have it. The colours on offer are Magnet Grey in solid colour and the rest in metallic – Manhattan Grey, Mythos Black, Ascari Blue and Soneira Red. There is something about the colour naming ceremony, and almost all manufacturers wear their best creative hats while doing it. It just can’t be blue or black. It has to be a mythological and complicated name!
It’s not a boring silhouette; Audis generally have clear flowing lines, and the design language is rather very subtle and gentlemanly. However, with the Q6 e-tron, they have possibly surprised themselves, and the use of tech and lights has just amplified the overall design aesthetics. At the front, the inverted grill gathers an aggressive-looking stance with 71 Matrix LEDs on each side, which can do 160 combinations, giving a lot of personalisation options to customise the Q6 to individual tastes. The shoulders have strong character lines, and there is strong Q6 badging flowing between the A & C pillars. From the rear, the design has been inspired by the RS e-tron GT with a scooped-up top and heavy bottom, but it's again the smart use of lights at the rear that will hit you. It is OLED, and six of them have 60 customisations, a total of 360 light designs, which can surely hone your skills as a light designer. If you are someone who has an eye for details, then the Q6 e-tron will do a welcome and goodbye with the unique light sequence that you have set, and when bored, it can be changed and repeated 52X360 times every week. Audi is preparing you for a world where you value machines, their emotions, and how they talk to you. After all, we all love our cars and silently talk to them.
Audi Q6 e-tron Quattro specifications
- Power 285 KW
- 0-100 KMPH in 5.9 Seconds
- Range – 625 km [ WLTP ]
- 100 kWh [ gross] 94.9 kWh (net) 800 V architecture,12 modules, lithium-ion weighing 590 kg
