Audi has been spotted testing an electric crossover to slot between the Q5 and Q7. It will go by the Q6 E-Tron name, and there will be regular Sportback and coupé-like body styles, as well as a high-performance RS Q6 E-Tron option.
The Q6 E-Tron is a twin to the electric Porsche Macan currently in development, with both vehicles sharing the Volkswagen Group’s new PPE platform for premium electric vehicles. Due to delays, the vehicles are now not expected to go on sale until early 2024, likely as 2024 models. The Q6 E-Tron was originally slated for release in 2022 and the Macan EV in 2023.
The Q6 E-Tron will be the first to debut. Its reveal will take place in the second half of 2023, Audi has confirmed.
The prototype of the Q6 E-Tron reveals that the vehicle will resemble the recently launched Q4 E-Tron, but on a larger scale. However, a new element on the Q6 E-Tron, which is also new to the Audi brand, is a split headlight design.
The Q6 E-Tron appears to be slightly larger than the Q5, just as the Q4 E-Tron is slightly larger than the Q3. No specs have been revealed, but we do know that the PPE platform will have an 800-volt electrical system and range capabilities of 300 miles or more.
For the Macan EV, we know the platform will feature a 98 kWh battery and an electric motor driving each axle. At least one Macan EV grade will deliver a combined output of over 603bhp, which we might also see in the aforementioned RS Q6 E-Tron.
2024 Audi Q6 E-Tron spy photos – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Production of the Q6 E-Tron will be handled at Audi’s plant in Ingolstadt, Germany, which is being prepared for the production of PPE-equipped vehicles, as well as batteries.
The vehicle’s arrival will mark the start of one of Audi’s most ambitious model rollout programs. The automaker will introduce 20 new or updated vehicles by the end of 2025, and more than half will be electric. Beyond 2026, Audi plans to launch electric vehicles exclusively.
