Article by:
Bengt Halvorson
Roundabouts have been sprouting up across America, including along the little countryside roads connecting Car and Driver's Ann Arbor home base to our 10Best evaluation loop. This mark of progress can rile some drivers, but Audi's Q6 e-tron uses its electric strengths to take the edge off that on-the-ground change.
As we approached roundabouts and lifted off the accelerator, this compact electric SUV's regenerative braking reliably scrubbed off just the right amount of speed, letting us glide in easily and accelerate out briskly. Likewise, when approaching tighter curves or going downhill, the Q6 cranked up the regen and simply sailed through.
EVs, like roundabouts, are something that makes a world of sense—and whether you love 'em, hate 'em, or land somewhere in between, they're increasingly part of the future. Porsche and Audi got a head start on the fast-charging 800-volt form with the Taycan and e-tron GT, respectively. Now, about five years later, the VW Group has transposed that tech for a broader market with the Audi Q6 and its PPE (Premium Platform Electric) fundamentals, which are shared with the Porsche Macan EV.
Those underlying bits help make the Q6 one of today's fastest-charging EVs. Audi says its battery can juice from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 21 minutes on a DC fast-charger, with a peak at 270 kilowatts. During testing, we saw a 35-minute charge from 10 to 90 percent with a peak of 264 kilowatts and an average of 129 kilowatts. That's a far quicker time than we've seen from the BMW iX, and it even beats the 800-volt Kia EV9 (which has about the same-size battery pack) by a couple of minutes.
HIGHS: Road-trip-ready fast-charging, real-world range, impressive brakes and regen.
Audi has suggested that NACS charging adapters are on the way this year, and when that time comes, the Q6 e-tron will be able to charge at rates of up to 135 kilowatts on Tesla's legacy V3 Superchargers, by splitting its 94-kWh battery pack into two 400-volt halves charged in parallel. To make charging more accessible, the Q6 e-tron has AC charge ports on both sides (with DC on the driver's side, as well, which works out nicely for Superchargers). In 75-mph highway driving, the Q6 e-tron went 250 miles, sailing 10 miles farther than an EV9 while carrying a battery with roughly the same capacity. And that was with our tester's optional 20-inch wheels (19s are standard), which bring a 295-mile EPA range rating.
Outside of the Q6 e-tron's excellent charging and range credentials, it's an EV to consider thanks to its overall comfort and easygoing drivability, including that context-sensitive regeneration that varies depending on hills, intersections, corners, and more. It incorporates inputs from long-range radar, the front camera, road-sign data, and navigation-system data for hills and curves.
The Q6 e-tron defaults to that auto regen setting with each vehicle start, and given how well it worked for the commute, that's just fine. Coasting and two other levels of deeper regen can be tapped into with steering-wheel paddles, and there's a one-pedal B mode on the shift toggle that lets you gradually come to a stop without pressing the brake.Range, efficiency, charging, and the ease of the EV experience clearly distinguish the Q6 e-tron from the rest of the pack of electric luxury SUVs. But our other impressions weren't as decidedly positive. During our testing, editors found the Q6 e-tron to be competent but confoundingly plain. This, despite a pair of electric motors conferring a combined 456 horsepower. Read more...
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