New Audi Q6 e-tron will launch on 18 March, ready to take on Porsche’s Macan EV

We saw the new all-electric Porsche Macan EV unveiled at the beginning of the year and following closely after is the sister model from Audi - the Audi Q6 e-tron. In a post on LinkedIn, Audi says its new mid-size, electric SUV will be fully revealed on 18 March.

The Q6 e-tron is a crucial moment for Audi as it makes use of the new PPE platform - only the second model in the VW Group to do so, after the Porsche Macan EV. While an on sale date hasn’t been announced, we expect it to launch shortly after the Porsche in the second half of 2024.

There’s little to be learned visually from the latest teaser image, but previous teasers, spy shots and, indeed, our own drive of the Q6 e-tron in prototype form last year have all help to paint a detailed picture of Audi’s BMW iX3 rival.

The Q6 e-tron will be available in both ‘Sportback’ coupe-SUV and regular SUV guises and Audi has previously given us official images of the “production-oriented Q6 e-tron prototype” testing - the car pictured here doesn’t show any extra exterior detail but is finished in a lighter livery. We’ve also caught the Sportback testing already, showcasing the typical lower roofline associated with Audi’s coupe SUVs.

Overall its an exterior design not too far removed from the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron and Q8 e-tron. It will feature a closed-off, textured front grille flanked by a pair of dual LED headlights. Beneath we can see side air intakes with strakes. A full-width light bar with a signature similar to the one on the e-tron GT will mark out the Q6’s rear end.

We’ve previously spotted what could be a hot RS version testing and we can see the headlights have a new chequered flag motif, while the front bumper and rear diffuser are entirely different to those on other Q6 e-tron test cars.

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Audi has been more open with the interior of the Q6 e-tron, revealing it in full last year. The most important new addition is Audi’s next-generation of its infotainment display. Three screens are laid out on the dash - an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit for the driver, a 14.5-inch touchscreen in the middle and for the passenger a 10.9-inch display. That screen on the passenger side comes with ‘active privacy mode’ which means it can display videos for the passenger without distracting the driver.

The Q6 e-tron will also be offered with an optional augmented reality head-up display with information such as speed, traffic signs and driver assist functions. Audi has also redesigned the infotainment for the Q6 e-tron, based on Android Automotive. The voice assistant is ‘self-learning’, meaning it will retain data from previous commands to provide a routine. To the rear there’s a decent 526 litres of boot capacity - that’s more than the Mercedes EQC’s 500-litres and the 510-litres found in the back of the BMW iX3.

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The first Audi to utilise the new PPE platform (it will also be used on the upcoming A6 e-tron), the Q6 e-tron base model will be the ‘55’ with 395bhp. That’s a little down on the entry-level Macan EV 4 which has 402bhp. The sportier SQ6 will up power to 510bhp, but should the Q6 make use of the same powertrain as the Macan Turbo then up to 630bhp could be on offer.

The Q6 e-tron will go into production at Audi’s Ingolstadt factory this year, which the brand is converting to an all-electric assembly line to accommodate the new PPE bespoke electric platform. Audi says the platform will allow the EV’s battery pack to charge from five to 80 per cent capacity in around 25 minutes thanks to a maximum recharge rate of 270kW. A shorter charge using the fastest possible DC rapid charger can also add 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

Audi’s smaller Q4 e-tron starts from £51,440 and the larger Q8 e-tron kicks off at £70,910. The Q6 e-tron will sit between the two but, given the new technology and powertrain on offer, we expect it to be nearer to the Q8 e-tron when it goes on sale.

Click here for our list of the best electric SUVs on sale right now...