Audi fashions with the S badge positive as particular. Certain, they aren’t as fast or as thrilling as RS-badged fashions, however they provide mixture of efficiency, consolation, luxurious, and premium German construct high quality.
One of many more moderen additions to Audi’s vary of S-branded fashions is the SQ6 e-tron. First unveiled final yr, it sits atop the all-electric Q6 e-tron household and serves as a rival to the likes of the Porsche Macan 4S, Mercedes-AMG EQE 53, and even lower-end variations of the Lotus Eletre.
Does the SQ6 e-tron really feel becoming of the S badge and is it a professional high contender in its section? To seek out out, I lately spent every week dwelling with a blacked-out instance. It revealed itself to be a robust all-rounder, however it did have just a few niggles.
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Photographs Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The Powertrain
In Australia, costs for the 2025 Audi SQ6 e-tron begin at $151,400 (~$98,200), whereas within the US, it’s out there from $72,900. On paper, the specs are very spectacular.
All SQ6 e-tron variants, no matter market, come commonplace with a 100 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which sends energy to a pair of electrical motors that mix to supply 360 kW (483 hp), or 380 kW (510 hp) with launch management enabled. The entrance motor additionally delivers 275 Nm (203 lb-ft) of torque, whereas the rear motor is nice for 580 Nm (423 lb-ft). In response to Audi, the SQ6 e-tron can run to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds, or 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.2 seconds.
Audi says the SQ6 e-tron can common between 17.5 – 18.6 kWh/100 km over the mixed cycle and is nice for a WLTP vary of 568 km (353 miles). Nevertheless, as I came upon, each of these claims appear extraordinarily formidable.
Photographs Brad Anderson/Carscoops
A Cabin Dominated By Screens
The SQ6 e-tron has Audi’s newest era of inside, additionally featured within the new Audi A5 fashions. It has each its strengths and weaknesses.
Instantly standing out are the three huge screens. An 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch MMI infotainment display are housed inside a curved panel, whereas a ten.9-inch touchscreen is positioned in entrance of the passenger.
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Like different Audi fashions sporting s digital cockpit, the cluster is very configurable and among the best within the enterprise. Equally, the central infotainment display is superb, properly shielded from the solar and gives snappy responses to inputs due to the Android Automotive working system it makes use of; furthermore, it additionally contains wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as commonplace.
Photographs Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The passenger display affords loads of features, too, like shows for the navigation, leisure system, and passenger-specific settings, together with for the massaging seats. Talking of the seats, they’re trimmed in lovely leather-based with electrical adjustment and heating. Nevertheless, the dearth of air flow looks like a obtrusive omission at this value level.
Elsewhere, the SQ6 e-tron comes commonplace with plush Alcantara throughout the central a part of the dashboard and door playing cards. On the draw back, aside from the Alcantara and the flowery capacitive switchgear on the driving force door for the lights, mirrors, and seat settings, the doorways really feel low cost. They’re clad primarily in onerous black plastic. Audi hasn’t even bothered to revamp the door deal with trimming, leaving a clean plastic button that in older fashions housed the door lock and unlock buttons. I used to be additionally disenchanted to not discover any metallic speaker grilles, notably for the reason that mannequin we examined got here with a elaborate Bang & Olufsen system.
The identical piano black console is featured as in different new Audis. As we’ve come to anticipate, it seems to be good when it’s clear, however it’s liable to scratches. The steering wheel additionally has capacitive buttons which are a nightmare to get used to. On the plus facet is a pleasant ambient lighting system that extends beneath the bottom of the windshield, comes with a charging show and even flashes while you swap on an indicator.
Total, house and luxury within the entrance are good, however it’s apparent some cost-cutting measures have been made. The second row affords loads of house and feels very ethereal due to the panoramic glass sunroof. Nevertheless it’s a disgrace that local weather management settings on the rear are restricted to switches for the heated seats and fan velocity controls.
Audi says the SQ6 e-tron can carry 526 liters (18.5 cubic-feet) of cargo within the rear, or 1,529 liters (53.9 cubic-feet) with the rear seats folded down. There’s additionally a small storage space within the frunk, however charging cables take up a lot of the out there house.
Photographs Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Fast And Agile, Like An Audi S Ought to Be
With as much as 380 kW (509 hp) on faucet, it ought to come as no shock that the SQ6 e-tron feels fairly nifty in a straight line. With launch management enabled, I used to be simply in a position to match the claimed 4.3-second dash to 100 km/h (62 mph). Very like the RS e-tron GT, it feels as if it begins to tug tougher the quicker you’re going. Nevertheless, not like the e-tron GT, the SQ6 e-tron doesn’t have a two-speed transmission.
Accompanying the acceleration is a spaceship-like soundtrack while you’re in Dynamic mode, which took me without warning the primary time. Equally, I used to be stunned to see that as you speed up, the velocity studying on the head-up show begins to zoom in and develop larger, including a enjoyable piece of theater to the expertise.
However, as spectacular because the SQ6 is in a straight line, it’s round corners the place it actually shines. Regardless of tipping the scales at a portly 2,425 kg (5,356 lbs), it handles extremely properly and feels very agile. That is little doubt due largely to how brilliantly Audi has optimized the texture of the electrical energy steering, giving it the right quantity of weight.Contributing to the SUV’s dealing with are the grippy Bridgestone T005 tires.
Picture Credit: Brad Anderson/Carscoops
As with different Audi EVs, the SQ6 e-tron has paddle shifters behind the steering wheel to regulate the extent of brake regeneration. For essentially the most half, each the mechanical brakes and the regen work properly. Nevertheless, I steadily heard a clunking sound originating from the rear of the SUV after I rapidly lifted off the throttle and touched the brakes, primarily when the SQ6 was nonetheless chilly. It was a bit of disconcerting and may have been picked up in the course of the car’s growth. It’s potential, although, that it was solely one thing impacting the actual car I examined.
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A few of the driver-assistance programs additionally depart a bit of to be desired. For starters, not like different markets, in Australia the SQ6 e-tron doesn’t have any energetic lane centering. This can be a obtrusive omission for a car that prices AU$80,000 (~$51,800), not to mention one which prices nearly twice as a lot. Moreover, I skilled a few hiccups from the rear collision avoidance system when, whereas I used to be safely reversing right into a parking house, it abruptly slammed on the brakes, seemingly pondering I used to be about to hit one thing, although I wasn’t.
Effectivity and Charging
Effectivity isn’t the SQ6 e-tron’s robust swimsuit – not that that comes as a lot of a shock. Throughout my week with it, I averaged 22.4 kWh / 100 km,regardless of primarily driving in Effectivity mode with regen on full, and sometimes additionally driving in ‘B’ mode to allow one-pedal driving. That’s worse than the 21.4 kWh / 100 km I averaged within the Lotus Eletre just a few months in the past, regardless of it being bigger, heavier, and having extra energy. This reduces the Audi’s real-world vary nearer to roughly 450 km (280 miles).
On the plus facet, the SQ6 e-tron’s 800-volt structure helps DC quick charging speeds of as much as 270 kW. Meaning it might probably cost from 10-80 p.c in simply 21 minutes. It additionally comes with an AC quick charger that may plug into a normal family socket. Nevertheless, Australian-delivered fashions embrace the set up of a 7kW residence charger as a part of the acquisition value, plus a one-year Chargefox public charging subscription, in order that’s a pleasant perk.
Very like the e-tron GT, Audi has additionally fitted charging flaps on either side of the SQ6 e-tron, making public charging that little bit simpler.
Photographs Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Verdict
From a efficiency standpoint, the SQ6 e-tron actually really feel like a real Audi Sport product. It’s significantly fast in a straight line and handles nice for an SUV that weighs this a lot. Certain, it lacks the emotion of one thing like a petrol- or diesel-powered SQ5, however that’s half and parcel with high-performance EVs these days.
The dynamics are glorious, as is the steering and braking. Plus, you get the house and practicality that comes with an SUV. If the entire niggles have been ironed out, it might be very good.