Audi’s been killing off a bunch of models lately. Gone are the TT and R8 sports cars, dead are the A5 coupe and cabriolet, and now the combustion-powered A6 sedan also rides off into the sunset. It’s part of a larger strategy that offers both internal combustion and electric Audis in the same showroom – moving forward, all odd-numbered Audis are powered by gasoline, all even-numbered models are electric. And so, the 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron is here and fully electric.
Naturally, they’re making a wagon and we don’t get it.
What Is The 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron?
The 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron is the brand’s new midsize sedan. Technically, the non-wagon model is a Sportback, which is Audi-speak for big hatchback that doesn’t look like one. It’s a nice addition to the overall package and offers more practicality than a traditional three-box sedan with a trunk. In general, though, the A6 E-Tron departs from the styling we’ve seen on Audis of the last decade or so, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing. To me, this new styling is a bit generic and slab-sided.
This is Audi’s second model on their “PPE” platform – Premium Platform Electric – following the just-launched Q6 E-Tron crossover. Audi says this platform (developed in conjunction with Porsche) allows for a completely flat floor and optimal interior packaging, akin to many other dedicated EV platforms. Compared to Audi’s past EV platforms, PPE also features motor components that are significantly smaller, again helping with packaging. The car is sized similarly to that of the current combustion-powered A6, though with an inch-longer 116-inch wheelbase.
Audi shared global information with us on the A6 E-Tron and sportier S6 E-Tron, so not everything we learned will make it to the United States. What we will get, however, are three distinct models to start, all in Sportback trim (RIP, Avant, for now).
The most basic A6 E-Tron is a single-motor car with the permanently-excited synchronous motor (PSM) powering the rear axle. Moving to the A6 E-Tron Quattro or S6 E-Tron adds a second, asynchronous motor on the front axle, providing more power and all-wheel drive. Asynchronous motors make their power without any magnets, just induction, which means the motor can be decoupled and spin freely without adding drag. Audi’s using this to their advantage and confirmed the front axle will disengage when not required.
| A6 E-Tron RWD | A6 E-Tron Quattro | S6 E-Tron |
| 362 HP | 422 HP | 496 HP (543 HP with launch control) |
As is the case with many Audis, a steel spring suspension will come standard, with four-corner air and variable damping as optional.
All three variants share the same 800-volt architecture, which means DC Fast Charging up to 270 kW. Audi says that’s good for a 10-80 percent charge in 21 minutes. Like the Q8 E-Tron, you’ll find a charging port on either side of the car, and slower AC charging takes place up to 9.6 kW. The A6 E-Tron allows “bank charging,” a neat concept where 400-volt charging stations automatically treat the battery as two separate units, charging each up to 135 kW. This concept debuted on the Q6 E-Tron and related Porsche Macan EV.
Range-wise, all models at launch use the same 100 kWh battery. Audi claims the basic rear-drive A6 E-Tron will go “greater than 700 km” on a charge, which works out to about 435 miles. That’s impressive, though the figures use the more optimistic European WLTP range test and use the base 19-inch wheels and Euro-only (smaller) digital side mirrors. So, we’ll take that figure with a large grain of salt until U.S. numbers are announced.
The Interior is Modern and Thus Full of Screens and Touch Controls
I ragged on the upcoming 2025 Cadillac Escalade for adding a passenger-side screen to the dashboard and I’m gonna rag on Audi for adding one to the A6 E-Tron. Thankfully, Audi has made the screen optional. it’s another case where a manufacturer believes the front passenger will watch a movie or TV show on the dashboard screen instead of their mobile device. I’d love to know who’s requesting this across every brand because I am just so tired of staring at screens everywhere I go.
Beyond the optional 10.5-inch passenger screen, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital gauge screen is standard alongside a 14.5-inch main infotainment screen. Climate controls persist in a touch bar at the bottom, though I am disappointed to see most physical controls eliminated.
That disappointment carries over to the steering wheel, where physical buttons have been replaced by haptic touch controls. Touch-based headlight controls are located where you’d expect, just below the touch-based door lock buttons on the driver’s door panel.
Audi has evolved their heads-up display to include Augmented Reality, so drivers using the built-in Audi navigation will see arrows indicating their upcoming turns. I’ve used this on various Mercedes-Benz models and it is a fantastic addition.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the interior looks entirely pleasant from the provided images. In practice, though, physical controls located where you expect them to be are still superior. We’ve seen this time and time again – go back to the early 1990s, when Oldsmobile inexplicably threw the Traction Control button on the driver’s door panel of their Ninety-Eight. If nothing else, Audi ignored the Volkswagen ID.4s floating around HQ and kept four distinct window switches on the driver’s door.
We Only Vaguely Know Pricing and On-Sale Dates for the U.S.
Audi shared pricing for some European models of A6 E-Tron but has not shared any U.S.-specific details yet. The closest model to have overlap with our market is the S6 E-Tron Sportback, which Audi claims will carry a starting price of €$99,500. That translates to approximately $107,649. Their most basic A6 E-Tron Performance starts at €75,600, or about $81,800 in the U.S.
These A6 and S6 models will be built in Ingolstadt, Germany, which has implications for various tax credits the United States allows on new EV purchases. We’ll have to wait and see what shakes out, though I’d guess the only way to get any sort of tax credit is to lease the A6 E-Tron instead of purchasing it outright.
The 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron goes on sale in Europe this fall; final pricing and on-sale dates for the United States are not yet announced.