New A6 e-tron Revealed; First Rear-Wheel Drive Sedan From Audi

Audi has revealed the new A6 e-tron sedan and station wagon, but this time it gets an all-electric powertrain. The new A6 e-tron sedan will also get the S6 models in both body styles. The electric sedan is based on Audi’s new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), developed in conjunction with Porsche. 

Gone are the days of a boxy-looking Audi sedan as the new A6 e-tron, along with the newly revealed A5, has more curves. At the front, the A6 e-tron gets Audi’s signature grille that is closed off and like all other Audi EVs, it has a nice pattern. The A6 e-tron also gets split headlamps with the lower portions housed in a large blacked-out panel. At the back, the taillamps are connected, as is the trend in the industry these days and Audi’s four-ring logo is also illuminated. 

The A6 e-tron is not really a sedan but a coupe sedan like the A7. Audi says this has helped reduce the drag and the A6 e-tron Sportback has a drag coefficient of 0.21 Cd, while the station wagon has a drag coefficient of 0.24. 

Inside, the new A6 e-tron’s cabin is very similar to the Q6 e-tron as well as the new A5. It gets a three-screen layout with one for the infotainment system, one for the driver’s display and one for the front passenger. The first is a 14.5-inch unit, the second is an 11.9-inch display and the passenger gets a 10.9-inch screen. It also gets an augmented reality head-up display as an option as well as a panoramic sunroof and four-zone climate control. It also gets ADAS with features like parking assist, lane departure warning and more. 

The A6 e-tron packs a 100 kWh battery pack that gives it a claimed range of up to 756 km for the sedan and up to 720 km for the station wagon. The new e-tron comes with up to 270 kW DC fast charging support which can help it charge from 10-80 per cent in 21 minutes. 11 kW AC charging comes as standard and the 22 kW AC charger is available as an option. 

For the first time, an Audi sedan comes with a rear-wheel drive configuration with the A6 e-tron. Its single electric motor produces 362 bhp and it can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 5.4 seconds with a claimed top speed of 210 km. On the other hand, the S6 e-tron produces 496 bhp and 543 bhp with launch control. The S6 can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 3.9 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 240 kmph.

As the A6 now turns electric, the ICE version will be called the A7. This is because of the brand’s new nomenclature where odd-numbered models will have an internal combustion engine, while all the electric models will have an even number. For example, the recently revealed A5 is essentially the new A4 but the A4 moniker will be reserved for an electric sedan.