All-New 2026 Audi A6 e-tron Debuts as Sleek Electric Sportback
Munich, Germany—As the second Audi vehicle built on the German brand’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) that was jointly developed with Porsche, the all-new, battery-powered A6 e-tron made its global debut today. It will be available in both Sportback (five-door sedan) and Avant (wagon) body styles in Europe, but only the former will make it to our shores.
Similar to the Q6 e-tron crossover, which is closely related to the new Porsche Macan EV, the A6 e-tron will also offer a sportier model called S6 e-tron. The Q6 and A6 lineups naturally share many styling cues and components.
- Also: Three More Companies Are Expecting Longer Transition to EVs
- Also: All-New Audi A5 Sedan Debuts as A4 Successor
As a reminder, the Audi A6 e-tron originally debuted at Auto China in Shanghai three years ago in the form of a wagon concept. The production model will go on sale in Europe this fall followed by North America sometime in 2025.
Extremely Aerodynamic
The A6 e-tron Sportback boasts an amazing drag coefficient of 0.21 thanks to a wind-slicing profile combined with a number of aerodynamic solutions such as air curtains up front, flush-mounted door handles on the sides and a subtle lip spoiler in the rear. Euro-spec models will even replace the side mirrors with next-generation cameras, but that won’t be the case in North America.
However, the A6 e-tron coming our way will be the first in the world to feature an illuminated four-ring logo at both ends (Europe only gets one in the rear due to road safety legislation). Drivers will have a choice of eight different lighting signatures, just like with the Q6 e-tron. The base model rides on 19- or 20-inch wheels, while the sportier S6 e-tron rides on 20- or 21-inch alloys. Staggered tires are found on all of them.
When it comes to cargo, look for 502 litres of space with the rear seats up or 1,330 litres with the seats folded down. There’s also a front trunk, or frunk, that can fit up to 27 litres of extra gear. It opens automatically when the driver sweeps their hand over the four-ring badge. For the rear hatch, it’s just a matter of placing one’s foot over the Audi logo projected onto the ground.
Battery and Powertrain
Unsurprisingly, the A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron use the same 100kWh battery (94.9kWh net capacity) and 800V electric architecture as the Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron. Maximum range is estimated at around 545 km for the A6 e-tron and 520 km for the S6 e-tron based on the U.S. EPA test cycle.
DC fast charging is possible up to 270 kW, meaning the battery can go from 10-80 percent in as little as 21 minutes. When plugged into a level-2 AC charger, 11 kW of power are available.
A regenerative braking system enables energy recuperation up to 220 kW, according to Audi engineers, with the paddles on the steering wheel allowing drivers to select the level they desire. With “B” mode on, one-pedal driving is possible.
While the base car delivers a solid 362 horsepower, the S6 e-tron increases output to 405 horsepower and even 543 horsepower with Launch Control activated. Acceleration times (0-100 km/h) are 5.4 seconds and 3.9 seconds, respectively.
The standard suspension consists of steel springs, but an adaptive air suspension is optionally available (standard on the S6 e-tron). Front chassis geometry has been tuned to maximize handling. Ditto for steering. Another thing you should know is that the S6 e-tron is designed with a rear-motor bias to give it a sportier character and feel.
Digital Stage
A highlight inside the Audi A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron is what designers call the “Digital Stage,” a curved digital display combining an 11.9-inch instrument cluster with a 14.5-inch touchscreen for infotainment. Optionally, a third display in a size of 10.9 inches can be added on the passenger’s side for streaming content (which can’t be seen from the driver’s point of view).
Also optional is an electrochromic glass roof that goes from opaque to transparent at the push of a button. It can even be split into sections allowing a different amount of sunlight to pass through.
The Car Guide will soon be spending time behind the wheel of the new 2026 Audi A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron, and we expect both models to handle much like the recently tested albeit larger Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron since they’re all based on the same platform and equipped with the same powertrain components. Stay tuned.
