Audi Q6 e-tron long-term test

Audi's latest electric SUV promises new tech and ultra-rapid charging, but what's it like to live with? We're finding out...

Updated09 June 2025

The car Audi Q6 e-tron Sport Performance Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor

Why it’s here It’s the first model based on Audi’s newest platform, so we’re seeing what lies ahead for its next-gen EVs

Needs to provide a sumptuous and tech-laden appeal in line with its price, and slot straight in to family life

Mileage 11,699 Price £64,740 Target price £58,995 Price as tested £68,970 Dealer price now £44,152 Trade-in price £43,931 Test range 365 miles Official range 391 miles Running costs (excluding depreciation) £826.70 (electricity)

27 June 2025 – Premiership glory?

‘A game of two halves’ is a concept familiar to any football fan: one team dominates the first half, while the other team becomes top dog in the second.

And in a way, that sums up the last six months with my Audi Q6 e-tron. At times it’s felt like a high-flying Manchester City; at others it’s been more Accrington Stanley.

The first few months were marred by frequent bongs and error messages, which really undermined my confidence in the car. These were reduced in number by a physical software update, and it feels incremental over-the-air updates improved the situation further. However, on a recent visit to Audi’s factory to drive the Q6 e-tron Sportback, an engineer told me a further software update due later this year should solve the underlying problem – but by then, KY74 won’t be in my possession to find out.

For such a large family SUV, rear-seat space isn’t great – a point my eight-year-old son pointed out a few weeks ago from the comfort of his child seat. If he’s noticed, adults certainly will. From the front seat, I’ve not really gelled with the infotainment system, because it just doesn't seem as logically arranged as I’d like. Still, standard-fit Apple CarPlay came to the rescue, although the position of the wireless charger vertically and out of sight deep in the centre console isn’t ergonomically brilliant, and was tricky to use to get my phone charging.

That’s a shame, because the rest of the interior is pretty well thought-out, although the same can’t be said for some of the materials used, which would feel sub-par for a £50,000 car, let alone one costing nearly £70,000 in this spec.

So, 2-0 at half time, so can Manchester City claw it back? Absolutely, because the Q6 e-tron is an exceptional long-distance cruiser. And given most of my miles are spent lapping the M25, that’s ideal. I like the fact that it can lap up a rapid charge at up to 270kW, which makes it one of the fastest-charging electric cars around.

But here’s the thing – and it’s an important point. That massive 94.9kWh of usable capacity in the battery fitted to my Performance model means I’ve rarely needed to use rapid public chargers. In fact, I’ve nudged 3.8 miles/kWh which gives a real-world range of up to 365 miles. That’s not quite the 391 miles my car will achieve under official figures, but still enough to get from London to the Scottish Borders on a charge. Range anxiety? What range anxiety.

It’s not like it’s been poor in the winter, either, because at no point was I getting less than 300 miles from a charge.

Yet it’s not really enough just to be able to go lots of miles between charges, because a good electric SUV got to eat up those miles effortlessly. And it’s here where the Q6 e-tron really comes on song. Family trips all over the south of England and East Anglia have been relaxing because of the way the Q6 rides surface imperfections beautifully. And even when the Tarmac gets too much, the seats are spectacularly comfortable.

It’s a big car, the Q6, and that brings its own challenges when parking; I’ve had to make undignified entrances from the passenger side and slide across when other cars are parked too close. But getting into those spaces is easy because the parking cameras are a godsend, especially with a distance readout that displays in centimetres.

That puts the score back at 2-2, so in extra time the subject of costs rears its head. There are a few ways of cutting this. Of course, as an electric car, fuel bills are minimal if you charge at home, and if you’re a company-car driver paying 40% tax, it’ll cost just £767 this year, climbing to £1023 and £1279 in the coming years.

Things feel a little less clear cut for private buyers, though. With a few options, my Performance model (bringing more power and a bigger battery) in entry-level Sport time is close to £70,000. That’s a lot, and while it has all the basics, some of the niceties you might expect at that price, such as beam-shifting Matrix LED headlights and enhanced audio software are only available via subscription, and paying extra to have storage space under the bonnet feels rum.

So, after six months and 10,717 miles, the Q6 e-tron has left me in somewhat of a quandary. It has some star performers, but a raft of injuries means it’s yet to realise its potential. Yet with some new players coming, in the form of software updates, it could be a more successful 2025/6 season.

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