2025 Audi A6 And S6 Sportback E-tron Are Capable Evs Arriving At Precisely The Wrong Time

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

The U.S. electrical conveyance marketplace is successful a precarious position acknowledgment to President Trump's outspoken hatred of EVs and renewable energy, arsenic good arsenic his self-serving spending measure that will extremity each national EV taxation credits by September 30. Beyond cutting nan EV taxation credit, Trump's legion of Republican sheeple successful nan Senate and different authorities agencies person continuously rolled backmost biology protections, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) penalties, and greenish power investments; nary of which bodes good for nan early of EVs successful America.

Mercedes-Benz conscionable announced that it will pause accumulation of U.S.-spec versions of its EQE and EQS models owed to deficiency of demand, but Audi is convinced its caller EVs will succeed. I drove Audi's bully Q6 and SQ6 E-Tron electrical SUVs precocious past year, and now I've had nan chance to sample nan first vehicles that usage what Audi calls nan "low floor" type of nan PPE platform, nan A6 and S6 Sportback E-Tron. That debased level brings a big of benefits erstwhile compared to nan "high floor" versions of nan level successful nan Q6 and SQ6 (and nan Porsche Macan EV), but will they beryllium capable to person American consumers to spell electrical moreover without taxation incentives? Audi hopes so, and truthful do I.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Full Disclosure: Audi invited maine to participate successful nan first-drive programme for nan U.S.-spec A6 and S6 Sportback E-Tron, put maine up successful a beautiful oceanfront edifice successful Montecito, California and fed maine gourmet nutrient and drinks for a fewer days. None of which changes my impressions of nan car, though I greatly admit it.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

My workfellow Andy attended nan world first thrust of nan A6 and S6 Sportback E-Tron precocious past twelvemonth and wrote a awesome reappraisal of nan Euro-spec model, but nan U.S.-spec exemplary has a fewer tweaks, positive now we person finalized specs. In nan U.S., nan guidelines rear-wheel-drive A6 Sportback E-Tron starts astatine $67,195 including $1,295 destination. Opting for nan dual-motor A6 Sportback E-Tron Quattro bumps that up to $69,195, and nan S6 Sportback E-Tron starts astatine $79,995.

All A6 and S6 E-Trons person a 100-kWh artillery pack, 94.4 kWh of which is usable, and are built connected an 800-volt architecture. They tin complaint astatine a maximum of 270 kW, which allows for a competitory 21-minute 10-to-80% complaint time. Naturally, nan single-motor A6 E-Tron has nan longest EPA-estimated max scope astatine an awesome 392 miles, and it's driven by a rear-mounted centrifugal that produces 375 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque. Upgrading to nan A6 Sportback E-Tron Quattro adds a beforehand centrifugal into nan mix, bumping powerfulness up to 456 horsepower, but its maximum scope drops a spot to 377 miles. The dual-motor S6 is nan apical performer of nan group pinch 543 horsepower, but besides nan lowest maximum scope of 324 miles.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Audi only provided A6 E-Tron Quattros and S6 E-Trons for america to sample connected this trip, truthful I cannot speak to nan driving acquisition of nan modular A6 E-Tron. I started my time successful nan A6 Quattro, which I recovered to beryllium a awesome all-arounder. Naturally Audi supplied america pinch top-spec Prestige trim cars, which travel pinch Audi's comfort-tuned aerial suspension arsenic standard. The aerial suspension paired pinch nan modular acoustic beforehand broadside windows mixed to nutrient a remarkably isolated and comfortable driving experience. If luxury is your priority, nan A6 Prestige is nan trim to choose; successful nan default Balanced thrust mode nan suspension effortlessly soaked up mini imperfections, and successful Comfort mode it wholly erased them. Audi put a batch of clip and effort into molding nan car's style to minimize some resistance and upwind noise, and its efforts paid disconnected successful afloat – nan A6 felt for illustration an airy sensory isolation enclosure moreover astatine road speeds.

When nan roads sewage twisty, nan A6 didn't autumn to pieces, either. In fact, it clung to nan roadworthy for illustration a limpet, obediently pursuing nan orders that my arms dictated done nan steering instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic I didn't travel into a move excessively hot. As pinch astir cars of this size and weight — nan dual-motor A6 E-Tron weighs 5,192 pounds — you tin only participate a area truthful accelerated earlier nan beforehand extremity starts to push wide. This isn't a demerit to nan A6, successful truth I was very impressed pinch its move abilities, but it conscionable doesn't goad you connected aliases consciousness peculiarly playful erstwhile nan turns get tight.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Considering nan $13,390 value delta betwixt nan A6 E-Tron Quattro and nan S6 E-Tron, nan benefits of opting for that S badge are beautiful minimal from my speedy drive. The S6 is nan only measurement to get Audi's beautiful if not very tightly bolstered sports seats, reddish upholstery, 21-inch wheels, and OLED taillights pinch programmable ray signatures, if immoderate of those things are dealbreakers for you.

Its modular sport-tuned aerial suspension sits astir an inch little than nan A6's optional comfort-tuned aerial suspension, and it did consciousness notably firmer than nan A6. The Balanced thrust mode successful nan S6 felt for illustration Dynamic mode successful nan A6, truthful it's ne'er harsh, but it did make roadworthy imperfections a spot much apparent. In nan corners, nan S6 felt for illustration it had nan aforesaid levels of grip arsenic nan A6 contempt being fitted pinch nan optional 21-inch wheels and summertime tires versus nan A6's optional 20-inch wheels connected all-season run-flats, though its thicker sway bars did support nan car a spot flatter while taming nan twists and turns successful nan Central Coast's winding upland roads.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

The 87-horsepower summation complete nan A6 was little evident than I hoped it would beryllium while connected nan move, but nan S6's maximum output of 543 horsepower is only disposable erstwhile motorboat power is engaged; nan remainder of nan clip it makes do pinch 496 hp. The A6 Quattro achieves a 0-to-60 clip of 4.3 seconds while nan S6 drops that clip down to 3.7 seconds; nan S6 still felt quick, but not remarkably much truthful than nan A6 Quattro successful nan existent world.

You do get bigger brakes than nan A6 successful nan S6, but nan tech wizards astatine Audi managed to programme some cars to usage regenerative braking for nan immense mostly of stopping duties, truthful nan quality wasn't peculiarly apparent. Regen moreover useful successful afloat panic-stop situations erstwhile nan ABS is engaged, truthful I recovered that some cars had a likewise affirmative brake pedal consciousness and stopping power. When nan regenerative braking fto nan calipers do immoderate squeezing it was imperceptible to my foot, but location is simply a show readout that gives unrecorded feedback to show which systems are successful use.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

I fearfulness that to galore EV buyers, nan value of nan exertion onboard supercedes nan value of nan driving experience. Luckily, nan Audi A6 and S6 E-Trons connection excellence connected some fronts, truthful agelong arsenic you don't mind surface maxxing. As standard, each A6s travel pinch Audi's latest OLED MMI strategy that includes an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit instrumentality show and a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen pinch wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Upgrading to Prestige trim brings a 3rd surface into play, a 10.9-inch rider screen, which is really beautiful cool but wholly unnecessary.

Audi's integer ecosystem is all-consuming, truthful each task including altering your ambiance power settings is done done nan touchscreen. That tin beryllium distracting, but utilizing nan sound adjunct minimizes paper diving erstwhile it useful properly. There are much analyzable systems connected nan market, but location is still nary substitute for beingness buttons and knobs.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Every A6 comes modular pinch a fixed solid tile that has a very intuitive ceiling-mounted toggle to move betwixt varying levels of opacity, which sounds gimmicky, but successful believe I rather enjoyed it. I recovered its frosted authorities to artifact ray good and power moreover better, and I emotion that you tin take to person only nan rear half frosted to mimic a accepted sunroof.

The augmented reality head-up show that is modular connected each trims supra nan guidelines Premium exemplary tin beryllium adjuvant astatine taking nan guesswork retired of misleading junctions, but it takes up a batch of nan driver's position of nan road. The steep rake of nan windshield intends nan position retired is already somewhat pinched, and nan HUD worsens that; thankfully it tin beryllium switched disconnected if you find it excessively distracting.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

Like nan Q6, nan A6 gets an optional and wholly bumpin' Bang & Olufsen sound strategy pinch speakers successful nan headrest to present in-ear navigation directions and telephone calls. I recovered it to beryllium alarming astatine first, but it quickly became a favourite feature. The A6 tin besides beryllium had pinch selectable beforehand LED daytime moving ray signatures, but nan selectable OLED tail ray signatures only travel connected nan S6, and again, they're gimmicky.

All of nan cars I drove were fitted pinch Audi's adaptive cruise assistance which includes velocity limit adoption, velocity changes for curves, and adjustable driving styles and comes connected each trims supra nan Premium (it has normal adaptive cruise power without those features). It did a superb occupation of navigating moreover twisty roads, and it only required my involution a fewer times connected very tight curves. The strategy contributed to nan car's very relaxing and tranquil driving experience, particularly connected agelong stretches of highway.

Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik

I recovered nan A6's interior to beryllium roomy and versatile, though nan driver's spot did not spell debased capable for maine to find an perfect driving position astatine my admittedly exceptional tallness astatine 6-foot-8. Weirdly, I recovered that nan rider spot felt overmuch little than nan driver's spot contempt Audi representatives saying location shouldn't beryllium a difference. The too-high driver's spot position mixed pinch nan steeply raked windshield to make my position retired nan beforehand consciousness very narrow, and I recovered that nan rearview reflector fell straight successful my statement of sight. The rearview reflector position forced maine to duck down successful bid to spot astir correct turns, which became progressively annoying connected twisty upland roads, though location was still plentifulness of headroom. At slightest nan A6's fastback aerodynamic roofline doesn't discuss rear-seat headroom arsenic overmuch arsenic it does successful thing for illustration a Tesla Model 3 aliases Mercedes-Benz EQE, truthful nan rear spot felt nicely freely for a car successful this size category.

Every A6 E-Tron is simply a Sportback alternatively of a accepted sedan, Audi's nomenclature for liftbacks for illustration nan A7 and A5. That hatchback made nan 25.95 cubic-feet of trunk abstraction ample and versatile, and moreover moreso pinch nan 39.87 cubic-feet of abstraction pinch nan rear seats folded down. That's importantly much than nan Mercedes-Benz EQE, which has conscionable 10.9 cubic-feet of abstraction successful its trunk. The level besides allows for a mini frunk that should fresh charging cables and adaptors rather nicely; nan A6 doesn't person a NACS complaint larboard yet, truthful buyers will person to make do pinch CCS and J1772 chargers for now. I asked Audi astir erstwhile nan level would get an NACS complaint larboard and they simply said "stay tuned," truthful don't clasp your breath; Audi did opportunity that NACS adaptors should beryllium disposable soon, but nary general timeline was provided. That said, nan A6 has complaint ports connected some nan driver's broadside and nan rider side, though only nan 1 connected nan driver's broadside is tin of accelerated charging.

Overall, I recovered nan A6 and S6 Sportback E-Tron to beryllium very agreeable EVs. They mightiness not look peculiarly exciting, aliases be peculiarly exciting, but they are quick, fast-charging, businesslike and comfortable. I struggle to spot a world wherever they go income successes for Audi successful nan U.S., but if you're 1 of nan fewer group successful America who wants a pricey electrical sedan, nan A6 and S6 Sportback E-Tron should beryllium connected your list.