Audi Unveils the A6 e-tron
Audi Unveils the A6 e-tron: A New Era in Battery Electric Vehicles
Audi has unveiled the first A model Sportback and Avant to join its growing battery electric vehicle (BEV) range: the Audi A6 e-tron. This groundbreaking new electric vehicle, which is the second model to be built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), sets new standards in range, charging and design, and brings with it an array of technological innovations.
Open for ordering: September 2024
The Audi A6 e-tron, which opens for ordering in early September, can achieve a class-leading range of over 460 miles on a single charge (over 435 miles for the Avant).
Thanks to 800-volt technology and a maximum DC charging capacity of 270 kW, 192 miles of range can be obtained from just 10 minutes of charging. The car can also be charged from 10 percent of battery capacity to 80 percent in a mere 21 minutes – perfect for a short stop at a motorway service station.
The models also benefit from advanced recuperation (brake regeneration), maximising the battery charge whenever the car slows through braking or (when in B drive) cruising with the foot off the accelerator.
It’s no slouch either, the Audi A6 e-tron performance (367PS; 270 kW) accelerates from 0 to 62mph in a sprightly 5.4 seconds with the help of launch control (380PS; 280 kW), and an even more impressive 3.9 seconds in the Audi S6 e-tron performance (503PS; 370 kW) with the help of launch control (550PS; 405 kW).
The model exudes elegance with its dynamic and progressive design, helping it to achieve an exceptionally low cw value of 0.21 for the Sportback, meaning it experiences minimum drag and making it the most aerodynamic Audi of all time, and in the entire VW Group. The Avant also achieves a very good cw value of 0.24, making it one of the best in its segment.
Air curtains and a cool-air intake under the Singleframe at the front of the vehicle, along with specially adapted wheel trims and bumps ahead of the front wheels, complemented by a wide and aerodynamically optimized diffuser at the rear help it achieve its low cw. The Avant is also equipped with an additional low roof edge and side spoilers at the rear to improve aerodynamics.
The slim design of the daytime running lights and the wide grille give the Audi A6 e-tron true road presence. A black mask surrounds the closed and inverted single frame, reflecting the distinct design language of the e-tron models. The main headlights and other functional elements, such as the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensors and the air intakes, are integrated into the dark mask, making them almost invisible.
The dynamic roofline of the Audi A6 e-tron rests on a powerful foundation with a low ride height. The quattro blisters emphasise the quattro drive with their sculptural and muscular shape. They are a core element of the Audi design DNA.
At the heart of the car, the battery is emphasized by a black insert in the sill area. The insert gives the car a flat, slim, and dynamic appearance from the side. It extends to the rear and integrates the reflectors, giving the model a visually stretched appearance. The Avant is also characterized by a very flat roofline, with the D-pillar sloping steeply forward. An aluminium-look trim piece from the A-pillar to the roof spoiler is a new, distinctive feature of the Audi A6 Avant e-tron.
The rear conveys a mixture of elegance and sportiness. The clean design, combined with the continuous and three-dimensional light strip, gives the new Audi A6 e-tron real clarity. A striking spoiler lip finishes off the rear of the Sportback, and the eye-catching rear diffuser further emphasizes the sporty and dynamic look of the rear.
Wheels
The Audi A6 e-tron comes with 20-inch ‘five-twin spoke’ wheels as standard, while the S line gets 20-inch ‘10-spoke’ aero wheels. The Audi S6 e-tron comes with 21-inch wheels as standard. Eight distinctive designs - from sporty to elegant, are available, including six from Audi Sport.
Exterior colour
There will be up to eight exterior colours to choose from at market launch:
- Magnetic grey solid
- Glacier white metallic
- Typhoon grey metallic
- Mythos black metallic
- Plasma blue metallic
- Malpelo blue metallic
- Daytona grey pearl effect (S line, edition 1 Audi S6 e-tron)
- Siam beige metallic (S line, edition 1 Audi S6 e-tron)
Lights
Digital daytime running lights with LED technology adorn the front of the Audi A6 e-tron with second-generation digital OLED lights at the rear on the Audi S6 e-tron edition 1, which use car-to-x communication to help increase road safety.
The proximity detection on the OLED rear lights that is already familiar from other Audi models has been expanded to include the rear communication light in the Audi A6 e-tron. It warns other road users of accidents and breakdowns by displaying a specific static rear light signature with integrated warning symbols.
The newly designed digital daytime running lights of the Matrix LED headlights come with 6 signature choices, and drivers can personalize the rear lights in a completely new way. A particular highlight of the new Audi A6 e-tron is the illumination of the four rings at the rear.
Interior
At the heart of the interior is the MMI panoramic display, with its curved design and OLED technology. It includes an 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit and a 14.5-inch MMI touch display, plus a 10.9-inch MMI front passenger display on the edition 1 trims.
Active Privacy Mode allows the front seat passenger to enjoy entertainment content while travelling, such as watching movies or streaming series, without distracting the driver. This activates automatically at certain vehicle speeds.
An optional second-generation augmented reality head-up display (AR HuD) shows the driver speed, traffic signs, assistance, and navigation symbols and is part of the optional Sound and Vision pack or standard on the Audi S6 e-tron.
The Audi A6 e-tron also has the second generation of Audi virtual mirrors. The displays of the optional virtual exterior mirrors are located inside the doors, clearly visible in the angle of the A-pillar and the door sill.
A digital wrap is also created here, which extends from mirror to mirror across the entire digital instrument panel and is connected via the dynamic interaction light at the base of the windshield also part of the Sound and Vision pack.
Essential functions such as mirror adjustment, lighting, and locking systems are integrated compactly into the central control panel in the driver's door.
An optional innovative panoramic glass roof further enhances the Audi A6 e-tron. Its smart glass minimises direct sunlight and becomes opaque at the touch of a button. It can be individually controlled like a digital curtain via a button in the roof module. Customers can choose from four presets.
Driving dynamics
The directly tuned front axle significantly influences the driving dynamics of the Audi A6 e-tron, making the vehicle feel particularly agile.
The adaptive air suspension on the Audi S6 e-tron edition 1 trim – an air suspension system with controlled damping – lends the vehicle a broad spread between high ride comfort and sporty handling. Depending on the speed and individual preferences, it adapts to specific road conditions and regulates the body’s ride height at four different levels.
The efficiency mode in Audi drive select is a special feature. In efficiency mode, the suspension lowers the body by 20mm depending on the speed, thus improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics. This serves to optimize energy consumption and increase range.
The Audi S6 e-tron’s rear-biased all-wheel drive system enhances the driving dynamics with a highly variable torque distribution. The different dimensions of the electric motors on the rear and front axles enable rear-biased torque distribution even under full load. The Audi A6 e-tron and Audi S6 e-tron are equipped with different-sized tyres on the front and rear axles, further improving stability and sportiness.
Assist systems
The assist package drive and park plus is a new feature of the Audi A6 e-tron and standard on the edition 1 trims. It supports the driver when accelerating, braking, maintaining speed and the set distance, and with lane guidance. This can increase driving comfort, especially on long journeys.
In addition to various sensors, depending on the region, the system uses high-resolution map data and swarm data from other vehicles aggregated in the cloud to improve driving behaviour.
Applying this fusion of information, the vehicle calculates the route ahead to enable a comfortable driving experience across the entire speed range and in traffic jams.
Assist package drive and park with surround view camera is standard on all Audi A6 e-trons. The pack contains traffic sign-based speed limiter, camera-based traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, park assist plus with distance display, and distraction and drowsiness warning. The Audi A6 e-tron will also have front cross-traffic assist, front emergency brake assist and swerve and front turn assist as standard.
Infotainment
The infotainment system uses Android Automotive OS as its operating system. The Audi A6 e-tron updates its content via over-the-air updates. Therefore, the latest Audi connect services and the enhanced e-tron route planner, which comes as standard, are always up to date.
Apps such as YouTube are available via the Audi Application Store for third-party apps, which is integrated directly into the MMI and does not require a smartphone to use.
The store gives customers access to a wide range of apps. At the Audi A6 e-tron launch, various applications will be available from categories including Music, Video, Gaming, Navigation, Parking and Charging, Productivity, Weather, and News Services. The store is constantly expanding, and the app portfolio is market-specific.
Voice control has been significantly expanded and now plays a key role. The vehicle’s self-learning voice assistant, the Audi assistant, can control numerous vehicle functions.
In the future, the Audi assistant will also have access to additional online content, such as weather and general knowledge. Via a connection to ChatGPT (provided via Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service) customers can interact with their car using natural language and listen to the information they would like to know while driving.
The Audi assistant automatically recognizes whether to execute a vehicle function, search for a destination, or, for example, provide the weather forecast. The Audi system only forwards queries to ChatGPT when it cannot answer general knowledge questions. Drivers enjoy a seamless experience as all the functions are integrated into the Audi assistant. Data security is the highest priority; to ensure optimal privacy, all questions and answers are deleted after processing. Moreover, ChatGPT never has access to vehicle data.
The optional Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with headrest loudspeakers ensures optimum sound.
Part of the sound and vision pack on S line and above, A highly efficient amplifier drives 20 loudspeakers with 830 watts of power. Four of these are integrated into the front seat headrests, enabling Audi to provide personal surround sound, personal navigation announcements, and one-on-one phone calls.
Additional loudspeakers in the A-pillar and mid-range speakers create an incomparable 3D surround sound. The dynamic interaction light offers a variety of communication functions, supporting the vehicle's interaction with the occupants. It spans the interior and cockpit below the windshield in the shape of a generous arc.
The Audi A6 e-tron will be available for ordering in September 2024, with first customer deliveries starting in Quarter one 2025. If you want to register your interest and be the first to order the Audi A6 e-tron, click here or call us on 01935 678456 and a member of our dedicated sales team will be more than happy to assist you.