2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron

The new 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron replaces the combustion-powered A6 sedan. We’ve been waiting for this car with eagerness, because Mercedes-Benz and BMW already have their equivalents up and selling. And we knew Audi would dress its latest electric vehicle (EV) in pretty cool apparel and endow it with interesting tech.

The A6 Sportback e-tron is completely new. Instead of being a sedan, it has a hatchback for greater practicality. Yet that doesn’t stop it from looking sleek, nor does it hinder aerodynamic efficiency. Its all-electric drivetrain enables a maximum range of 392 miles, and it can recharge just as fast as pretty much any rival.

On-Sale Date

Summer 2025.

This new all-electric Audi has the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan and BMW i5 as rivals, which both start in the low-to-mid $70K area. So does the Lucid Air and the Genesis Electrified G80, while the Tesla Model S starts a bit higher. Before buying a new A6 Sportback e-tron midsize luxury electric car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

With one motor driving just the rear wheels, the entry-level version of the A6 Sportback e-tron is propelled by 375 horsepower. That compares well against the 355 horses of the BMW i5 eDrive40 and the 288 horsepower of the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+. This muscle should enable the A6 Sportback e-tron to accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in about five seconds or so, a fraction quicker than these rivals. The alternative configuration with all-wheel drive adds a second motor turning the front wheels and contributing to a total of 456 hp. There’s also a dual-motor/543-hp 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron, which we review separately.

Having shunned the idea for its present electric vehicles, Audi has almost got on board with one-pedal driving, which the company calls B mode. It doesn’t bring the car to a complete halt when lifting all the way off the accelerator, but does slow it down through higher levels of brake energy regeneration.

Range and Charging

The maximum range of the 2025 A6 Sportback e-tron is 392 miles, achieved by the single-motor/rear-wheel-drive version with the optional Ultra package. That’s an estimate from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For reference, the EQE 350+ and i5 eDrive40 both come in just under 300 miles, while the Lucid Air Pure manages 420 miles, with the Tesla Model S claiming 402 miles.

Using a DC fast charger, the A6 Sportback e-tron’s battery can go from 10% capacity to 80% in 21 minutes. That’s about as good as the present state of battery technology allows.

Audi always has a winning way with interior design. The new A6 Sportback e-tron mixes technology with comfort and smart ergonomics. The tech includes a single curved unit incorporating an 11.9-inch instrument cluster with a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen. Audi calls this the Digital Stage. An optional 10.9-inch display is also available for the front passenger, who can help the driver with navigation and finding a parking space, or just be entertained by streaming content or games without distracting their traveling companion. All the screens are OLED. The infotainment tech itself is based on an Android operating system, although Apple CarPlay remains a standard item.

Options include a quad-zone climate control system with an ionizer and fragrance. Thanks to its hatchback body, the A6 Sportback e-tron has a generous and versatile cargo area. Fold down the 40/20/40 split rear seats to access 39.9 cubic feet of space.

The A6 e-tron is highly aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.23. Most rivals are similarly slippery, however. Instead of being a sedan, like the outgoing A6, this new electric model has a hatchback along the same likes as the A7 Sportback that we already know and appreciate for its clever combination of grace and practicality. Standard wheels are 19-inch alloys — with an aerodynamic design, of course.

Adaptive air suspension
This is available in the new A6 Sportback e-tron, bringing a spread of settings from comfortable to sporty, and adjusting ride height according to conditions — which helps optimize aerodynamic efficiency.

Augmented reality head-up display
Not just projecting typical information onto the windshield in front of the driver, this option adds things like direction arrows for navigation.

Adaptive driving assistant
This technology augments adaptive cruise control with map information and other data to enhance occupant comfort, as well as calculate arrival times.

Park Assist Plus
Self-parking for parallel and perpendicular spaces is always a good thing in our (blue) book.

Panoramic glass roof
The A6 Sportback e-tron offers this cool glass roof that can go from transparent to four levels of opaqueness with the touch of a button.

Bang & Olufsen audio
We think it’s good to see — and hear — some perennially favorite features making their way into Audi’s newest cars. The A6 Sportback e-tron offers a Bang & Olufsen surround-sound system with 830 watts going through 20 speakers, some of those speakers being in the front headrests.

The A6 Sportback e-tron has quite a big battery, with a usable capacity of 94.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh). A charging speed of 270 kW is possible with a DC fast charger, which is similarly impressive.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Audi’s new-vehicle and powertrain warranties last four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. EV batteries are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. This is all typical for the class, especially among European luxury car makers.

Safety

Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.