Audi has been steadily electrifying its lineup for several years. But, strangely, a brand best known for grippy luxury sedans hasn’t electrified one of its sedans. Until now.
The 2025 Audi A6 e-tron is the first of Audi’s well-regarded sedan lineup to go electric. It joins the e-tron GT high-performance car and a lineup of electric SUVs like the Q4 e-tron. But it is, arguably, more quintessentially Audi than either of them.
It will be sold alongside the gas-powered A6, but not for long. That car will get a new name with its next redesign, as Audi has moved to a naming scheme where even numbers represent electric vehicles (EVs) and those with odd numbers are powered by gasoline.
Audi hasn’t discussed pricing for the 2025 A6 e-tron. We anticipate a starting price over $65,000, making it too expensive to qualify for federal EV tax credits.
Slippery Design
Audi won’t bother to sell separate sedan and “Sportback” versions of the A6. Every 2025 A6 gets the Sportback shape with a hatch instead of a trunk (meaning the glass lifts when you open it, revealing ample cargo space).
Engineers went that way for aerodynamic efficiency. Audi says the 2025 A6 has a drag coefficient of just 0.21, making it as slippery through that air as many exotic supercars. However, Audi says that designers reached that figure with the “use of virtual exterior mirrors, not available in the U.S. market.”
High-end cars in Europe now sometimes use cameras in place of side-mirrors. That approach isn’t legal in the U.S. The car we get here will probably resist the air a little more, thanks to real mirrors.
It’s still recognizably an Audi, with the brand’s signature elegant arc design. Slight bulges at the wheel arcs – Audi calls them “quattro blisters” – add character and keep it from being an overly simple design. Black bodywork low on the doors represents the floor-mounted battery, “the heart of the car,” Audi says.
Sporty-look S-Line and high-performance S6 models get unique colors.
The U.S. will not get access to the Avant wagon model.
“The headlights and rear lights have a three-dimensional design and offer digital light signatures,” Audi says. The brand has been playing with light as a design motif in recent models. Its lights play walk-up and goodbye animations as the driver approaches or leaves (sensing the digital key’s presence).
Curved Screens, Virtual Assistant
Sit inside, and you’re greeted by one of the most aggressively curved screens we’ve seen in a car. It’s technically two parts – an 11.9-inch display for the driver and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen. But they look like one. A smaller, 10.9-inch passenger display is canted toward the right side.
In “active privacy mode,” the passenger screen is shielded from the driver’s view.
An augmented reality head-up display “reflects a large, tilted image plane across the windshield towards the driver. It shows relevant information such as speed, traffic signs, assistance, and navigation symbols.”
A soft line of textile across the dashboard under the screens extends into the door panels. That softens the high-tech look. Audi hasn’t disclosed what textiles will be available. Early photos show a wool-look material on the base model and leather (that may be an imitation) on the S6.
A 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system includes headrest-mounted speakers.
A built-in digital assistant uses ChatGPT technology “when it cannot answer general knowledge questions.” It can control vehicle functions, like temperature and volume, with voice commands.
362 to 543 Horsepower Options
The quattro AWD system has long been the foundation of Audi’s reputation. But, in the electric era, AWD is optional.
Power options include 362 horsepower in a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) base model with just one motor, 422 in a quattro model with a motor on each axle, and 496 in the S6. The latter can surge to 543 horsepower with launch control.
Audi estimates a 5.2-second 0-60 mph time for the least powerful model and 3.7 for the S6.
The company hasn’t released range estimates for the U.S. It claims “over 750 kilometers” (466 miles) on the European testing cycle. Tests by America’s EPA routinely reveal shorter ranges, so we don’t expect the A6 e-tron to cross the 400-mile barrier in practice.
An 800-volt architecture, however, should make it charge quickly when connected to the fastest type of public charger. Audi claims it can go from a 10% charge to an 80% charge in just 21 minutes at a sufficient DC fast charger.
An Old Battle Rejoined
The arrival of a real electric Audi sedan means that all three of Germany’s luxury automakers now have one to send into the fray.
The A6 e-tron should be on the test drive list for shoppers considering a BMW i5 or Mercedes-Benz EQE. The three German rivals have spent decades letting their gas-powered A6, 5 Series, and E-Class sedans compete. It’s only right that the fight should continue into the next era of motoring.
