2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron Quattro First Test Review: An EV That's Pure Audi
Pros Very on-brand
Modern and attractive interior
Crushingly normal Cons Firm ride
Limited regen settings
So normal it's boring
Every brand has a signature tuning style—in other words, drive enough Hondas, Toyotas, Mercedes-Benzes, and Teslas, and you should be able to pick out any of their wares from behind the wheel while blindfolded, if such a taste test were at all safe. Audis, too, have a specific 'Audi' vibe. That the 2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron fits that bill is no surprise—it is, after all, an Audi—but that it does at all despite being an EV is.
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Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised. The Audi tuning style is best summarized as 'crushing competency.' These are vehicles that do most things well, with a borderline-sterile level of polish and capability that aligns with their super-modern-architecture design. The ride quality of any given Audi is taut yet smooths off the worst potholed streets, the steering is accurate and weighted just so, and the handling enjoys a secure-feeling surfeit of grip that never seems to run out. And every Audi looks closely related.
Many traditional carmakers are rushing into the EV space these days, and not all of them are doing a very good job of channeling their traditional, internal-combustion-bred brand signatures into all-electric products. The Q6 E-Tron bucks that trend, looking, driving, and feeling for all the world like a gas-fed Audi that just so happens to lack engine noises or vibration.
An Electric Audi That Feels Like an Audi
As we pointed out after our first drive experience with the Q6 last year, not only is this vibe mesh unexpected because the Audi is electric, but because it shares its new PPE architecture with Porsche. That's a lot of muddy water from which something with such clarity of purpose emerges. Given that the Q6 E-Tron is more or less the electric equivalent to Audi's popular Q5 internal combustion compact luxury SUV, it seems like as good a bogey as any to compare it to, next to more interesting EV alternatives such as the Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV70 Electric, or Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
And sure enough, the Q6's performance is roughly in line with the last gas-fed Q5 we tested, a 2021 model (the Q5 is all new for 2026, but we've not tested that version yet). That 2021 Q5 stopped a few feet shorter from 60 mph, posted higher grip numbers, and generally delivered the same agreeable ride and handling as the Q6, whose 118-foot stop from 60 mph is fine, and its 0.83 g of lateral grip on the mediocre side.
The Q6 E-Tron is quicker, of course, but not as much as you'd expect given it has almost twice the power as that 2021 Q5 (456 hp compared to 261). That counts double when you factor in the Q6's big-time torque advantage and the instantaneous response from its dual motors—a 4.6-second 0–60-mph time is yawn-worthy among modern EVs, and it's only 1.1 seconds quicker than that four-year-old Q5. It's also 1,252 pounds heavier, so that factors into the quickness equation as well.
But Not Everything Needs to Be Fast, Right?
This bolsters our assertion that the Q6 E-Tron is, for the most part, a pretty convincing Q5 with a 94.4-kWh battery and two motors in place of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a gas tank. And despite the more pedestrian straight-line performance relative to several of its competitors, it's refreshing to drive an EV that doesn't feel hyperactively quick while delivering otherwise normal handling or braking performance.
A good example of that kind of imbalance? Jeep's new Wagoneer S, a Q6 competitor that, in Launch Edition form, is rated at 600 hp and can rocket to 60 mph in a claimed 3.4 seconds. Sounds great until you drive it and realize nothing else about it matches up with that big power and quick acceleration. Worse, its comfort-focused body control lets the Jeep wriggle around in its lane while you explore the smokin' acceleration, as if you strapped JATO rockets to a shopping cart.
The Audi instead delivers a largely balanced driving experience, much like any other Audi and especially the Q5. Thrust when pulling away from a stop is satisfying but never overwhelming, and the silent running of its motors amplifies the sense of refinement Audis are lauded for. The steering is smooth and accurate, and the ride from the air springs and adjustable shock absorbers is controlled but comfortable, with very narrow changes from drive mode to drive mode. Want a quicker and more engaging Q6? There's always the SQ6 E-Tron with 509 hp.
A Quick Charger, Though
One area where the Q6 E-Tron exhibits real haste is during charging, either when plugged in or on the move. It's capable of up to 400 kW of regenerative braking, a high rate of capture when slowing using the motors instead of the mechanical brakes; we noticed it in around-town driving where the range readout would barely budge even after several days of downtown errand running.
On a DC fast charger, the Q6 E-Tron took on a huge 177 miles of range in just 15 minutes in our testing—beating the already stout 160-mile figure notched by its more powerful SQ6 E-Tron sibling. Charging speeds peaked at 279 kW, but more impressively, it averaged 195 kW over a charge from 5 to 80 percent. Combined with the dual-motor Q6's 295-mile EPA-estimated range—which we nearly matched in our MotorTrend Range Test with a 285-mile number at sustained freeway speeds—you'll spend less time charging in general than in some competitors.
Easy to Live With, Hard to Lust After
While those numbers are duly impressive, it's Q6 E-Tron's familiar, day-to-day usability that's arguably its greatest asset—or potential liability depending on your point of view. For example, the cabin is laid out pretty much like any other Audi, with big, crisp displays and plenty of physical buttons for climate controls and audio volume. That's good. So, too, is the Audi-typical interior quality, which is highlighted by rich-feeling materials put together with utmost precision—so much so that it makes a Tesla Model Y feel like a cheap economy car.
Among the few flashy bits inside are the wraparound LED strips that owners can set to the color of their choosing. Flip the signal stalk for a left turn, and the left side of the portion running across the top of the dashboard pulses green; adjust the HVAC to a warmer temperature? The affected zone glows red for a moment (or a cool blue, if cooling that zone). It's pretty slick.
The EV-specific parts of the Q6 E-Tron, however, are merely so-so. There isn't a full one-pedal drive mode, though the most aggressive setting—activated by pulling back on the electronic shift lever to 'B' from drive—can nearly slow the Audi to a stop. (Or you can pull a paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to up the regen levels on the fly.) That said, even with B selected, the Q6 sails for a beat before the slowing power from the motors builds to its peak. No heads will snap forward as with the more aggressively tuned regen settings we've experienced from many other EVs, but it can make it more challenging to time your slowing.
Another bugaboo? The Audi's regen settings are cleared when shifting from drive to reverse, or into park, etc. In other words, say you've chosen the highest B regen level and then you go to parallel park. As soon as you put it into reverse, that level disappears—an eventful discovery if you're not paying close attention and expecting more slowing power when lifting off the accelerator pedal. Adding the ability for it to hold a specific regen setting as other EVs do would be preferable and deliver a more consistent experience.
EV hiccups aside, the Q6 goes about its business quietly and, again, seemingly in ways designed to make customers switching from a gas-fed Audi feel at home. On this front, the Q6 E-Tron succeeds wildly—but it also lends the SUV a sense of empty competency. Other than being quieter and feeling more substantial than a humdrum Q5, the Q6 doesn't do a lot to make its electric power stand out in any way.
In the end, if you own a conventionally powered Audi and want to go electric, the Q6 will make that journey as easy as possible. But if you're the cutting-edge type, there are simply more tech-forward, stylish, better-handling and -driving, and otherwise more interesting choices out there at a similar price.
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