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Auto Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron review - new sexy roof, same solid EV
The Q6 e-tron comes across as Audi's most convincing electric car to date. The Sportback version gives improved EV range and a sportier shape for a modest reduction in practicality, and a £2,500 premium. The car is still very much in the familiar Audi vein - solid, secure, comfortable and classy but without necessarily entertaining the driver as much as some rivals can. Advertisement - Article continues below With its Sportback models Audi has absolutely nailed the commodification of the curvy car roofline. Right across the German brand's range customers are invited to sacrifice a couple of thousand pounds, and a little boot space, for the sleeker, coupe-like profile created when a car's roof curls gently down at the rear rather than diving abruptly off the cliff of a tailgate. The Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron is simply another variation on that popular theme. It's expected that around 20 per cent of the UK buyers going for an Audi Q6 e-tron mid-size SUV will choose a Sportback. They'll get a somewhat sexier roofline that's achieved by reworking the entire top of the car. The windscreen slopes more dramatically than on the standard Q6 SUV, facilitated by more steeply angled A-pillars. The roof itself is 37mm lower, and above the heads of the rear seat passengers it begins its gentle arch down to a subtle spoiler on the tiny boot lid. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View XC40 View Q4 e-tron Does it look better? I'll let you be the judge. I'm not a fan of the whole coupe SUV experiment mainly because, to my eyes, the classic coupe design themes depend on a low, ground-hugging car shape to work properly. Perched atop a chunky, high-riding SUV they often look ungainly. Thousands of car buyers can't be wrong though and I will say that the Q6 Sportback is one of the better executed coupe SUV designs out there - its wide stance, powerful haunches and short overhangs helping the cause. Let's get back to a more factual analysis though. In choosing the Sportback body style, Audi Q6 e-tron buyers are paying an extra £2,500 over the standard 5-door SUV. Also in the minus column go a 15-litre reduction in boot capacity and less headroom in the cabin. Advertisement - Article continues below On the plus side, the Q6 Sportback e-tron is more aerodynamic than the SUV and that yields a maximum WLTP combined range of 334 miles in the entry-level model compared to 325 miles in the standard Q6 equivalent. How you view that trade-off will determine whether you're a Sportback kinda person or not. Once you've settled on the Sportback bodystyle there are four powertrain options to choose from. The Sport version has 249bhp while the Performance has 302bhp. Both of these cars are rear-wheel drive and the Performance model is expected to be the biggest seller in the UK. It has the larger 94.9kWh battery (the Sport's battery is 75.8kWh) and delivers the Q6's biggest driving range, a highly impressive 402 miles. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Above that are the four-wheel drive 'quattro' cars, all with the larger battery and an electric motor on each axle. The standard quattro has 383bhp and the SQ6 Sportback e-tron quattro offers 483bhp; the driving ranges are 390 miles and 367 miles respectively. Big battery models can charge at up to 260kW (225kW for the smaller battery) so you could add 164 miles to the Performance model in 10 minutes with the right charger. Audi has thoughtfully included charging sockets on both sides of the car, too. Although, only one accepts rapid charging. All the Q6 e-tron models can also achieve a temporary 30bhp boost to their max power figures by way of the standard launch control mode. Using this, and a long enough piece of road, the official 0-62mph times range between 7.6s in the Sport and 4.3s in the SQ6, so no Q6 e-tron sportback could be described as slow. Advertisement - Article continues below We tried the rear-wheel drive Performance variant and the quattro on the super-smooth roads around Munich in Germany, and the Q6 comes across as a very capable and comfortable machine in both guises. The standard air suspension mostly served-up a composed ride over undulations and absorbed what bumps there were on our test route very well. Things can get a little busy at higher speeds where the Q6 has a tendency to wiggle from side-to-side where the opposing wheels encounter different surfaces or cambers. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below There's little body roll but the high kerb weight (2,200kg in the 'lighter' Performance model) is obvious in the planted but somewhat leaden-footed feel through direction changes. We found that the steering feel is better in the Performance model, which seemed slightly less direct around the straight ahead than the quattro. This made it that bit easier to place on the motorway without constant inputs. Generally, the steering is well judged, light around town then gaining weight at speed and in corners, but with no feedback to communicate what the wheels are up to. Grip seems plentiful with no indication that the powertrain in the RWD cars has enough about it to unsettle the car in dry conditions. The quattro feels even more secure, its all-wheel drive more than cancelling out its extra power. Advertisement - Article continues below The brakes are very powerful and really inspire confidence once you get used to the stopping power. The adaptive brake energy regeneration system, that alters the level of automatic braking according to the route and driving conditions, can make the response you get when lifting off the throttle a little unpredictable, though. We found it best to select 'B' mode - which gives true one-pedal driving by gradually bringing the car to a complete stop - around town and disable adaptive braking the rest of the time. If you want to persevere with it, the strength of the braking effect can be controlled by the steering wheel paddles. Refinement is impressive, the electric motor barely ever audible from inside the car and wind noise well suppressed until you get up to autobahn speeds. There's also very little road noise other than on really rough surfaces. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below From the driver's seat of the Q6 you feel quite enclosed by the wide centre console, the high dashboard and the relatively slim windscreen aperture. There's an unusual raised lip along the bottom edge of this windscreen that compounds this letterbox effect and if you like sitting low in the car, it means you can't see the bonnet at all. That removes a useful point of reference when threading through gaps. Advertisement - Article continues below The Q6 sits above the Q4 in Audi's range but it doesn't feel significantly more spacious inside than the smaller model. It's the first Audi to use the new PPE architecture that was developed with Porsche to also underpin the electric Porsche Macan and there's definitely a sporty feel to the interior of the Sportback, thanks in part to its slim glass area. The rear bench can seat two adults and has just about enough legroom for someone six-foot tall to sit behind a similarly tall driver. There's space under the front seats for your feet but the low roof is going to put anyone tall in contact with the headlining. The middle seat is on the slim side. The boot has a 511-litre capacity and what you lose in the Sportback conversion is really just height - the floor space is the same. There's a deep storage space beneath the floor that's easily big enough for the charging cables but if you've got a full load of luggage, there's also the 64-litre frunk (part of the optional Storage Pack) under the bonnet where you could put them. Fold the seats down and there's a 1,373-litre space to make use of. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Quality is hard to fault with Audi's usual high class materials in evidence and the display screens ( an 11.9' instrument panel and a 14.5-inch touchscreen) offering crisp, clear graphics. The complex menu systems take some getting used to but there are shortcut buttons to disable the driver assistance tech and to choose the different driving modes. In terms of trim levels, the range opens with the Sport at £64,000. This has 19' wheels, sports seats, LED lighting all round and a heat pump to boost cold weather range. S line trim has 20' wheels and a load of sporty styling add-ons for £3,000 more. Then you have the fully-loaded Edition 1 for another £5,000. It gets 21' wheels and sports suspension, LED Matrix lights, and an extra touchscreen for the front passenger. Strangely, it's also the only version with electric front seat adjustment. The SQ6 flagship models only come in Edition 1 spec for over £95,000 but the other powertrain options can be had in any trim. As you can no doubt imagine, the costs mount-up quite quickly as you climb the range, but no premium electric SUV comes cheap. The closely related Porsche Macan Electric starts at £69,000 and will be a tempting alternative for Q6 e-tron Sportback customers. Otherwise the spacious Polestar 3 starts at around £70,000. Model: Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron Performance Edition 1 Price: £73,975 Powertrain: Single E-motor and 94.9kWh battery Power/torque: 302bhp / 485Nm Transmission: single-speed, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 6.7 seconds Top speed: 130mph EV range: 402 miles Size (L/W/H): 4,771/1,965/1,665mm On sale: Now Interested in an Audi Q6? Compare deals on Audi's EV SUV and its rivals with our Find A Car service... Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge We talk to Citroen bosses on plans to reboot its icon – and do they go retro or futuristic? New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it's sleeker than ever New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it's sleeker than ever Full specification and details have been announced for the UK version of Kia's big-selling mid-size SUV Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options Mid-size SUVs are hugely popular in the UK, and these are the very best of the current crop Best cars & vans 4 Jun 2025
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Review: Porsche's 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid is a technological marvel, but it may get stung by Trump's tariffs
Porsche's ( first electrified 911 is here, but it comes at a time of great concern for the iconic German brand. The 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid uses an innovative hybrid system that's much different from the hybrid approach used for the brand's non-sports cars, such as the Cayenne SUV or Panamera sedan. The T-Hybrid setup is more about performance than efficiency. Porsche realized its 911 customers would only switch to the T-Hybrid system if it significantly improved performance and maintained the exhaust note that only a flat-six-cylinder engine can produce. In this case, an electric motor attached to the turbocharger (eTurbo, as Porsche calls it) spools the turbos at an immense speed almost immediately, vastly reducing "turbo lag," meaning power comes on much sooner. The eTurbo's rotation can also generate power to feed back into the 1.9 kWh high-displacement battery. A second, more traditional motor is attached to the 911's PDK 8-speed transmission, providing instant torque to the drivetrain when needed. This motor can also send power back to the battery during braking and coasting. It also serves as the car's starter and alternator, thus saving weight. Total combined power from the system is a robust 533 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, with the hybrid system producing 53 hp and 110 lb-ft of torque almost immediately and a lightning-quick sub-3-second 0-60 mph time. Porsche says the system gives the GTS EPA mileage of 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway (19 mpg combined), which is pretty good for a sports car. The base Carrera without the T-hybrid gets 18, 25, and 21 mpg combined, though it has much less power. But the big question: Does it drive like a 911 with its rear motor hanging over the rear axle characteristics? The short answer is a resounding yes, to an unnerving degree. Porsche invited me to drive the car at the Porsche Experience Center (PEC) and test track in Los Angeles. There, an instructor allowed me to push the car to its limits on both straightaways, an autocross handling area, and its 1.3-mile handling circuit. Read more: How your vehicle's make and model affect car insurance costs On the PEC acceleration straight, doing a launch control start still spun the rear wheels some, with the car leaping off the line in frenzy and the flat-six roaring behind me. I like speed, but this was scary. Taking the autocross section next meant tight handling, tight turns, and braking in a small box. The T-Hybrid made me want to push harder and harder to get across quicker, with the rear-wheel steering on offer making the vehicle seem smaller. The handling circuit is where we put the car all together, pushing the car to 7 or 8 tenths, as they say (10 tenths being reserved for the pros). The car charged through the straight with no discernible drops in power during upshifts — the strength of the hybrid system. It not only provides immediate thrust off the line but also smooths out any drops in power. The electric motor spooling up the turbos meant boost was always present, and the engine felt like it was always in its power band. With that amount of power on tap, the 1.3-mile course felt small. This being a 911, the car carved through both small and long curves, though the dynamics of the car's rearward weight bias meant being thoughtful about how I approached the corner, braked, and accelerated out without destabilizing the car. It's a rewarding experience. But some niggles. The T-Hybrid system means no manual transmission, which is a downer for the 911 faithful. The car also defaults to "auto start-stop" on, which means every time you stop the car while driving, the engine shuts off. It's a bit jarring when it kicks back on, and it kind of makes you wonder if the car is on when it's off. A lot of vehicles have this issue, but I will say it's a bit jarring in T-Hybrid. Fortunately, you can turn it off, but it must be done every time you start the car. Read more: The most common types of car insurance explained There's also no pure electric driving. The small battery is only meant for performance. It's not meant to be a Prius, but even the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, with a similar battery size, allows for a small amount of electric driving, such as in a parking garage or similar situation. That aside, this is the best, most technically advanced 911 that exists today, and it's a hybrid. That's pretty cool and gives an owner some bragging rights for owning the first T-hybrid ever. It will cost you, however. The 911 GTS T-Hybrid starts at $169,800, with our test vehicle in Cabriolet form hitting $194,665 with options. But this pricing doesn't include the effect of President Trump's 25% auto tariffs on foreign imports. Porsche, which makes all of its vehicles in Europe, has not moved prices yet, though the company has said that it may pass some of these costs on to buyers. Whether it will and in what fashion remains to be seen. Second and third quarter sales reports will show whether tariffs hurt Porsche's sales in the US, and the company expects it will. But that doesn't mean this car isn't a winner. It's the best all-rounder in the 911 lineup, a grand touring car that can also attack a closed road course. Just make sure to get some pointers from a PEC instructor before unleashing this hybrid beast. Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
