Sedans are dead, or so we were told. And yet, as true as that is for traditional gas cars, EVs are flipping the script. The new Audi A6 Sportback e-tron is the brand’s newest EV, and it’s a handsome thing. We’ve gotten a little sneak peek, and what we’ve seen so far is good.
We weren’t supposed to see this just yet. However, leaks happen. CocheSpias and one Mike Juergens were kind enough to share it on Twitter. From the drop, it looks just how you’d expect. It’s a smooth four-door liftback with a shrouded grille, reminding you this is very much an electric vehicle. Perhaps the biggest outright surprise is that Audi’s photos show it off in a kind of Supersonic Band-Aid color.
Opinions on beige aside, it’s a car with some polarizing features. The overall proportions are clean enough, but the details elevate it to something greater. The sideskirt treatment, rear lighting design, and bold red badging all do their part. As do the slimline camera-mirrors. You’ll either love the sportier touches, or find the detailing overwhelming rather than impressive. But enough about aesthetics—what about the rest?
The Sportback will also be joined by the Avant wagon version—of which no images are yet available. No conventional sedan (with a trunk) will be offered. Yes, Europe is keeping the wagon dream alive, even as America turns ever more towards the SUV. Rumor has it a wilder RS6 Avant e-Tron may also be in the works as a tribute to the legendary combustion-powered models of years past.
Since it’s a leak, we don’t have full specs yet. But the leak tells us that energy consumption is expected to be around 3.90 to 4.43 mi/kWh. For a reasonably sized battery around 100 kWh or so, you’d expect the A6 e-tron to easily do over 300 miles on a single charge. (I mean, technically with those specs it should do over 400, but we’ll see the EPA ratings when they drop later).
Audi have previously confirmed the sleeker, more aerodynamic A6 will deliver longer range than the Q6 e-tron, which is EPA rated for 307 miles of range. The leaked press release confirms the model has a devastatingly slippery drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.21, while the Avant achieves 0.24. This was achieved after running over 1,300 simulations and countless hours in the wind tunnel. A neat detail we learn is that tweaks to the sideskirts on the Avant version alone scored an extra 5 miles (8 km) of range.
The new electric A6 is based on Volkswagen’s Premium Platform Electric. It’s the same platform underpinning the Q6 e-tron and the EV Porsche Macan. It’s an 800V platform, which is a big aid to fast charging. As a guide, the Q6 is able to charge from 10-80% in just 21 minutes at rates of up to 270 kW. The A6 should achieve similar numbers.
Audi first previewed the model with a concept version in 2021, shown off in a more appealing silver shade. At that time, the concept was said to offer 470 hp from its dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. No word on whether or not that’s confirmed for the production model—we’ll have to wait for the official launch tomorrow to find out. With the Q6 e-tron offering 456 horsepower, the A6 might be closer to that figure in reality.
We’ll have to wait for Audi’s full reveal for details on pricing and timing. In any case, the A6 e-tron is expected to reach customers sometime around late 2024 or early 2025. It marks a further step for Audi towards electrification, as the broader Volkswagen Group increasingly leaves combustion power behind.
Image credits: Audi
The post The Aerodynamic Audi A6 e-tron Is How VW Plans To Fight Lucid And Tesla appeared first on The Autopian.
