Audi A6 Sportback e-tron performance First Drive Review

Executive sedans.

Yes, the automotive landscape has recently been dominated by SUVs, but for a long time, four-door sedans were the automotive staple.

And especially for the big German manufacturers, you could make the case that the mid-size executive sedan was most emblematic of the form. Yes, it's not quite the all-in luxury of a flagship, but it occupies a crucial in-between space - between accessibility and exclusivity. Elevated enough that it reflects a particular sort of status and accomplishment, but still discreet and with sufficient mass-appeal.

This Executive class of cars even has a specific classification in Germany: Obere Mittelklasse, which literally translates to 'upper middle-class'. Really tells you everything you need to know.

The new Audi A6 e-tron range marks the brand's entrance into the electric executive sedan segment, except that its not actually a sedan

BMW has been making its 5 Series since the 70s. Mercedes' E-Class traces its roots back to the 50s. And of course, Audi too has its A6, which can trace its roots back to the Audi 100 first introduced in 1968. 

With the onslaught of electrification, executive sedans have expectedly gone electric: The BMW i5, the Mercedes-Benz EQE Saloon, and now this - the brand new Audi A6 e-tron.

Except, the new A6 isn't really like any of its predecessors. Heck, it isn't even a four-door sedan!

The A6 Sportback e-tron has a pronounced and distinct side profile, with the black sill insert highlighting the position of the battery

A new look 

This is the new Audi A6 e-tron, and as the 'e-tron' name would suggest, this model is all-electric.

While Audi's recent naming conventions have been confusing to say the least, the simplest way to think of this is an all-electric replacement of the outgoing Audi A6 (rather than simply a powerplant transplant), in line with the brand’s plans to transition into a full-electric lineup. (Unlike the 5 Series/i5 pair, there is no ICE-twin for this model.)

And yes, the four-door sedan has been effectively ditched, with just a Sportback (fastback) and Avant (wagon) being offered.

Audi has made some bold design choices: For example, the inverted face of the car where the traditionally black grille is now body coloured, and instead the entire lower area surrounding the grille has been now blacked out. This emphasises the width of the car (a quite sizable 1.9m), and also gives it a greater sense of visual heft.

The rear three-quarter angle is perhaps the A6 e-tron Sportback's best look, accentuated by the unmistakable rear light bar and illuminated four rings

The unconventional look of the A6 e-tron is most pronounced on its profile. The A6 e-tron is built on the same PPE architecture as the Q6 e-tron, but uses a brand-first 'low-floor application'. A black sill at the side effectively highlights where the battery sits, and creates a slightly sloping line from the front to rear wheel that gives the A6 e-tron a slight wedge-shape. At first, it's a little bit strange and confusing because it's so visually unlike a traditional sedan. But I found that the more time I spent looking at it, the more I'm drawn to the interesting shapes. And, I also like that the design embraces the car's electric nature, instead of trying to shy away from it. 

Fancy lights are another (not surprising) addition: Both front and rear lights have different lighting signatures that you can choose from (and offer fancy light shows too), and the rear Audi logo is also illuminated in red. Audi also touts "car-to-x" capability, with the taillights able to display things like a "warning triangle", but unless drivers behind you are deeply versed in Audi graphical language I'm not sure how useful this will actually be.

One new lighting feature that will prove useful is the ability to project a symbol to show you where to 'kick' to open the boot, which should reduce the time spent swinging your foot left and right and looking like a slight fool (or you know, just use your hands like a normal person). The fastback boot lid opens up to a quite commodious 502 litres, which can be further expanded to 1,330 litres with the rear seats folded.

One new illumination function is the light projection to show you where to 'kick', allowing handsfree access to the 502-litre boot

Digital step forward

Move inside the A6 e-tron, and again its clear technology has driven things forward. It’s nowhere as flashy as a Merc's Hyperscreen or a Bimmer's Interaction Bar, but it is definitely still a noticeable technological step upwards compared to the rest of the contemporary Audi range.

You want screens? You get screens. The optional passenger screen brings the total to three, and the also optional digital wing mirrors could bring the screen count up to five.

But let's focus on the middle one, which now runs an Android Automotive OS. It's much more fully featured than the current-generation system, which I particular like for its simplicity and ease-of-use (it is admittedly quite dated). This new one isn't quite as simple, but all things considered remains fairly straightforward and easy to negotiate.

Besides just in-commute entertainment, the passenger can also use the screen to input navigation, which negates the need for the driver to do so

The Augmented Reality HUD has also been upgraded, both in terms of its field of view, as well as the information displayed. It proves particularly useful when using navigation, and also has added safety functionality such as showing you when you are too close to the car in front.

One particular element stood out to me - the button cluster on the driver-side door, which houses a whole bunch of controls. Nothing wrong with its functionality, but it just looks visually overly busy to me.

Thanks to the long wheelbase, rear legroom is excellent

In the rear cabin, legroom is expectedly good, thanks to the car's 2,946mm wheelbase. Headroom is a little less good, what with the sloping roofline and all, but it will still be comfortable for most Asian adults.

The A6 e-tron is also offered with a leather-free interior option, as seen on this test vehicle. I like it, but Singapore is expected to get the leather-full interior as standard.

This performance variant gets a 270kW electric motor at the rear, delivering effortless and brisk acceleration

Capable and a little familiar 

This A6 e-tron performance variant gets a 270kW rear motor, good for 580Nm of torque and a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds with Launch Control. Performance is expectedly brisk, and the car feels composed and stable at high speeds. The steering is quite light and all-around accurate, and the car manages to hide its size well. 

On the go, it is very quiet, very refined, but maybe a little bit sedate. Handling is predictable and precise, but not going to set any hearts ablaze. With its rear-wheel drive setup, the nose is a little bit more agile relative to an all-wheel drive setup like in the S6 e-tron, but otherwise it remains a polished executive car to drive. 

Around corners, again the A6 e-tron feels agile and well-sorted, but not necessarily very communicative or exciting.

It is very comfortable, though, especially when fitted with air suspension. The car wafts over bumps (though I will caveat by saying bumps were few and far between on Tenerife roads), but still feels composed and connected to the tarmac. With air suspension fitted, the car can also adjust ride height by up to 20mm to optimise aerodynamic efficiency, or prioritise performance/comfort.

The A6 Sportback e-tron is especially comfortable when fitted with air suspension, which makes for a serene and refine drive

It all feels… familiar. There isn't any noise from a combustion engine, and it's probably much quicker and more responsive than a comparable ICE alternative, but beyond that the A6 e-tron delivers a reassuringly recognisable Audi driving experience - high on refinement, composure, and straddling the line between out-right comfort and sportiness.

This is also the slipperiest car Audi has ever made - with the right spec (aero wheels, digital wing mirrors), the car clocks in a 0.21Cd, which is not just the lowest for Audi, but the lowest of the whole VW Group.

That's good for range, of course. Audi claims 756km of range from the 100kWh battery found on this performance variant. That's a big (aspirational) number, and I reckon 600km in real world driving should be achievable. And with 270kW fast charging available, Audi says you can top-up over 300km in just 10 minutes (with the usual state-of-charge caveats, of course).

Electric powertrain aside, the A6 e-tron delivers a familiar and expected driving quality of an executive sedan - refined, comfortable and composed

It's important to point out that Singapore won't be getting this performance variant. Instead, we will get the entry-level model, which has 210kW of power and a smaller 83kWh battery rated for 615km on a full charge. Less performance and less range, admittedly, but otherwise the rest of the package is basically unchanged. Same fast charging capability, same range of equipment, same optional extras.

Ironically, that might be the variant to have. More affordable, and in most real world driving situations not much more compromised, if at all.

While obviously upgraded in terms of technology and features, the cabin remains functional and easy to use

Getting competitive

As a whole, the A6 Sportback e-tron is a well-executed product. This rather predictable conclusion comes at no real surprise - there's a slightly German fastidiousness in the way Audi has approached this new product, and it manages to feel high quality yet slightly understated in a way that's quite typically Audi.

Tradition is a funny thing, right? Shorn of its international combustion engine, the new A6 e-tron (at what point do we just call it an A6?) is both a totally different thing, but also in some ways still familiar. It may not technically be a sedan any more, but this Sportback model firmly occupies that same market segment, albeit the electric one now. Some brands hold on dearly to older ways, others make definite efforts to starkly evolve. With the A6 e-tron, Audi's approach is evidently to play the middle.

But there's no escaping the challenges of timing. Its two biggest competitors, the aforementioned BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, have already been on the market for some time - having a chance to build a lead that Audi has to fight hard to claw back.

It may be a little late to the game, but the A6 e-tron Sportback is a well-equipped and well-executed, and should be competitive within the executive segment

While it may be a little bit late to the party, the new Audi A6 e-tron range definitely is well-poised to be competitive in this segment, especially if it is priced well. In Germany, the model's €62,800 starting price for the entry-level variant undercuts both the i5 and EQE by at least 10%, both of which have starting prices above €70,000. Expect a similar story in Singapore. Entry variants of the i5 and EQE are asking about $390k (price correct as of press time), so I would estimate/hope the A6 e-tron to be in the $320-340k range (these numbers could easily change vis-à-vis COE).

Executive sedans still exist, and will likely continue to persist in a world that's demanding more and more SUVs. Given its stellar execution, this A6 e-tron will still find its place in this evolving automotive landscape - the new A6 e-tron is undoubtedly executive, undeniably upper middle-class. Even if it isn't actually a sedan anymore.

The new Audi A6 e-tron is slated to be launched in Singapore in the middle of 2025, with just the 210kW A6 Sportback e-tron model being offered.

Shopping for an electric executive saloon? Here are some other options:

The BMW i5 is the electric 5 Series formula done right

The Mercedes EQE has the same looks and features that make the EQS so appealing

The Porsche Taycan combines green credentials with a sports car disposition