Audi has been snapped testing the sportier-looking version of its Q6 e-tron SUV, ahead of its reveal in 2023.
The Q6 e-tron Sportback is built on the same bones as the regular Q6, but subs its more practical wagon tail for a sloping roofline.
Built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture that’s been jointly developed by Audi and Porsche, the Q6 e-tron will share its underpinnings with the next-generation Porsche Macan.
Both the new Macan and regular Q6 e-tron are set to debut in 2023, and will be the first production vehicles to use this platform.
Autocar reports the electric Macan will feature electric all-wheel drive making up to 450kW of power and 1000Nm of torque.
Its platform will also support rear-wheel drive powertrains with less grunt, however. It’s not clear how much will be shared between the Macan and the Q6, given they’re likely to be pitched at slightly different customers.
We have spied what looks like an RS Q6, suggesting Audi will dip into the top end of the shared parts bin.
Jalopnik reports the car will use a lithium-ion battery pack with around 100kWh of capacity. An 800V architecture allows for charging at up to 270kW. That’s good for a 25-minute charge from five to 80 per cent.
With less camouflage than before, we can see the split headlight arrangement that will feature up front. Down back, the set of lights has plenty in common with those on the RS3.
Previous images have revealed the Audi Q6 e-tron will feature what looks like a large, freestanding screen behind the wheel.
It looks larger than the integrated display that currently features across the e-tron SUV range, and is more in keeping with the display in the smaller Q4 e-tron revealed during 2020.
The steering wheel appears to be the same as the Q4 e-tron’s, with touch-capacitive switchgear – evidently Audi is sticking with this controversial feature, even as the Volkswagen brand moves away.
