New Audi A6 arrives with hot £97,500 Audi S6 in pole position
Audi’s all-new electric A6 has gone on sale priced from £69,900, with the 543bhp S6 costing nearly £100k
Audi’s rollout of next-generation EVs is well underway, with its new all-electric A6 arriving as a BMW i5-rivalling saloon and estate. Including two powertrains initially comprising rear and four-wheel drive models, the new Audi A6 line-up also includes an S6, with a headline chasing RS6 due later in the product cycle.
The A6 is now on sale in the UK, priced from £69,900 for the base saloon, £71,700 for the Avant and rising to £97,500 for the S6. The latter costs almost exactly the same as BMW’s 593bhp i5 M60 xDrive, which like the Audi is available in both saloon and estate forms. First customer deliveries of the A6 are scheduled for February next year.
Built on the same PPE platform that underpins the Audi Q6 e-tron – hence the gawky looks and heavy lower proportions of the design – the A6 has an 800v architecture with 270kW fast charging as standard. Its battery and motor packs are broadly similar to those of its SUV counterpart.
Audi S6 specs and performance
The headline Audi S6 version, like the regular A6 family members, is equipped with a new and more efficient 94.9kWh battery. Designed specifically for the platform, it uses a lithium-ion manganese cobalt formula to improve cell density by a claimed 30 percent over the batteries used by the e-tron GT and Q8 e-tron.
With 496bhp available in normal mode and 543bhp when the launch control function is engaged, the S6 sends power to the rear wheels via a permanent magnet-synchronous motor with torque vectoring. There’s then a second motor fitted to the front axle. The rear motor produces 428lb ft, the front 203lb ft, and in peak performance mode the S6 will reach 62mph in 3.9sec, with a top speed of 140mph.
Single motor A6 models have 362bhp at their disposal and take 5.4sec to reach 62mph, peaking at 130mph. An electric RS6 will launch later in the model cycle in both Sportback and Avant forms, producing considerably more than the current 621bhp V8 RS6 model. We expect up to circa 900bhp as recently announced for the new Audi e-tron GT Performance.
Weight? The A6 carries a lot of it. Single motor Sportback models start at 2175kg, with the Avant equivalent 10kg heavier. The twin-motor S6 Sportback and Avant weigh 2325kg and 2335kg respectively.
Trim lines for the A6 include Sport, S Line and Edition 1 (the latter of which is standard with the S6), with the entry level model using a 281bhp motor powered by a 83kWh battery and offering 379 miles from a charge.
Regular A6 models, badged ‘Performance’, are suspended on steel springs and adaptive dampers, with the S6 receiving more advanced and sophisticated adaptive air-suspension, which allows the ride height to be lowered at certain speeds to maximise aero efficiency. A set of 19-inch wheels are fitted as standard to single motor models, with 21s fitted to the S6.
Aerodynamics and range
Key to the A6’s USP is the near-diesel level of range claimed for the single motor models, with more than 466 miles possible thanks to its sleek 0.21Cd aerodynamic design. To save you from Google, the Audi 100 of 1982 claimed a groundbreaking 0.30…
Externally Audi has avoided the need to create a distinctive electric car design language, preferring to follow BMW’s trend of keeping its electric cars looking similar to their ICE powered counterparts – Mercedes has already regretted going in the other direction with its divisive EQ line-up.
Inside is a vast infotainment touchscreen screen, with Edition 1 cars also gaining a secondary unit for the passenger to play with on the move. Sustainable materials feature throughout.
Order books for the new A6 are open now, with first deliveries expected early next year.
