Audi Q4 E-Tron vs Audi Q6 E-Tron

What's the difference?

Audi is famous for sticking doggedly to front-wheel drive and quattro AWD, but clearly, when it puts its mind to it, the few RWD machines it has produced over its 116 years have been exceptional.

While not as exciting as the R8 or as supersonic as the e-tron GT, the Q4 e-tron is an impressive machine. Thoroughly engineered and thoughtfully designed to be a friendly, refined, comfortable, safe and capable family SUV, it deserves to be on your shortlist.

With a couple of choice option packages, the base 45 seems remarkably complete, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the hot-shot 55 quattro as well. Either way, Audi seems to be on a winner.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Q6 e-tron knocks the luxury SUV formula out of the park, regardless of the fact it’s an electric vehicle. It has a slick, sporty feel, a high level of standard equipment for a premium car and at least on paper it’s a solid EV with plenty of driving range.

But here’s the thing: To me, the Q6 e-tron feels exactly how you would expect it to. It’s the same Audi formula, just upgraded for the electric age and in an era where rivals both old and new are using this once-in-a generation opportunity to truly innovate, there’s something a little disappointing about that.

Whether talking about the SUV or Sportback, the Q4 e-tron is an excellent example of Audi’s recent design prowess.

Beautiful proportions, crisp surfaces, exquisite detailing and undeniable elegance are all present in spades. And the Sportback is a rare example of a graceful-looking coupe SUV, though it is not in the otherworldly Polestar 4’s league aesthetically.

However, where is the originality? You’d never know these are rear-motored and predominantly RWD vehicles. Yes, the Single Frame grille execution is amongst the best-yet from the brand, while the wheelarch ‘blisters’ are an (albeit questionable) homage to the seminal Ur-Quattro of the 1980s, but the Q4 e-tron could be any contemporary Audi SUV from the Q3 up. Its design is the opposite of daring.

Still, maybe the Q4 e-tron’s classy, relatable conservatism explains why the Brits made this car their second-best selling EV of 2024, representing everything that the number one Model Y is not.

Plus, with current global automotive interiors stalling behind over-illuminated and oversized screens full of greasy fingerprints, glitchy electronics and reflections of their frustrated operators, a bit of old-school Audi cabin presentation knowhow can only be a good thing, right?

At a distance, the Q6 sticks to the same Audi formula. An inoffensive overall shape with the same core design cues as something like a Q5 are all part of the plan according to the brand, as it attempts to make the idea of switching to electric as easy as possible for its loyal buyers.

Things like the inverted grille (where there’s body colour where black would normally be) framed by a sporty black insert in the shape of Audi's usual combustion grille feels more tactfully executed than Mercedes’ attempt to bring an electrified touch to its EQ range.

Up close though, I must admit this car looks a bit meaner than your average Q-series SUV. The way the wheels sit wide and bold, accentuated by the inflated wheel arches (or blisters as Audi calls them) give the Q6 a tough feel, sitting boldly on its haunches.

Audi fans will love the exterior design, and it may convert some to electric car buyers, but it’s hard to see this car bringing new buyers into the fold, especially with more radical designs out there to catch the eyeballs of aspirational EV buyers.

Inside, Audi has traded away the somewhat ageing feeling of the outgoing Q5 for something much more tech-y in the Q6. The dash is dominated by the three large screens, which are also sharp, fast and responsive, with improved software this time around.

It is a lot though. While the exterior design plays it safe and the interior avoids the kind of obnoxiousness of an overbearing portrait-oriented screen, it feels almost unnecessary for every grade to get the three-screen layout.

Elsewhere the textures and patterns feel the part, and there’s no shortage of attention to detail when it comes to soft trims down the centre console, or clever new air vent fittings, for example.

Unlike most of its German competitors (and the Volvo EX40), the Q4 e-tron is built on a dedicated EV platform known as MEB, and shared with other Volkswagen Group models, like the Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4.

Consequently, the Audi feels a wee-bit narrow inside, as the MEB SUV family are on the smallish side for medium-sized SUVs. This is not a criticism, just an observation.

And there is no lack of interior space, either. Entry/egress is easy via large doors, there’s plenty of space for heads and shoulders and legroom is generous. All are an upshot of the EV-only platform.

Despite some obvious packaging links with the other VW MEB interiors, the dashboard is very Audi-esque in styling, layout, functionality and quality.

From the ‘Virtual Cockpit’ electronic instruments and crisp multimedia screen, to the feel of the buttons and logical, easy locations of the controls, the Q4 e-tron is completely and utterly on-brand. And that means high standards. Looks posh. Works well. Nice to touch. No bewildering endless screen-menu search and rescue frustration here.

Plus, the Audi is practical. We’ve already talked about ample room, but even the standard, non-sports seats cosseted and supported over a few hours of testing; different and unexpected levels of storage (including a nifty bottle holder ahead of the forward door jam – brilliant); superb ventilation and, especially in the Sportback 55 e-tron quattro sampled, a banging audio system, complete a suave and sophisticated interior experience.

Issues? No too many, really.

There is quite a lot of quality plastic material visible, which might offend some sensitive souls. There is some road-noise intrusion over coarse surfaces, perhaps reminding owners of the Q4 e-tron’s shared architecture; and rear vision in the Sportback is hampered by fat pillars and slim back glass.  

However, no spare wheel exists. Nada. Just the occasionally ineffective and always-infernal tyre inflation kit, that renders the tyre and kit useless afterwards and so makes for expensive replacements. And just because almost everybody else does it, this is not good enough for Australia.

The corollary of that is quite generous luggage capacity, with the Sportback’s 535 litres somehow beating the more-upright SUV’s 520L VDA capacity, though with the rear seatbacks folded that switches to 1460L and 1490L respectively. Both are gorgeously lush and quite practically shaped.

And what about the storage compartment up front?

This brings us nicely across to practicality, because along with the enormous set of screens, the Q6 brings with it a significant reduction in the amount of switchgear available. The centre console still features a physical volume dial, and there are a handful of shortcut buttons, but the climate functions are exclusively controlled via touchscreen menus. 

Additionally, the Q6 features an array of haptic buttons on the steering wheel (which some will remember, were much maligned on Volkswagen products) alongside a huge haptic panel on the driver's side door controlling everything from the headlights to the windows and mirrors.

It feels as though Audi has dressed the cabin up with new stuff rather than cost-cutting, which is often the case with its rivals. To Audi's credit, these functions are well enough laid out they didn’t bring much frustration on our test drive. Mercifully the screens are fast so adjusting functions is instantaneous, but these features are never as easy to use as physical buttons when you’re trying to concentrate on the road.

No matter how well they work, not everyone will love them (especially rusted-on Audi buyers who will be used to a decent array of physical switches).

There’s plenty of storage in the cabin. The doors feature a big pocket and bottle holder, with a further two bottle holders in the centre with adjustable ridges and a gloss roller cover to keep things tidy when you’re not using them.

Up front there’s a large storage bay with the phone charger mounted vertically on its side to minimise the amount of space it uses. The centre console box is shallow but extends quite far under the console owing to the car’s electric platform, and the array of charging ports are easy enough to reach.

As usual with Audis, the front seats are bolstered nicely and there’s no shortage of adjustment on offer to find a comfortable seating position.

The back seat is spacious enough, although I was expecting more for a car on a new EV platform designed to be larger than the already-spacious Q5. At 182cm tall I have decent, but not a massive amount of room behind my own driving position, with airspace for both my knees and my head. As a saving grace here, the floor is more or less flat and the car is quite wide so the centre position will still be useful for a full-sized adult.

Storage comes via bottle holders and pockets in each door and nettings (which I don’t love as they tend to age poorly) on the backs of the front seats. Unlike the Q5 the rear row is fixed instead of on rails, but it does feature individually folding seat backs, which means you can drop the centre position to put long objects in the cabin and still have two rear passengers (kind of like a ski port, but better).

The boot measures 526 litres (or 1529L with the rear seats down) which seems about right, although we didn’t have a chance to test it with our usual luggage set. It has some space under the floor for the storage of cables, although like many EVs it doesn’t have a spare wheel, only an inflator kit. It also has a frunk, which measures 64 litres. These spaces might seem like a bit of a gimmick but the Q6 comes with a clever little fitted duffle bag which slots perfectly into the void where you can keep both your wall socket and Type 2 to Type 2 charging gear.

Before we dig into the literal nuts and bolts of the Q6 e-tron, let’s first take a look at its price-tag and where it sits in Australia’s premium car landscape.

The range consists of three variants, which start with the base Performance grade from $115,500 (all prices before on-road costs) and remains rear-wheel drive for range and efficiency.

Next is the mid-spec Quattro, at $122,500. As the name implies, this version brings with it all-wheel drive via a second motor on the front axle. Finally, the top-spec SQ6 at $151,400 scores a significant bump to power outputs and adds some more sport-oriented equipment to the range.

All three grades come with the same massive 94.9kWh (usable) battery pack with correspondingly healthy driving range. The range is also loaded with standard equipment, leaving each grade differentiated primarily by increases in performance.

The base car comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, and the full suite of screens and software, consisting of a 14.5-inch OLED multimedia touchscreen in the centre, an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.9-inch passenger multimedia display. It also scores wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with a wireless charger up front. The base speakers are a 10-speaker 180-watt sound setup.

Leather seats are standard across the range as are heated front and rear seats with tri-zone climate control, a power tailgate, and white interior ambient lighting.

Stepping up to the Quattro adds a full suite of S-Line bodywork with black interior headlining as well as 20-inch Audi Sport alloys, sport leather seats with the S logo, a three-spoke steering wheel and sports pedals.

Finally, the top-spec SQ6 adds 21-inch two-tone alloys, red brake callipers, adaptive air suspension, aluminium-look mirror covers and roof rails, acoustic glazing for the front windows, a panoramic sunroof, rear privacy glass, colour ambient interior lighting, and an electrically adjustable steering column.

If you like the idea of some of those additional features further up the range, but would prefer a lower grade, Audi has you covered, with the ‘Tech Pro’ package adding the transformative air suspension, as well as OLED tail-lights and electric steering column ($4900).

Meanwhile the ‘Style Package’ adds the S-Line exterior features, black highlights, and privacy glass to the base car with 20-inch alloys for $5500, or black highlights, privacy glass and 21-inch wheels to the Quattro for $3600.

Finally, the Premium package adds a panoramic glass roof, the AR head-up display, Bang and Olufsen audio system, colour ambient lighting, acoustic glass and high-output USBs otherwise only available on the SQ6 for $8900 on the Performance or Quattro grades.

The level of customisation via packages is a nice touch, although the jumps between grades aren’t huge (in the context of a $100k+ car) to begin with, so I’d caution keen shoppers to keep an eye on the final price. For example, if you add the Tech Pro, Style Package and Premium Package to the Quattro, you end up at $139,900. At this price it’s not much of a stretch to get the additional power of the SQ6, no?

How does the range compare to its rivals? Well Audi promised it wouldn’t partake in the constant price adjusting some of its rivals have engaged in to try to maintain an edge. As a result, the Q6 range kicks off lower than equivalent versions of the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, while being neck-and-neck with the Polestar 3.

This segment’s biggest challenge will be ahead of it though with the introduction of alternative and often more ambitious offerings from Chinese automakers. Will the likes of the Zeekr 7X and BYD’s incoming Denza brand, both of which will undoubtedly be more affordable, make a mark on Audi’s customer base? Time will tell.

Unlike the Model Y, there's no storage up front. That space is instead reserved for auxiliaries and, in the 55 quattro versions, the second electric motor that drives the front axle for AWD.

In all versions, a permanently excited synchronous motor sits on the rear axle driving the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

Tipping the scales at 2145kg, the 45s produce 210kW of power, to offer a power-to-weight ratio of 98kW per tonne, while the 2235kg 55s’ 250kW output ups that to 112kW/tonne. Both Q4 e-trons deliver a healthy 545Nm of torque.

No slouch, the 45s manage the 0-100km/h sprint in a rapid 6.7s, while the 55 quattro’s extra motor chimes in when extra traction is required, shaving another 1.3s off that, for a 5.4s time. Top speed in both is limited to 180km/h.

Adding a bit more driver involvement, the 55s have variable ratio steering, while MacPherson-style struts up front and a four-link independent rear suspension setup out back help keep everything under control.

A lot of the bigger innovations for the Q6 e-tron can’t be as easily seen because they’re primarily a result of its new platform. This Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture is new to Volkswagen Group and is designed specifically by and for Audi and Porsche rather than the MEB platform which underpins both the Q4 e-tron from Audi and ID.4 from Volkswagen.

Benefits include a primarily rear-drive orientation, the ability to accommodate more sophisticated suspension layouts, software capable of reaching deeper into the car (when it comes to updates), and of course a new electrical architecture with the capability to support 800-volt systems.

Power is impressive across the range. The base Performance puts out 225kW/485Nm from its rear motor, and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds. The Quattro adds a second motor on the front axle, which combines with the rear motor for totals of 285kW/580Nm. It can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds.

The range-topping SQ6 ups power significantly to 360kW/580Nm from its dual motors, lowering the 0-100km/h sprint time to just 4.3 seconds using launch control.

Built on a 400V architecture, the Q4 e-tron uses an 82kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, offering a useable capacity of 77kWh. It only charges to 80 per cent full to help preserve battery life.

Now, driving most of the available versions over a 200km launch route from Adelaide airport to wine country, we averaged between 17.5 and 19.5kWh/100km, with the lighter RWDs obviously being the more economical of the drivetrains.

In ascending order, the official combined average figures are 16.9kWh/100km (Sportback 45), 17.4kWh/100km (45 SUV), 17.5kWh/100km (Sportback 55 quattro) and 18.1kWh/100km (55 quattro SUV).

Despite weighing about the same, the Sportback uses around 0.5kWh/100km less electricity than the SUV version, due to better aerodynamics.

That translates to about 15km of extra distance, with the Sportback 45 going the furthest, delivering a WLTP range of 540km. That’s followed by the 45 SUV, Sportback 55 quattro and 55 quattro SUV with 524km, 503km and 488km respectively.

To aid with recharging, the driver has three modes of battery energy recuperation via steering-wheel paddle shifters.

Plugged in at home, the battery needs about 40 hours to completely recharge, or over 12 hours using an optional 7kWh Wallbox. Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW.

With a maximum of between 135kW (RWD) and 175kW (AWD) of DC charging capacity, however, 10-80 per cent charge using a 50kW DC public charger needs fewer than 70 minutes, or just 40 minutes if you find a 100kW station.

Driving range is excellent no matter which variant you pick. You’d hope so given the size of this car’s nickel-manganese cobalt battery pack. The usable 94.9kWh capacity grants the Performance 558km of range, the Quattro 542km of range, and the SQ6 568km of range, all measured to the WLTP standard.

The 800-volt architecture which forms part of the new PPE platform unlocks ultra-fast DC charging times, which are impressive given the size of the Q6 e-tron’s battery pack.

A claimed peak charging speed of 270kW will take the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just 21 minutes if you can find a fast enough charger. Audi says the charging system is optimised to maintain its peak charging for as long as possible (something we’ll have the opportunity to test at a later date, although we’ve found these claims to ring reasonably true for the e-tron GT on the older J1 platform).

On a slower AC charger (the kind you might find at the local shops), the maximum charging speed is an acceptable 11kW, although the max rate of 22kW would be nice to see. At 11kW to charge from 10 to 100 per cent will take around eight hours. In an unusual touch, the Q6 gets a second AC charging port on the driver’s side to go with the AC/DC combo port on the passenger side.

Sadly, there’s no vehicle-to-load or vehicle-to-grid features for the Q6 e-tron range, particularly given the size of its battery pack. While you might not use these features initially, it would be good to have them long-term as more use-cases become apparent.

When it comes to energy efficiency the Q6 e-tron’s official numbers are 19kWh/100km for the Performance, 19.5kWh/100km for the Quattro, or 18.4kWh/100km for the SQ6. Interestingly, the SQ6 has the most impressive efficiency rating, which, according to Audi is due to the lower ride height and better aerodynamic performance afforded by the air suspension.

The consumption numbers are about on-par for a vehicle this size, but are far from impressive numbers I’ve seen in the real world on similarly sized rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E for example. As we were jumping in and out of vehicles on this launch, expect a more thorough real-world efficiency evaluation at a later date.

Audi might be late to the affordable electric SUV party, but it’s certainly been worth the wait from behind the wheel, because the Q4 e-tron drives exactly how you would expect an Audi to.

The 45 in either body shape has ample oomph, as its impressive 6.7s 0-100km/h times prove, providing a decent amount of instant speed the moment you put your foot down. This is a smooth, strong and muscular performer.

The steering is nicely modulated and precise, for easy, flowing handling, even when the speed is taken up a few notches. Note that while it may seem a little light, it can be configured for a more dynamic feel.

However, slightly stronger single pedal braking would be appreciated. The Audi EV’s brakes do a great job stopping the car, but they do feel a bit on/off at first. Maybe even a bit wooden.

All the Q4 e-trons we drove on the launch around the Adelaide hills rode on steel springs. That said, and to our surprise, the suspension is more than comfortable enough, soaking up many of the bumps we encountered without breaking a sweat.

Plus, except on coarse bitumen, there's not much of any type of noise coming through inside the cabin. These are agreeably comfortable and refined cruisers.

Meanwhile, the 55 quattro version is a slightly different proposition, with measurably stronger acceleration across the board and more eager throttle response. Actually, even on bone-dry roads at the height of summer, there’s almost too much torque coursing through the axles, so just be wary of this EV’s considerable power.

Still, the twin-motor Audi feels like a relaxed yet brawny grand touring SUV, with plenty in reserve for fast overtaking and quick getaways. Even the RWD model provides exceptional roadholding and control, but that extra AWD grip when things become a bit slippery would certainly be a bonus.

Plus, kudos to the Germans for delivering user-friendly driver assist safety systems. Nuanced and largely unobtrusive, they keep you safe without driving you to distraction. China and Polestar in particular, are you listening?

On the flip side, you do feel the extra weight of the second electric motor (about 100kg more), and so it doesn't quite have the agility and alacrity of the standard 45 RWD machine.

Indeed, there isn’t quite the athleticism or connection of driver-focused alternatives (like BMW), but the Q4 e-tron rarely puts a foot wrong, either.

Impressively capable and dynamic, Audi’s more-affordable electric SUV has been worth the wait.

Here’s the thing, Audi has talked a big game about this new PPE platform, but from behind the wheel the Q6 e-tron doesn’t offer the kind of massive step change I was expecting. In fact, just one look at the car and I felt like I knew how it would drive, and it didn’t stray from this expectation.

The Q6 e-tron is defined by its balanced weight distribution, its sharp steering and the powerful follow-through its electric motor provides. It defies its weight in the corners, but at the same time its SUV body struggles to shake the sheer mass which remains present under the floor.

As a result, it doesn’t have the reactive athleticism of its combustion counterparts, instead offering a more sturdy feel of the road, bolstered by thick tyres. Still, no matter which variant you pick, you’re getting more power delivered more quickly than entry-level engines in the Q5 range, for example.

There’s something to be said for how exhilarating these can be. These new motors also don’t have the same disappointing hollowed-out acceleration feeling lesser MEB-based cars can have when it comes to overtaking manoeuvres.

And yet, there’s something disappointing about how the Q6 feels to drive. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a powerful Audi EV and nothing more, where some rivals, and even Audi’s own e-tron GT feel more like an absolute generational leap.

There’s more, too. Versions that don’t feature the acoustic glass had a surprising amount of road noise on coarse chip surfaces. I’d expect better for a premium car on a new platform, and the standard suspension had the odd jilted moment as it wrangled with the sheer weight of the Q6.

The air suspension package was a massive improvement on this, damping both noise levels and the undulations and imperfections the road can throw at you. It stood out to me as a very worthwhile option to have, even on base cars if you’re chasing the best handling and ride this platform has to offer.

The SQ6, featuring the lot, is of course an absolute monster of a car, with even more powerful acceleration, and the air suspension as standard, although on the road at least the additional power over the Quattro was hard to quantify. 

We didn’t have the chance to sample the base Performance at the launch. The rear-drive dynamics and lesser weight over the front axle as well as smaller wheel will make for a different feel compared to the Quattro and SQ6 we did drive, so we’re hoping we can bring you a review of this car at a later date.

The entire list of modern active safety gear is standard on the Q6 e-tron range including such highlights as autobahn-speed auto emergency braking which has been upgraded to include intersection assist, as well as turn assist font and rear (which alerts you if you’re about to turn and a motorcycle or cyclist is about to potentially undercut you on the inside.

There’s also lane keep assist (but lane centring was left off Australian specified vehicles due to ‘calibration concerns’) blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, speed sign recognition, and driver fatigue alert. The Q6 also scores adaptive cruise with stop and go functions, as well as 360-degree parking cameras with kerb view functions.

The Q6 e-tron is yet to be rated by ANCAP, but it also scores a comprehensive array of nine airbags (dual front, quad side, dual curtain and a front centre airbag) which looks promising for this mid-sizer’s chances.

A big positive from a driver’s perspective is how well these systems work away in the background rather than interfere. The serial offenders, lane keep (or lane centering assist) and driver attention alert are both toned down, keeping them from interrupting an otherwise smooth drive.

Audi’s warranty remains the same as before, at five years with unlimited kilometres, with the battery covered for eight years or 160,000km. Six years of roadside assistance is also included.

Service intervals are every two years or 30,000km. Nothing special here nowadays.

But the Q4 e-tron owner can buy a six-year service plan for a total of $2050, while gaining 12 months of free electricity at Chargefox stations. They can also purchase a JET Charge home installation charger from $800.

The usual five-year and unlimited-kilometre warranty applies to the Q6 e-tron, alongside six years of roadside assistance and an industry-standard eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty.

Additionally, Audi throws in one year of a Chargefox subscription, theoretically making your first 12 months of fast DC charging free (provided Chargefox administers your local charging infrastructure).

At the time of writing, Audi was yet to provide service pricing, but the interval is nice and long, at 24 months or 30,000km. A pre-paid service package covering six years and 90,000km comes in at just $2080 which is super affordable for a car from a traditional luxury brand, even if it only covers the first three workshop visits.