What's the difference?
From a few paces back, the Q6 e-tron is easy to mistake for just another Audi.
After all, Audi, perhaps above all its contemporaries, has established such a consistent look and feel for its entire range.
But this is no regular Audi. The brand tells us the Q6 e-tron is the most significant new vehicle it has launched in a decade.
Underneath its familiar visage, Audi is so excited about the Q6 e-tron because it brings with it a ground-up new-vehicle platform, which brings with it some forward leaps when it comes to technology.
But does being new actually make the Q6 e-tron a good car? We went to its Australian media launch to find out.
If someone came to you and said, “Hey, want to drop $100,000 on this new car? It looks a bit weird, it’s from a brand you’ve probably never heard of, and by the way, it’s fully electric”, I’d understand if you had a hard time coughing up the cash.
And this is essentially the ask with the Genesis GV60. Unlike BMW, Mercedes, or even Lexus, this luxury Korean brand has very little time in-market, and in Australia at least, no rich history to draw upon to lure buyers in.
If the electric era has taught us anything, though, it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity for new names to get their foot in the door. So, is Genesis putting its best foot forward? Let’s find out.
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.
It’s still a tall order. There’s no getting around the fact this is a lot of money to part with for a weird looking electric car from a brand so new to the luxury space.
While I wasn’t convinced going in, the way this car unites some of the best attributes of its Ioniq 5 and EV6 relations, while bringing with it such a unique look and feel, has swayed me.
I understand this car a lot better now, and this is maybe the biggest catch; you need to spend some time with this car to decide if it’s for you, because I don’t think it will be for everyone. That said, if you like what you’ve seen or read here, give it a try, you might be surprised by what you find.