Audi Q6 vs Audi Q3

What's the difference?

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.

So is this new Q3 good enough to remain Audi’s number one choice? In a word, yes.

Audi has resisted the temptation that some brands fall into by making too many changes to a proven sales performer. This new Q3 isn’t radically different from the old Q3, but it has improved in almost every way.

It isn’t different enough to widely expand its appeal to a new wave of customers, but there’s no reason it won’t remain Audi’s most popular choice for the foreseeable future.

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

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.

The brief to the designers was seemingly pretty simple - don’t mess with a good thing.

According to the company, they want it to be recognisable as an Audi from 100m away, but at the same time, it makes sense not to make any radical changes to a design that is clearly a hit with buyers.

There’s still a new grille, which is slightly larger, while the daytime running lights (DRLs) are now mounted high, on the top corners of the front fascia.

Audi prides itself on its lights and the Q3 features multi-segment DRLS, with dynamic light effects, plus the rear badge lights up red with the tail-lights are turned on.

Digital matrix LEDs are available as an option on the quattro grades, which is a first for such a small Audi. While based on the technology already deployed in the bigger, more expensive Audi models, this is an updated system with micro LED matrix capabilities that are better able to light up the road ahead without blinding cars ahead or oncoming.

One very noticeable element to the design of this new Q3 is the size - which hasn’t really changed. Audi has resisted the temptation that so many brands have to upsize a compact model and has instead retained the same size that buyers clearly find appealing. It is slightly longer, approximately 4cm, but is still unmistakably a Q3 in looks and size.

Inside the Q3 is a different story, with the designers clearly empowered to create more change. The elements remain similar, but there have been more dramatic changes compared to the exterior to keep the Q3 looking contemporary and luxurious.

For example, there are still two large screens, just like the old model, but the virtual cockpit and multimedia screen are integrated into the dashboard together and more prominently, moving higher up the centre fascia.

It works well, as the interior looks and feels premium, and very much an Audi, albeit on a smaller scale.

To cap it off there are four interior colour packages to choose from, plus four different choices for the inlays, including two real wood options and an aluminium trim.

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.

The biggest change to the interior is the technology, with a new multimedia interface with new, larger tiles as well as new ‘Control Unit’ for the key driving functions.

The ‘Virtual Cockpit’ display is much simpler, with a nice, clean look, plus the option to have the satellite image on the screen, whether you’re in navigation or not. The multimedia screen is a good size (12.8 inches) and the menus are easy to navigate. The decision not to have physical controls for the climate control is disappointing, but thankfully there is a volume/on-off dial for the sound system.

The most notable difference is the so-called ‘control unit’ that integrates the indicators, wipers and gear selector on a single ‘bar’ mounted to the steering column. It’s another example of modern cars reinventing something we’ve all become accustomed to, but after a day of driving it quickly becomes second nature to adapt to the slightly different controls.

While it may be the same size, Audi has managed to find more room inside, particularly the rear, by redesigning the door pockets and sculpting out the seat backs. It’s still not the roomiest cabin, but the rear seats will be fine for younger families, couples and singles.

Another plus is the 40:20:40 split/fold rear seats for maximum practicality and adaptability, while all three have child seat anchor points (although if you do have three small children, I wouldn’t be recommending an SUV this size). 

As for the boot, because Audi only measures to the top of the seats, it measures 488L in both the SUV and Sportback variants, so you’re not missing out on day-to-day practicality with the sportier-looking roof. However, if you drop the rear seats the cargo capacity expands to 1386L in the SUV but only 1289L in the Sportback.

A key to the popularity of the Q3 is the variety of choices available to customers. By offering a mixture of variants at different price points and with different levels of performance expands the appeal of the Q3 to as many potential buyers as possible. To that end there are no less than 10 variants to choose from, and that’s just for now, with more likely to join in the future.

At this stage the range includes both SUV and Sportback body styles, the choice of a 110kW, 150kW or 195kW engine with front- or all-wheel drive (or quattro, as Audi calls it). While still not confirmed, both a plug-in hybrid and a high-performance RS Q3 are both likely additions sometime in the future.

Starting with the 110kW model, standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and ignition, leather-appointed upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system. The 110kW SUV is priced from $61,600 and the Sportback from $64,600.

Moving up to the 150kW quattro variant adds adaptive dampers, which the 195kW models also get, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, and there’s an optional premium Sonos system for the more powerful models and a panoramic glass sunroof and a head-up display as part of a $4400 option package. Pricing for the 150kW begins at $70,200 for the SUV and $72,700 for the Sportback, while the 195kW is priced from $81,900 (SUV) and $84,400 (Sportback).

There’s also a Launch Edition available which adds between $5400 and $4400 to the price (depending on variant), but includes the S line exterior styling package, black exterior highlights, metallic paint, red brake callipers, a sound actuator and adaptive dampers. As the name implies, these are only available for launch of the new model, so will only be produced for the first two months.

It should also be noted that standard 110kW models won’t arrive until mid-year, once the factory in Europe is done producing the Launch Edition variants.

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.

As mentioned above, there are three powertrains to choose from initially, with talk of a plug-in hybrid and hi-po RS Q3 just that (talk) for now.

The entry-level SUV and Sportback get a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid, turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 110kW/250Nm and sends all that performance to the road via the front wheels through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Next up is the TFSI 150kW quattro, which is a bigger 2.0L turbo-petrol four-cylinder, producing (you guessed it) 150kW and 320Nm. It also has a seven-speed dual clutch but also unsurprisingly has a quattro, aka all-wheel drive.

Finally there’s the TFSI 195kW quattro, which has the same engine but tuned to make 195kW and 400Nm, also with the seven-speed, dual-clutch auto and all-wheel drive.

This is naturally the quickest Q3, at least until the RS Q3 arrives, taking just 5.7 seconds to accelerate 0-100km/h, compared to 9.1 seconds for the 110kW and 7.1 seconds for the 150kW.

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.

While it may only be a mild hybrid, Audi has done its best to make the TFSI 110kW as fuel efficient as possible. To that end, in addition to the hybrid help this new 1.5-litre engine also features cylinder-on-demand.

The result is a claimed combined cycle fuel use figure of 5.7L/100km for the entry-level model.

Naturally the more powerful engines require more petrol. The 150kW models are rated at 7.3L/100km, while the 195kW has a claimed 8.1L/100km.

It’s worth noting that all three engines require a minimum 95 RON ‘premium’ fuel, which will only add to the cost at the pump in these times of high prices.

The 110KW/150kW models are fitted with a 55-litre fuel tank, while there is a bigger 60-litre tank for 195kW. That means theoretical driving ranges of approximately 960km for the 110kW models and just over 740km for the 150kW and 195kW offerings.

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.

While it may not be an RS model or a more dynamic sedan, part of the price premium you pay for an Audi is a more polished driving experience.

With that in mind, what Audi calls ‘Progressive steering’ (which is a variable ratio steering rack) is now standard across the range. This decision was driven by a desire to make the Q3 feel ‘more hatch-like’ to drive, being more responsive to driver inputs.

It certainly felt quite nice to drive at the launch, where we drove across a wide variety of conditions, including long stretches on winding mountain roads. The 110kW Launch Edition was enjoyable to drive in these conditions, even if the other two options offer a sportier driving experience with their extra power and all-wheel drive.

It should be noted again, we only drove Q3s fitted with adaptive dampers as those are included on the Launch Edition, so we can’t tell you how the true entry-level TFSI 110kW model rides and handles.

One minor concern was there were some rattles in one of the three cars we tested, centred around the dashboard and front doors. It’s notable because we have experienced similar potential build-quality issues with Volkswagen and Skoda products recently. This raises some questions about an area Volkswagen Group products have traditionally excelled in.

Having said that, it was only a problem in one of the three cars we drove, so it could be an isolated incident. But it’s something we will have to keep an eye and ear open to in future test drives.

Audi claims this is the safest Q3 ever, with more safety equipment than before to ensure it meets modern customer demands.

There’s a 360-degree camera setup, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a host of other active safety features. But perhaps more importantly than just having these systems, they are locally tested and calibrated for local conditions.

This has quickly become an area where the premium brands are separating themselves from the mainstream. In the case of the Q3 we found that the lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control worked better than your average mainstream model, so the local testing appears to have paid off.

Another safety feature worth mentioning is the new parking assistance system, which now includes ‘reversing assist’. This new technology can remember the last 50m of your trip and reverse backwards without your help. There’s also ‘trained assist’, which can learn up to five specific parking situations, that you can program and save. So, if you have a particular driveway or parking spot you can teach the car once and it can park itself in future.

The Q3 comes equipped with enough safety to score a maximum five-star rating from Euro NCAP and ANCAP. However, in a confusing twist, this is based on testing done to the 2025 protocols, even though the Q3 has only gone on sale in 2026. So future five-star ANCAP models will have been tested to a theoretically higher standard, which is something to consider when comparing models from other brands.

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.

The Q3 is covered by Audi Australia’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This includes five years of roadside assistance too.

There is a standard five-year servicing plan for $3300, which is the same as the outgoing model, with servicing required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Audi has an expansive, nationwide dealer network befitting its place as an established sales leader in the premium space.