Audi Sq6 E-Tron vs Cupra Terramar

What's the difference?

When it comes to a performance electric SUV, the Audi SQ6 e-tron is a fine example and showcases a masterclass in design. It drives and handles beautifully, even if it’s not as fun as I expected.

The technology looks amazing and I'm sure the little bumps we experienced will be ironed out with a software update.

The SQ6 will suit a smaller family best but the decent driving range and fast charging capabilities means regional families might like it too.

Creating a model-shared product that’s selling into a hotly contested – and crowded – marketplace is a great way to wind up with something derivative and easily overlooked. But Cupra seems to have managed to avoid that with an end result that is distinctive and has its own character within the VW family. In top-shelf VZ form, the Terramar is an entertaining drive and there’s enough driver involvement for it to be short-listed by anybody who values the journey as much as the destination.

The less powerful entry-level S version, meantime, can’t call on the services of that fabulous 2.0-litre engine and, instead, will possibly have a harder job convincing the masses of its worthiness. The lack of all-wheel drive probably won’t count for as much as the 'missing' 85kW (compared with the VZ) and some would-be buyers might find it hard to reconcile a driver’s SUV with the smaller engine in the S. Inside either variant, though, it’s prime family real estate with the clever rear seating and plenty of space and light inside. The value for money equation is pretty handy, too.

But for all that, you get the sense Cupra will need to shout about the Terramar if it’s to be heard over the general din of this fierce market segment. It would be a real shame if this car became simply a part of that background noise.

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

The SQ6 has a distinct look compared to the other mid-size SUVs in Audi’s stable with panelling that lacks some of the severe pleating of its cousins, instead incorporating swoopy lines and a more pronounced moulding around the base of the car.

The sporty S styling is seen in the large 21-inch alloy wheels and red calipers but the customisable light designs inside and out really make this stand out.

The interior is sumptuously styled with Nappa leather and suede upholstery and trims, and sports front seats, while the use of displays in the dashboard makes the SQ6 feel like a spaceship.

However, the main panel curves towards the driver and it still feels accessible and intimate for a cockpit. The cabin looks as expensive as what you’d want it to look like at this price point.

Depending on which angle you’re looking from, the Terramar has elements of the VW Tiguan and Porsche Macan in the way it sits on the road and in the metal shapes that make up the whole. Interestingly, though, it’s probably genetically closest to the new Audi Q3 alongside which it’s built in Hungary, although there is plenty of new Tiguan in the platform and engineering aspects.

The highlights remain the nth-degree detailing that every current-model Cupra displays, combined with a sensible, practical layout. The detailing extends to what Cupra calls parametric design which, for those with their nerd on, refers to the way the little shapes moulded into the interior fan out and subtly change shape while still continuing the overall pattern.

Think of the way a nautilus shell consists of circular loops but where each one is bigger than the previous. Has car design really come to this? Apparently.

On a more practical level, the sliding rear seat is a master stroke for a vehicle like this one. The two-storey luggage floor is a nice touch, too, although the boot needs to start empty for this to be set up initially. But given Cupra’s place in the scheme of things and its continual hints at cutting-edge technology, you may ask where’s the plug-in hybrid or EV version?

The short answer is production of the plug-in hybrid model starts this week with Australian deliveries due in November this year. And an EV must surely also be on the cards given VW’s announcement that Australia will receive the SUV version of its electric offering, the ID4, and not the hatchback ID3. All of which makes an electric Terramar even more logical. We’ll keep you posted.

The cabin's primary objective seems to be one of passenger comfort. Everything you touch feels soft under hand and while seat padding is on the firmer side, all but the rear middle seat is comfy on a longer journey because of their extra functions.

The rear-row back rest has two recline positions and the seat beds offer long under-thigh support. The middle seat bulges up, and coupled with the compromised legroom, it won't be a nice seat for an adult.

The front row offers the best legroom and there is enough space in the rear for my six foot three brother to squeeze into (somehow) but I wouldn't want to be in the rear for a longer journey if you're super tall.

Access is good for each row with wide door apertures and seats that aren't positioned too high. There will be no groans getting in and out of the SQ6.

Up front the glovebox and middle console shoulder most of the storage burden but there is a handy flip-down drawer at the driver's knee for a wallet and a centre console with the charging stuff but it is an awkward space that could have been better utilised. Things tend to move around in there if not secured.

In the rear there are a couple of net map pockets, storage bins and a total of four drink holders but that's about it. The other amenities back there soften the lack of storage options as you get directional air vents, climate control, heated outboard seats and a couple of USB-C ports.

The technology on a whole looks amazing and the touchscreen multimedia display is responsive and logically laid out. You'll be able to figure it out quickly and I like that important functions, like climate control, and shortcuts are pinned to the screen as it makes it easier to access them when on the go. The Audi voice assistant can be activated by 'Hey Audi' if you don't want to fiddle with screens on the road.

The wireless Apple CarPlay was simple to set up but at the beginning of the week it did tend to get booted whenever the climate or massage functions were activated. This was annoying as you'd have to reselect CarPlay and jump back into whatever app you were in and when you're using the Map app, it feels disjointed. However, this sorted itself out by the end of my week.

On the whole, all the screens and their functions are user friendly but there were a couple of gremlins that needed a car restart to fix. Randomly, my volume became useless and the touchpad/buttons on the steering wheel stopped working.

I do like a normal button over touchpad controls as I find them more responsive but the touchpad controls on the driver's door were really easy to use and I like the family-friendly option of being able to individually apply the child-lock to the rear doors.

Rounding out the cabin is the large 526L boot which offers a level loading space and the ability to adjust the height via the adaptive S air-suspension from buttons in the rear.

The rear row has a 40/20/40 split, which opens up storage options again and there is a deep under-floor storage pocket that houses the tyre repair kit. A handsfree-powered tailgate comes standard, which I always appreciate and the massive frunk (64L) takes care of all of the cable storage.

There’s an awful lot going on inside the Terramar, stating with all that parametric detailing. But the copper-coloured accents are a genuine point of interest and most of the touchpoints are relatively plush as well as looking good.

Given the side profile of the car and its upswept waistline, you might think the interior would be a bit dark and gloomy. There’s certainly plenty of black on show, but the view out is actually great. Even the typical over-the-shoulder blind-spot isn’t really there.

We managed to sample the entry-level S version and the range-topping VZ and, to be honest, the major difference is the cloth-and-vinyl versus leather seating. The former is okay but never threatens to feel high-end, while the leather in the VZ is quite lovely.

There’s only one catch: If you don’t like burgundy leather, you’re out of luck, because that’s all that’s offered. Optional in the S and V variants, the idea of burgundy leather in, say, a blue car sounds awful, but in the flesh, the colour is quite subtle. Classy, even.

There’s a pair of USB charge ports in the front centre console, and another pair in the rear seat. That rear pew also gets its own climate controls (tri-zone) and central air-vents and there are reading lights as well. It also splits 40/20/40 and the centre armrest folds down to include a pair of cup-holders.

But while the rear seat offers plenty of foot and headroom, knee room is a bit tighter. It’s not terrible, but this car won’t necessarily fit families with older, taller teenage kids. Up front, there’s no shortage of space although the centre console feels quite bulky and definitely separates the front-seat occupants.

You can see and feel a bit of Audi ergonomics rubbing off in the Cupra’s touchscreens and customisable layouts and, as always, we’re big fans of having physical buttons on the centre stack for climate control and other important functions.

The luggage area isn’t huge, but is quite deep and the tailgate has a kick-sensor. Bins at each corner of the cargo area keep smaller items under control, but the inky blackness of the trim in this area means it looks like a black hole when you first open it.

The Cupra Terramar certainly looks like a premium product and that theme continues when you look at the specification.

The entry-level S version gets standard kit such as paddle shifters, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, a powered tailgate with a kick-sensor, keyless entry and start, powered and heated front seats with a memory function, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, dual info-screens, full wireless connectivity, ambient lighting and wireless phone charging.

Major accessories include a panoramic sunroof and a stereo upgrade and leather trim option bundled together. The drive-away price for the S is $58,490.

Move up to the $66,490 (drive-away) V variant and you add (aside from the driveline stuff we’ll get to in a moment) 19-inch copper-accented alloys and hill descent control.

The VZ at $73,490 (driveaway) goes one bigger in the wheels department with 20-inch alloys, adaptive suspension, the leather and stereo upgrade package as standard, selectable engine sound, matrix headlights, expanded driver-selectable drive modes and bigger brakes.

The SQ6 is a fully electric all-wheel drive and has two motors, one located on each axle. Together they produce up to 380kW of power and 580Nm of torque, which means this can do a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.3 seconds when the launch control is activated.

There are three regenerative braking levels and a one-pedal mode which can be selected by sliding the gear-selector into 'B' otherwise the other two modes can be selected via the paddles on the steering wheel. You'll get the best efficiency when B is selected but it does take a beat to get used to and if you time your stops right, it can function as a proper one-pedal action.

The Terramar range features a choice of two petrol engines and driveline layouts, three outputs and even a mild hybrid variant. In fact, the Terramar S which uses the hybrid driveline also happens to be the entry-level version of the car.

Generally, you’d expect the hybrid version of any line-up to be a more expensive option, but in this case, the hybrid system is one of those barely-there set-ups where a 48-volt electric motor – in this case disguised as the car’s alternator – also acts as the starter motor offering a little more 48-volt acceleration when required, and then recouping some otherwise lost during braking. Most drivers would need to be told the car is a hybrid at all.

Power for the S’s 1.5-litre, turbocharged engine tops out at 110kW, while torque peaks at 250Nm and the S is front-wheel-drive. Like the other variants, the S uses a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

The next step up the Terramar ladder is badged V and it gets a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with no hybrid assistance, but an output of 150kW and 320Nm. This will be a familiar engine to anybody who has driven a mid-sized product from the Volkswagen family in the last decade or so.

In V form, the Terramar gains a part-time all-wheel-drive system. This is not driver-selectable but instead uses sensors to know when to shift some of the torque to the rear axle. In normal circumstances, the vehicle remains fundamentally a front-wheel drive one, but under full acceleration or on low-friction surfaces, the computer will send the torque rearward to maximise grip.

The range-topper is the Terramar VZ which is endowed with a retuned version of the same 2.0-litre engine in the V, but now punching out 195kW and 400Nm. The driveline is the same as the V’s but the VZ gets a premium brake package and also adds Cupra’s version of adaptive suspension to the mix. The system can adjust the dampers at up to 1000 times per second to provide the feel and feedback the driver chooses via the selectable driving modes.

And if you want even better brakes, there’s an optional braking package for the VZ which adds six-piston front calipers and larger front rotors. You might expect the mild-hybrid version of the Terramar to be a reasonably heavy vehicle, which it is at 1696kg. But it’s a lightweight compared with the rather hefty V at 1794kg and the decidedly portly VZ at 1803kg.

The SQ6 has a lithium-ion battery with a large 100kW capacity and can accept up to 270kW on DC power, which is excellent. There are two Type 2 charging ports (on either side of the car) and one has a CCS enhancement which means you can charge this from 10 to 80 per cent capacity in as little as 21 minutes on a 270kW ultra-rapid DC charger.

It is more common to see a 50kW DC charger though and that charge time sits closer to an hour and 20 minutes.

On a home 7.4kW charger, you'll get the same percentage after 15 hours, perfect for an overnight recharge.

With a claimed WLTP driving range of up to 568km and energy consumption between 17.5 and 18.6kWh/100km, the daily commute and odd family road trip is more than covered with this model.

My average consumption popped out at 18.1kWh based on the trip computer and that’s a good result for how hard I’ve pushed it over country roads, in the city and on the highway. 

Cupra claims a different combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption number for each of the three engines on offer, starting with the mild-hybrid version’s 5.7 litres per 100km. The mid-spec two-litre claims 7.2 litres per 100km and the high output 2.0-litre carries an 8.2 litres per 100km claim.

The standard 55 litre fuel tank in the S, then, should be good for a theoretical range of around 950km, while the V and VZ with their slightly bigger fuel tanks should be able to cover about 830km and 730km, respectively, between trips to the pump.

It pays to keep in mind, however, that Cupra recommends all three engines are run on the pricier 95-octane fuel, rather than standard 91-octane. That will add a few dollars to every fill, but the efficiency of the engines can’t be faulted.

Interestingly, in a mix of highway and city driving, our test VZ managed about 8.5L/100km which is seriously close to the official combined number. Rarely does any car get that close to its government figure.

Outside of the initial acceleration thrill, I have to say that the SQ6 sort of drives like a lot of the other Audi SUVs I’ve sampled. Which is fine because it’s dynamic and handles beautifully on the highway or city but it’s just not as fun as what I was hoping it would be. The power will satisfy everyone though. 

The different driving profiles and adaptive S air suspension really personalises the on-road experience when you want it and my favourite profile is Dynamic as the suspension and steering feels more performance focused, which I prefer. 

Ride comfort is up there with the best and you won’t really be bothered by the bumps in the road, even with the stiffer suspension, but road noise does creep in at higher speeds. 

The visibility all round is good despite thicker pillars but the rear visibility is narrow even before a car seat or passengers are back there. A digital rearview mirror would have been handy here. 

Just something interesting to note is that when you accelerate from a full stop, there can be a small lurch as if it’s rolled backwards or the brakes have held a tad too long. It’s so quick when it happens that it’s not annoying but it is noticeable in stop/start traffic.

The SQ6 is really simple to park and navigating small car parks feels like a dream. The dimensions are forgiving and the 360-degree camera system is top notch. 

Let’s start with the S model and its mild hybrid driveline. Frankly, if you can pick this is a hybrid of any sort, you’re doing very well. Sure, any hybrid tech should aim to be as transparent as possible, but this time around, it’s pretty much totally invisible.

So, in the absence of too much electric thrust, the petrol engine is left to do the heavy lifting. And, frankly, with just 110kW to propel it, the 1.5-litre engine has its work cut out. It’s perfectly fine at cruising velocities, but start asking the tough question in hilly country or when powering out of slow corners, and it can all start to feel and sound a bit busy. And yet there’s not the thrust to back up the perception of mechanical activity.

The seven-speed dual-clutch does a good job, but it too is kept mighty occupied by the task of improving velocity. Flapping at the paddle shifters might keep you happy for a while, but the transmission has its own smarts sufficient to make the most of those 110kW.

Which means, of course, the VZ variant is the one for keener drivers. But even then, the excellence of the 2.0-litre turbo when fitted to the Golf GTi is dulled a little when hauling around the Terramar's 1.8 tonnes. It still feels pretty perky, however, and this is certainly not a comparison between a very fast Golf and an SUV, so it’s fair to say the Terramar VZ gets along pretty well.

Again, the dual-clutch auto is your friend, although we reckon its shifts and shift-patterns might have been backed off a little to suit the heavier Cupra.

Ride quality is slightly superior in the S version (18-inch tyres play 20-inch on the VZ) but either specification is tied down pretty well with minimal body roll for this type of vehicle. That plays slightly against outright comfort, but the cabin remains quiet with very little suspension or tyre noise making it inside.

What’s a bit confusing is the way the adaptive dampers have been set-up in the VZ. Rather than using the 'Comfort' drive mode to soften the dampers for small, pattery bumps, Cupra seems to have concentrated on more dramatic, larger wheel movements for the 'Sport' setting. So, the mode-to-mode ride is very, very similar in normal work, but firms up a reasonable amount over longer, swooping bumps that start to use more and more of the available travel.

By far our biggest complaint is that old cracked record about the driver-assistance systems being too insistent. The Terramar is by no means the worst we’ve sampled, but the lane-keeping assistance is over-zealous to the point where you’ll turn it off (defeating the purpose of its inclusion). And the driver distraction alert is just flat out annoying for its habit of confusing any facial expression other than Blue Steel as a clue that you’re nodding off.

Speaking of such technologies, you’d expect all the latest driver assistance aids from a brand like Cupra, and you won’t be disappointed. There’s adaptive cruise control with follow-and-stop abilities, lane-keeping warning and assistance, collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist recognition, swerve-assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera view, driver distraction warning and tyre pressure monitoring.

As well as seven airbags including a centre-front bag, there are also three top-tether restraint mounts in the rear seat and ISOFIX mounts on the outboard rear positions. ANCAP has given the Terramar a maximum five-star safety rating with a 2025 date stamp.

The SQ6 is covered by Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty, which are all standard terms for the class.

Audi also offers six years of complimentary roadside assistance and a servicing program for six years that costs $2080, which is competitive, and servicing intervals are at every two years or 30,000km. 

Audi includes the installation of a 7.4kW AC home charger, three charging cables and a one-year Chargefox public charging subscription with this model.

Cupra’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the entire Terramar range. While that’s a decent amount of cover, it trails some of the cheaper brands out there with seven, eight or even 10-year warranties.

The Terramar also comes with five years' of roadside assistance including extras like emergency accommodation, towing and even car rental should the unthinkable happen.

Cupra also offers capped-price servicing packages for the Terramar, with an option of three- and five-year plans. The first three years of servicing can be pre-paid at the time of purchase for $1490, while five years' of servicing costs $2590. That’s based on the Terramar’s 15,000km or 12 months service intervals.