Audi Sq6 E-Tron vs Lexus Rz

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.

Smooth, quiet, quality sums up this new and improved Lexus RZ. But will tricky new tech like steer-by-wire and a manual mode in the F Sport's auto transmission be enough to sway more premium electric SUV buyers its way? Fold in this car’s value proposition as well as the brand’s spectacular ownership package and it just might be.

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

Not a tremendous amount of change in terms of exterior design for this update with the brand’s signature angular treatment retained including a prominent snub nose and 20-inch rims on both variants of the car.

The top-spec F Sport picks up extra aero-focused elements, particularly around the lower bumper at the front, as well as aero covers on the wheels and at the back a spoiler on the tailgate as well as a faux diffuser at the bottom of the lower bumper.

Not much has changed inside either except for a steering wheel-shaped elephant in the room in the form of a yoke that goes with the steer-by-wire function on the 550e F Sport. A significant, eyebrow-raising departure.

However, the curved instrument binnacle, central 14-inch multimedia screen as well as the design of the centre console remain unchanged. 

Having said that, there are new ‘laser-patterned’ designs in the door card trims and dynamic lighting graphics in the doors, as well.

The functionality of the touch-dimmable panoramic roof has also been improved and it works beautifully.

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.

At a fraction over 4.8m long, close to 1.9m wide and a bit more than 1.6m tall, with a 2850mm wheelbase, the ZR is a sizeable machine. 

There’s plenty of breathing space in the front and in terms of practicality the first thing that jumps out, or rather it doesn’t, is the lack of a conventional glove box.

But there is a large box between the front seats to take its place, with the lid (which doubles as a centre armrest) performing the Lexus party trick of being able to open towards the driver or passenger.

There are two cupholders in the centre console with a wireless charging pad ahead of them, plus decent bins in the doors for bottles and other bits and pieces. An additional tray sits under the main, flying buttress-style upper console.

For power and connectivity, there are USB-C sockets for charging and media as well as a 12-volt socket in the lower console section.

Getting into the back is easy thanks to wide-opening doors and a large entry aperture and seated behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I’ve got hectares of leg- and headroom. Shoulder room is best for two full-size adults rather than three, which would be a short-journey squeeze. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

In terms of storage there are pockets on the front seatbacks, bins able to hold a large bottle in the doors and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. Individual ventilation control for rear seat passengers is always welcome. 

Then for power, there are two USB-C outlets and a ‘house-power’ socket underneath them. The 550e F Sport also includes heating controls for the two outer rear positions.

Lower rear axle packaging enhances boot space with a generous 522 litres on offer, expanding to 1451L with the 60/40 split-folding second row lowered. Tie-down anchors and bag hooks are a thoughtful touch and there are handy storage boxes under the flat floor, ideal for charging cables. 

The standard power tailgate is nice, while a repair-inflator kit instead of a proper spare isn’t. Braked trailer towing capacity is a handy 1.5 tonnes.

Lexus says final price and specification for the new RZ will be confirmed closer to its local arrival in the first part of next year. But as a guide, the current entry-level RZ450e in Luxury spec costs around $120,000 before on-road costs. Go for the full-fat Sports Luxury and you can add $10,000 for a $130K MSRP.

Let’s take an educated guess and add a not outrageous five per cent price increase for this update which would bump the new RZ500e (to be offered in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades) past a $125K entry point and move the new RZ550e F Sport flagship close to $140K.

If that was the case, rivals will include the Audi Q8 e-tron (from $153,984), BMW iX (from $136,900), Genesis GV70 Electrified Signature ($125,858) and Polestar 3 (from $118,420). 

Worth noting you could buy two examples of the Tesla Model Y Dual motor Long Range ($68,900) for the same money.

In this part of the market it’s fair to expect a healthy list of included features and the RZ doesn’t disappoint.

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly, standard specification highlights include a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen, a digital instrument display, a dimmable panoramic roof, 14-colour ambient cabin lighting, 20-inch alloy rims, LED headlights, cornering lights and a 360-degree camera system.

There’s also synthetic leather trim (synthetic suede on F Sport), built-in nav, power-adjustable heated front seats, multi-zone climate control and more. Not bad.

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.

Both versions of the new RZ are powered by dual permanent magnet synchronous motors, one in the front, one at the back, each producing 167kW and 269Nm. 

Total output is 280kW for the 500e (up from 230kW in the 450e), with a little more juice released from the motor combination for the 550e at 300kW.

A single-speed transmission sends drive to both axles and the RZ550e F Sport features ‘Interactive Manual Drive’ designed to give the sensation of manual gear shifts in a BEV. More on that in the Driving section.

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. 

The RZ500e and 550e are fitted with a 77kWh lithium-ion battery delivering a claimed (WLTP) range of 450 and 456km, respectively.

Claimed 10-80 per cent charge time, using its full 150kW DC fast-charge capacity, is 30 minutes or a handy three and half hours at maximum 22kW AC capacity.

Energy consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 18.2kWh/100km (WLTP) for the RZ500e and 18.4 for the 550e.

Over several hundred kilometres of B-road and freeway running as well as pottering through slow-speed villages on the launch we saw an average of 19.3kWh/100km in the 500e and 20.1 in the 550e F Sport, which is pretty handy.

And the (very) good news is two AC charging cables, installation of a home charger and three years’ complimentary charging across the Chargefox network is included. Nice!

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. 

It’s a hefty machine at 2.1 tonnes, but Lexus says the RZ550e F Sport will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds, with the 500e only marginally slower at 4.6sec.

In straight-line acceleration Lexus says front to rear power distribution varies between 60:40 to 100 per cent rear to suppress pitching and “produce a more direct acceleration feel”. 

And the RZ is indeed quick. Apply your right foot at just about any speed and the car rockets ahead with satisfying enthusiasm.

The F Sport’s ‘manual’ mode allows you to shift through eight virtual ‘ratios’. Press the ‘M’ button on the console and bingo, you have slim steering wheel-mounted paddles to control them.

At anything above a light accelerator application you’ll feel a jolt on upshifts, but it’s rather unpleasant. Sure, you want some sense of a gear change, but you feel it in your core. Check out the video review to see how much it can shake you around. 

A synthetic soundtrack Lexus refers to as the “BEV Sound”, vaguely echoing an internal combustion engine, is fed through the F- Sport’s audio system and it feels thin and brittle to our ears. Again, check out the audio sample in our video review to see if you agree.

You’ll hear the ‘revs’ rising on up and downshifts but there’s no physical accompaniment with the latter as far as we could sense.

Suspension is strut front with double wishbones at the rear and it’s been given a thorough revision in terms of dampers, springs and bushings in both the 500e and 550e F Sport, with the latter copping some additional fine-tuning in each of those areas.

We sampled 500e and 550e F Sport versions of the RZ on the launch drive in Southern Portugal, covering mostly Aussie-compliant roads with lots of bumps and ruts to deal with. And despite its hefty kerb weight the car copes with these imperfections well.

There’s also been some extra attention paid to body rigidity in this updated RZ, specifically reinforcement of upper sections of the nose and around the boot to keep the car more torsionally stiff.

In cornering the drive distribution ratio is between 80:20 front to rear to RWD-only, according to vehicle speed and steering angle, and the car feels composed and predictable.

The F Sport features the steer-by-wire system, using a yoke rather than a conventional steering wheel and the ratio is such that all you have to do is turn the wheel slightly to generate a response.

It’s smooth and progressive but quick at the same time. You soon become used to it.

While it's unusual to see a small yoke in your hands rather than a steering wheel, it means you have an uninterrupted view through to the instruments, which is a nice side benefit.

However, much like the Infiniti Q50’s system before it, there is no mechanical link between the driver’s hands and front wheels. Steering inputs are relayed by electric signals from a torque actuator to a control actuator.

So, while Lexus says “important feedback filters through without the unpleasant vibration effects of a mechanical connection”, and that’s true, by definition there is no road feel and the wheel feels numb from that point-of-view. Worth noting the mechanically steered 500e feels much the same.

Tyres are Dunlop SP Sport Maxx (235/50 fr - 255/45 rr) which grip hard and remain relatively comfy despite their short sidewall running on 20-inch rims.

One price you pay for the steer-by-wire system’s set-up is a substantial turning circle, so be ready for that.

Braking is by ventilated discs all around, which work nicely, and when you’re not using the manual mode in F Sport the steering wheel paddles allow movement through four levels of regenerative braking.

The most aggressive setting will slow you quite markedly but not to the level of ‘single-pedal’ operation.

Additional sound insulation includes an under-seat rear floor silencer, soundproofing in the door trims as well liberal use of damping sheets, foam, silencer pads, insulators and extra seals. And the car is super-quiet, even for an EV.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, the front seats on both versions remained comfortable and supportive over long stints behind the wheel (and yoke!).

Slow speed manoeuvring is assisted by a 360-degree overhead camera view with a translucent trace of the car in the centre, as well as a high-quality reversing camera. Vision across the car and through to the back is good, anyway, but the extra tech helps in the slow speed stuff. 

There’s also a sensible mix of physical dials and on-screen controls and the touchscreen menus are easy to use. Especially handy when you’re racing to the function that turns off the intensely annoying over-speed warning.

The RZ received a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2022 scoring 80 per cent-plus results in all areas.

As you’d expect, a full suite of driver-assistance tech is onboard including auto emergency braking (AEB) with car-to-car junction, crossing and head-on functionality as well as pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise, lane keeping assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver fatigue monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring and more. 

The airbag count runs to nine, including side curtains, knee bags for the driver and front passenger as well as a front centre airbag. There’s also multi-collision brake to minimise the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash and an auto emergency call function. 

There are three top tethers for child restraints across the second row with ISOFIX anchors in the two outer positions. That’s a comprehensive safety package.

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.

The RZ is covered by Lexus Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty and there’s an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the drive battery, which is in line with the RZ’s key competitors.

Recommended maintenance interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is relatively brief for an EV. 

Capped-price servicing is yet to be confirmed, but for reference the outgoing 450e runs to $395 for each workshop visit up to a maximum of five years/75,000km. That’s sharp pricing in this part of the market.

The RZ also qualifies its owner for ‘Platinum Electrified’ benefits under the ‘Lexus Encore’ ownership program. That means everything from access to “exclusive offers and events” to a complimentary service loan car, five years’ roadside assistance, valet parking at selected locations, airport lounge access and (heaps) more, including the charging benefits mentioned earlier. Hard to argue with that.