Articles by Tom White

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Audi has revealed price tags for its three variant strong Q6 e-tron range.Arriving in early 2025 to sit above the delayed Q4 e-tron and below the monstrous Q8 e-tron, it is an electric alternative to its incoming new-generation Q5.The Q6 e-tron kicks off from $115,500 before on-road costs for its most affordable rear-wheel drive Performance version.From there, the all-wheel drive Quattro adds significant styling and equipment tweaks, bringing the price tag to $122,500, while the top-spec SQ6 sits at $151,400, all before on-road costs.The German brand said recently-revealed Sportback versions of the Q6 e-tron will arrive in late 2025, expect pricing for those versions to be confirmed next year.These price tags places the Q6 mid-sizer between BMW's iX3 and iX, and nearly neck and neck with other larger rivals, like the more performance-oriented Polestar 3.On the topic of the Q6 price-tag Audi Australia’s head of product, Matt Dale, said: “We’re a premium competitor, so we look at the value in the premium segment relative to our range and our competitors. We’re not a brand which is going to drop prices overnight. The reason why we’ve set the pricing where we are is that it’s a sustainable business model.”Audi considers the Q6 e-tron its most important car in a decade, as it is the vehicle which globally debuts the brand’s new PPE architecture. Not only is it an upgrade from the J1 and MLB Evo platforms which underpin its previous electric cars, but it brings with it a fresh slate of features from its 800-volt electrical architecture, to new suspension components.Importantly it also has a new battery, offering up to 641km of WTLP range (in the furthest travelling base Performance spec) according to European specifications.Additionally, and despite its large 100kWh capacity, the 800-volt PPE electrical architecture allows the Q6 e-tron to charge up from 10 - 80 per cent in just 21 minutes from a compatible DC charger thanks to its 270kW.Audi says the Q6 e-tron can add up to 255km of range in just 10 minutes due to its fast-charging curve which keeps near-peak power for longer.The base Q6 e-tron Performance is rear-wheel drive, with a motor producing 225kW/485Nm, allowing a 0-100km/h sprint time as low as 6.6 seconds.It comes standard with features like 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch multimedia touchscreen, electrically adjustable front seats with memory for the driver, heated front and outboard rear seats, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control and a 360-degree parking camera suite.Next up, the Q6 e-tron Quattro offers all-wheel drive, with an increase to power outputs to 285kW/580Nm and a reduction in the sprint from 0-100km/h to 5.9 seconds. It also scores an upgrade to 20-inch alloys as standard, an S-Line exterior and interior pack, consisting of a bespoke bumper design and grille, dark contrast accents down the sides and at the rear, an S-Line steering wheel, black headlining, aluminium pedals, and illuminated door sills.Finally, the top-spec SQ6 ups power significantly to 360kW/580Nm, reducing the 0-100km/h sprint time to a claimed 4.4 seconds (or 4.3 seconds using launch control).In terms of equipment, the SQ6 adds the otherwise optional metallic paint options and adaptive air suspension, as well as 21-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, OLED tail lights (with eight different animated designs to be chosen from), a panoramic opening sunroof, an augmented reality head-up display system, a Bang & Olufsen 3D audio system, colour ambient interior lighting, an electric steering column, and sport seat designs in Nappa leather with message functions.Audi has also packaged together various optional items, particularly for the Performance and Quattro grades. The ‘Tech Pro package’ ($4900) adds adaptive air suspension, electric steering column adjust and OLED tail lights, while the Premium package ($8,900) brings a panoramic sunroof, AR heads-up display, Bang & Olufsen sound system, ambient interior lighting, acoustic glazing for the front windows and higher-power USB C ports.Two Style packages are available, one for the Performance and one for the Quattro respectively. On the Performance, this pack comes in at $5,500 and adds S-Line exterior highlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a black exterior package with privacy glass.On the Quattro, this pack instead costs $3600 and adds 21-inch alloy wheels, a black exterior package, and privacy glass.The Q6 will be covered by Audi’s array of ownership terms, which includes a five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty, six years of roadside assist, an eight-year and 160,000km warranty for the battery and a one year subscription to Chargefox. The brand also confirmed service intervals will be in 24 month increments.The Q6 will be one of the first models to launch as part of a massive catalogue refresh for Audi over the course of 2025. The brand says it will launch 20 new or updated cars in the next 12 months, including other key models like a new-generation of its best-selling Q5 mid-sizer and the A6 electric car which is claimed to have “class-leading” driving range.Additionally, Audi will add more mild hybrids to its range of combustion cars and dive further into low-emissions tech with a new drivetrain it dubs mild hybrid plus, involving a more powerful electric motor which assists the transmission in providing power to the wheels.Stay tuned for more Audi news imminently.

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