Ferrari California vs Audi Q6 E-Tron

What's the difference?

The overall score doesn’t necessarily reflect how good this car is, but that’s because we have to factor in safety kit and equipment. Those things matter, sure. But if you really want a Ferrari Portofino, you’ll probably read the drive impressions and look at the photos, both of which should be enough to push you over the line if you’re not quite there yet.

The Ferrari Portofino 2019 model is not just bellissimo to look at, it’s also a more Italian offering. And that’s buonissimo. 

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 a more angry-looking entry-level car for the iconic Italian brand, but not in an ugly way. 

Sure, some angry faces aren’t pretty. But I bet if Elle Macpherson or George Clooney got cranky at you, you’d still probably find them attractive. And so it is with the Portofino, which has a mildly menacing front end, some scintillating curves over its taut metalwork, and a pair of high-set hips with bold tail lights. 

It is undeniably more muscular than the old California was. And filling the wheel arches are 20-inch wheels, which measure eight inches wide at the front (with 245/35 rubber) and ten inches wide (285/35) at the back.

This isn’t a compact car, either - with dimensions of 4586mm long, 1938mm wide and 1318mm tall, the Portofino is longer than some mid-sized SUVs. But boy, does it pull its size off well. 

And like many of the beachside manors in the seaside town for which the new model is named, you can shutter yourself in to combat bad weather. The folding electronic roof system takes 14 seconds to raise or lower, and can be operated at speeds up to 40km/h.

I actually think it looks better with the roof on. It’s not often you can say that about a convertible…

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.

You aren’t buying a Ferrari if you want the most practical car for the money, but that doesn’t mean there isn't some semblance of pragmatism to the Portofino.

There are four seats. I know, it’s amazing to think there’s a point in making the Portofino a 2+2 seater, but according to Ferrari, owners of the outgoing California model used those back seats about 30 per cent of the time.

I wouldn’t want to be in the back row that much. It’s designed to play host to little kids or small adults, but anyone nearing my height (182cm) will be very uncomfortable. Even tiny adult males (like fellow auto scribe Stephen Corby, for example) reckon it’s tight and not a pleasant place to be back there. (link to existing review). But if you have kids, there are two ISOFIX child seat anchor points.

The boot space is not huge, but with 292 litres of cargo capacity with the roof up, there’s enough room for a weekend’s worth of luggage for a couple (Ferrari says you can fit three cabin bags in that configuration, or two with the roof down). And - a tidbit for the actual customers out there- it has more luggage capacity than you get in a new Corolla hatch (217L). 

As for cabin comfort, the front seats are sumptuous, and there are some nice elements like the 10.25-inch infotainment screen, which is pretty easy to use, if a little slow to load when you’re skipping between screens or trying to key locations into the sat-nav system.

There are also two 5.0-inch digital screens in front of the driver, mounted either side of the rev counter, and the front passenger can have their very own display with speed, revs and gear on show. It’s a neat option.

While it may have some long-distance touring pretence, the Portofino isn’t a beacon of loose-item storage. It has a pair of cupholders, and there’s a small storage tray that will fit a smartphone.

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.

Before we dig into the literal nuts and bolts of the Q6 e-tron, let’s first take a look at its price-tag and where it sits in Australia’s premium car landscape.

The range consists of three variants, which start with the base Performance grade from $115,500 (all prices before on-road costs) and remains rear-wheel drive for range and efficiency.

Next is the mid-spec Quattro, at $122,500. As the name implies, this version brings with it all-wheel drive via a second motor on the front axle. Finally, the top-spec SQ6 at $151,400 scores a significant bump to power outputs and adds some more sport-oriented equipment to the range.

All three grades come with the same massive 94.9kWh (usable) battery pack with correspondingly healthy driving range. The range is also loaded with standard equipment, leaving each grade differentiated primarily by increases in performance.

The base car comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights, and the full suite of screens and software, consisting of a 14.5-inch OLED multimedia touchscreen in the centre, an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.9-inch passenger multimedia display. It also scores wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with a wireless charger up front. The base speakers are a 10-speaker 180-watt sound setup.

Leather seats are standard across the range as are heated front and rear seats with tri-zone climate control, a power tailgate, and white interior ambient lighting.

Stepping up to the Quattro adds a full suite of S-Line bodywork with black interior headlining as well as 20-inch Audi Sport alloys, sport leather seats with the S logo, a three-spoke steering wheel and sports pedals.

Finally, the top-spec SQ6 adds 21-inch two-tone alloys, red brake callipers, adaptive air suspension, aluminium-look mirror covers and roof rails, acoustic glazing for the front windows, a panoramic sunroof, rear privacy glass, colour ambient interior lighting, and an electrically adjustable steering column.

If you like the idea of some of those additional features further up the range, but would prefer a lower grade, Audi has you covered, with the ‘Tech Pro’ package adding the transformative air suspension, as well as OLED tail-lights and electric steering column ($4900).

Meanwhile the ‘Style Package’ adds the S-Line exterior features, black highlights, and privacy glass to the base car with 20-inch alloys for $5500, or black highlights, privacy glass and 21-inch wheels to the Quattro for $3600.

Finally, the Premium package adds a panoramic glass roof, the AR head-up display, Bang and Olufsen audio system, colour ambient lighting, acoustic glass and high-output USBs otherwise only available on the SQ6 for $8900 on the Performance or Quattro grades.

The level of customisation via packages is a nice touch, although the jumps between grades aren’t huge (in the context of a $100k+ car) to begin with, so I’d caution keen shoppers to keep an eye on the final price. For example, if you add the Tech Pro, Style Package and Premium Package to the Quattro, you end up at $139,900. At this price it’s not much of a stretch to get the additional power of the SQ6, no?

How does the range compare to its rivals? Well Audi promised it wouldn’t partake in the constant price adjusting some of its rivals have engaged in to try to maintain an edge. As a result, the Q6 range kicks off lower than equivalent versions of the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, while being neck-and-neck with the Polestar 3.

This segment’s biggest challenge will be ahead of it though with the introduction of alternative and often more ambitious offerings from Chinese automakers. Will the likes of the Zeekr 7X and BYD’s incoming Denza brand, both of which will undoubtedly be more affordable, make a mark on Audi’s customer base? Time will tell.

The 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V8 engine produces 441kW of power at 7500rpm and 760Nm of torque from 3000rpm. That means it has a sizeable 29kW more power (and 5Nm more torque) than the Ferrari California T it replaces.

Plus the 0-100 acceleration time is better, too; it will now hit highway speed in 3.5 seconds (was 3.6sec in the Cali T) and moves past the 200km/h marker in just 10.8sec, if you believe Ferrari’s claim.

Top speed is “more than 320km/h”. Didn’t get a chance to test that, sadly, nor the 0-200km/h time.

The kerb weight for the Portofino is 1664 kilograms, while the dry weight is 1545kg. The weight distribution is 46 per cent front, 54 per cent rear. 

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.

The twin-turbo-V8-powered Ferrari Portofino uses a claimed 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Not that fuel costs are a big concern if you’re spending $400k on a car. 

But that’s more than, say, a Mercedes-AMG GT, (9.4L/100km; 350kW/630Nm) but not as much as a Mercedes-AMG GT R (11.4L/100km; 430kW/700Nm). And the Ferrari has more power than both of those, and it's quicker, too (and more expensive…).

Fuel-tank size for the Ferrari Portofino is 80 litres, enough for a theoretical mileage range of 745km.

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.

Compared to the California T it replaces, the new model is stiffer, has a lighter all-aluminium chassis, gets a reworked transmission and also includes an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. 

It’s faster, has more tech - like electronic exhaust bypass valves to make it sound better - and it's gorgeous. 

So it's fast and fun? You bet. It has electronic power steering, which mightn’t be as tactile in terms of road feel as a vehicle with a hydraulic steering setup, but it is rapid in its reactivity, and arguably offers better point-and-shoot ability as a result. Old diminutive Corby criticised it for being very light and somewhat lacking, but I reckon that as an entry point to the brand, it serves as a very manageable steering setup.

The adaptive magnetorhelogical dampers do a magnificent job in allowing the Portofino to ride over rough patches of road, including pockmarks and potholes. It hardly ever feels ruffled, although there is some scuttle shake to the windscreen, as is often found in convertible cars.

The most surprising element to this Ferrari is that it is supple and reserved at times, but can turn into a manic machine when you want it to.

With the Manettino drive-mode dial on the steering wheel set to Comfort, you will be rewarded with sedate progress and cushioning from the road surface below. In Sport mode, things are all a bit more growly and rigid. I personally found the transmission in this mode, when left in Auto, was eager to upshift to help save fuel, but still responded pretty quickly when I put my foot down hard.

Turning Auto off means it’s you, the pedals and the paddles, and the car won’t overrule your decisions. If you want to see just how realistic that 10,000rpm tacho top is, you can test it in first, second, third… oh wait, you need to keep your licence? Just keep it to first. 

Its braking is tremendous, with aggressive application resulting in seatbelt-tensioning response. Plus not only was the ride comfortable, the balance and control of the chassis was both predictable and inherently manageable in corners, and there was plenty of grip, even in the damp. 

With the roof down, the noise of the exhaust is exhilarating under hard throttle, but I found it droned a bit under less-urgent acceleration, and in most instances of ‘regular driving’ it actually just sounded loud, rather than lush. 

Things that were annoying? The throttle response is dull for the first part of the pedal travel, making for some testing moments in traffic. Not helping that is the fact the engine stop-start system is exceptionally overactive. And that there’s no fuel use readout on the digital trip computer screen - I wanted to see what the car was claiming in terms of fuel use, but I couldn’t.

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.

The entire list of modern active safety gear is standard on the Q6 e-tron range including such highlights as autobahn-speed auto emergency braking which has been upgraded to include intersection assist, as well as turn assist font and rear (which alerts you if you’re about to turn and a motorcycle or cyclist is about to potentially undercut you on the inside.

There’s also lane keep assist (but lane centring was left off Australian specified vehicles due to ‘calibration concerns’) blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, speed sign recognition, and driver fatigue alert. The Q6 also scores adaptive cruise with stop and go functions, as well as 360-degree parking cameras with kerb view functions.

The Q6 e-tron is yet to be rated by ANCAP, but it also scores a comprehensive array of nine airbags (dual front, quad side, dual curtain and a front centre airbag) which looks promising for this mid-sizer’s chances.

A big positive from a driver’s perspective is how well these systems work away in the background rather than interfere. The serial offenders, lane keep (or lane centering assist) and driver attention alert are both toned down, keeping them from interrupting an otherwise smooth drive.

Ferrari servicing won’t cost you a cent for the first seven years, and that’s whether you hold on to it or sell it - the new owner will have access to complementary maintenance for whatever is left of the initial seven-year period.

The standard warranty offer from Ferrari is a three-year plan, but if you sign up for the New Power15 program, Ferrari will cover your car for up to 15 years from the first registration date, and that includes cover for major mechanical components including the engine, transmission, suspension and steering. It reportedly costs $4617 for V8 models like this - a drop in the financial ocean at this price point.

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.