What is it? Audi hasn’t exactly been racing to get a pure-electric executive saloon out of the door. The German brand has been occupied in producing a range of electric SUVs over the past few years, and considering how fashionable these are it’s an understandable move. But now, at long last, Audi has something to compete with the BMW i5 and the Mercedes-Benz EQE – the A6 Sportback e-tron.
What’s new? The badge may be old but the car is as new as it could possibly be. Audi has switched to a new naming strategy whereby the even-numbered models (such as the A6) will become pure-electric, while the odds will be powered by petrol and diesel engines. It’s why the A4 has been replaced by the new A5, and explains the outgoing A6’s place in the range will be covered by a new A7.
Still with us? Good. The A6 e-tron is one of a pair of new Audis that use an electric car platform that it has designed. The PPE architecture has already been slung under the Q6 e-tron and also the new Porsche Macan Electric, and comes in a rakish hatchback-cum-saloon form known as Sportback, and as a traditional Avant estate.
What’s under the bonnet? There’s quite a lot to get your head around here, so pay attention. For the first time ever, the A6 is rear-wheel drive – the entry-level version gets 322bhp, while the Performance-badged models are boosted to 375bhp. The Quattro version is naturally four-wheel drive, so an extra motor is attached to the front axle and packs 456bhp.
That 322bhp .
