2025 Audi S6 E-Tron pedals affect with battery energy

• The S6 E-Tron replaces the gas-powered S6
• It’s Sportback solely, thus far, for America
• Costs? Nonetheless TBD for the U.S., with gross sales set for late spring or summer season 2025
• The gas-powered S7 will get up to date, will soldier on

 

Fly for hours to the southwest from Madrid, alongside the coast of northwestern Africa, and ultimately the dormant volcano Mount Teide pops up into view. One among many who shaped the Canary Islands hundreds of thousands of years in the past, the volcano hasn’t erupted since 1909, however it nonetheless looms ominously over its signature work—black ash scattered thickly, for miles round.

What’s a standard vacationer do in one of many spicy new EVs from Audi on strategy? At the moment we’re dodging influencers. Content material disruptors? Adverts in human type? Nonetheless you realize them, the black ash has attracted hordes of them. The Instagram girlies type a human set of pylons in the midst of the highway main up towards the mountain, hapless boyfriends enlisted as videographers and, additionally, pylons. They stand on the double yellow, area themselves out to crop the following one out of their body, and tousle their hair for an epic selfie with the volcano because the backdrop. 

By no means thoughts the oncoming visitors.

It’s right here the place I’ve flung the Audi S6 into very low geosynchronous orbit—nicely, at the very least 100 kilometers from acceptable wifi. The S6 fleshes out Audi’s EV lineup when it will get stateside subsequent summer season, together with the milder A6 sedan—each of which change the gas-powered A6/S6 that can stay on after a light renovation because the A7 and S7. Confused? Think about being Audi’s inside naming guru.

Whereas it plans its final gas-powered new automobiles for launch within the subsequent few years, Audi’s busy spinning off new autos from VW Group’s new PPE structure. That features the huskular (yep: husky, but muscular) new 2025 S6 Sportback E-Tron. This EV household consists of the Audi Q6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan EV, too—and it’s outfitted for achievement with 800-volt charging, twin electrical motors, an aerodynamically modern form, and so, so many digital shows inside. 

Audi needs to switch the gas-powered S6 in as simple a approach as doable. To wit, behind its battery energy, the new hatchback (which Audi calls a sedan) has an intricate design, stable dynamic attraction, and an environment friendly powertrain. It’s hot-swappable for the previous automotive—however finally ends up being outlined extra by what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t make synthetic noise (if you happen to don’t need it to), it doesn’t put passengers above the motive force—and most essential of all, it doesn’t hesitate to make fast work of extraordinary roads. 

Audi S6 E-Tron: Idea-car attraction

Audi has teased out the form of the S6 for years, first when it previewed it in 2021. This automotive isn’t a lot totally different after translation into manufacturing. It nonetheless bears a plastic panel the place a grille would possibly in any other case be, with a four-ring brand lit in white LEDs if you happen to like, flanked by split-LED headlights, all of which relaxation upon a low entrance finish with blackout trim that types a pedestal. The nostril panel has hockey sticks that counsel precise grille louvers (or the recline mode on a business-class airline seat), and the front-end trim permits air to stream and wrap across the entrance wheels—one of many tips that helps the S6 generate a low drag determine of 0.23. It’s sculpted down the flanks to trim some weight from tall door panels, ribbed in black trim beneath to contour and spotlight these abs, and slips by way of the air on the rear with staggered heights for its fenders and a slim tail spoiler underpinned by LED lighting—once more with the four-ringed brand, lit in crimson right here as a substitute of white.

It’s a Sportback, by the way in which. Audi will introduce a extra formal-roofed sedan in time, however for now, this modern form’s the one one to come back to the U.S.

Slip inside and the S6 reveals a wraparound panel of digital info that nestles the motive force behind a mixed 11.9-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen for infotainment, coded from an Android base. Spend slightly extra and Audi tucks a ten.9-inch touchscreen for the entrance passenger in among the many wooden, textile, and metallic trim that frames the sprint. The central display screen rests on slim air vents above a console with a saddle-style drive controller, a pair of cupholders, and a redundant quantity knob. Audi dressed certainly one of my take a look at autos in a good-looking woven trim—however within the U.S., quilted leather-based will end the cabin slightly extra finely.

Audi S6 E-Tron: 2-motor AWD hustles to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds

 

• A6 Sportback E-Tron RWD, 362 hp, 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds
• A6 Sportback E-Tron Quattro, 422 hp, 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds
• S6 Sportback E-Tron Quattro, as much as 543 hp, 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds

Earlier than we grow to be grist for the influencer mill—aren’t all of us, now?—the S6 influences me within the methods it might finest. It makes for a fearsomely quick hustle from the coast to the mountains, with laser-quick flicks of energy to erase different automobiles from the highway, and from reminiscence.

As my co-pilot and I slip from the seaside city’s orbit and peel away into switchbacks, it’s the hulking weight of the S6 that makes itself identified, twinned with a hushed uniformity of its driving responses. It presses its case, early and infrequently, that this S6 ranks forward of its gas-powered predecessors. Certain, gasoline automobiles appear much less restrained and extra vigorous as a result of they emit every kind of completely satisfied noises; we’re conditioned to them and anticipate them and tie them to our personal emotional state. However whereas they’re extra participating in that approach, they’re simply…slower.

Within the case of the S6, it posts up on the prior model with a 0-60 mph time of three.7 seconds, which wells up from a 100-kwh battery pack below the ground (it’s deemed to have 94.4 kwh of usable power), and twin motors that ship all-wheel drive. At the moment’s gasoline automotive takes greater than 4 seconds. The E-Tron is outfitted with synthetic sounds that may amplify that hot-seat stoplight acceleration—however I turned them off each time I might in its lesser drive modes.

Prime velocity clocks in at 149 mph, by the way in which, and the S6’s standard 496-hp peak may be tasered as much as 543 hp within the launch-control mode that generates that drop-dead launch time. Curb weight, torque scores, and vary estimates—they’re all nonetheless to come back, Audi guarantees. As soon as the coast clears the rearview mirror, I press the S6 E-Tron to the posted velocity limits, and past. The bonging from the automotive’s speed-limit warnings has been silenced by way of its touchscreen interface, and the Drive Choose button flicked to Consolation mode, the place the blatty artificial engine be aware has been quieted, too. 

Because it rushes towards the height of a long-dormant volcano, I’ve many, many, many alternatives to check its one-pedal drive mode, accessed by pulling its drive selector into “B.” It’s for these of us who connote EVs now with that specific driving sensation—it appears like gasoline sounds, maybe—however it additionally permits a couple of totally different ranges of regenerative braking by way of its paddle controls. These lesser quantities of regen play up the S6’s easy motor engagement and further margin of refinement, particularly in its Balanced drive mode and notably at decrease speeds. In contrast to some EVs, the motors within the S6 don’t click on on and off with slight jerks.

However if you’d like steadiness and smoothness, perhaps the lesser A6 is for you? Because the dust round us begins to render black streaks among the many brown, I faucet the S6 into its Sport drive modes. Sound barks by way of the audio system, the suspension corporations up, and the steering weights up, with out drama. It’s been so serene that the achieve in bump-steer and journey stiffness get observed—however don’t upset its powerfully composed demeanor. 

With a curb weight that must be 5,500 kilos or extra—but in addition with air springs and adaptive damping, the S6 can’t be ignored when it goes into this assault mode. It’s a very simple automotive to drive very exhausting. Bubbles within the highway knock at its wheels, however don’t knock the hefty steering off monitor. The S6, which sticks to the highway by way of Michelin Pilot Sports activities, 245/40R21s up entrance and 275/35R21s in again, simply presses its approach into corners deeply, and leans into its nicely of battery-generated torque to launch itself out of them and onto connecting straights. 

It’s the type of luxurious EV that eggs drivers on to empty the battery as rapidly as doable, in different phrases. And when it’s spent, the S6’s battery may be recharged from 10-80% in as little as 21 minutes by way of its 800-volt system, which may attain charging charges of as much as 270 kw. It might probably deal with its battery as twin packs when 400-volt charging’s all that’s out there, and prime them off in parallel. At house, on a 50-amp 240-volt AC connection, the S6’s 9.6-kw onboard charger can refill it in about 10 hours. 

Audi S6 E-Tron: Hatchback physique, high-tech bona fides

 

• As much as three digital shows in entrance
• Rear-seat headroom could possibly be your decider
• Costs haven’t been introduced, however wager on at the very least $80,000

Audi dubs the S6 E-Tron a sedan, however with its mounted glass and tail part lifting together to reveal a coated cargo maintain, it’s actually a hatchback that appears like a liftback. We’ll break up the distinction, and name it a automotive. 

As a automotive, it really works nicely. The S6 E-Tron sits about 194 inches lengthy, which stacks up slightly shy of the Tesla Mannequin S—however rides on an extended 116-inch wheelbase which helps with its sorted, planted journey. 

It’s not essentially the most spacious automobile in its dimension class, although. The entrance passengers have greater than ample room outboard: I might paddle my hand between the very well-formed seats and smack the door panels together with the beat of the sound system’s throbbing Euro disco. They’re canted inward towards the console, so my knees made regular contact with the console. I heartily approve of 1 take a look at automotive’s textile inside, too—however it’s a therapy we received’t get within the U.S. As an alternative, the entrance heated and cooled seats will likely be clad in quilted leather-based. An inch taller and wider than the outgoing S6, the EV version has greater than sufficient room for our 5-foot-8 editors, in entrance and in again.

However at about 6 toes tall, with stubby legs and an extended torso, I didn’t have head clearance within the again seat. I made contact with the headliner, and my knees stood above the seat backside—and little doubt, I took up a lot of the view outward by way of the very slim rear window. The identical observations rang true within the Q6 E-Tron I sampled final yr, and within the Porsche Macan EV our group examined lately. There’s room for 4 adults, for certain—however the place the taller ones sit could possibly be the sport, set, and match.

Cargo area of about 26 cubic toes rises to almost 40 cubic toes when the rear seatbacks have been lowered. 

With a panoramic sunroof that may be darkened, part by part, the S6’s inside glows with high-grade supplies in addition to from these expansive screens in entrance. It’s alive at occasions, when all its security warning techniques—velocity restrict detection, energetic lane management, and extra—cue their symphony of flashes, buzzers, and alerts, earlier than the out there head-up show casts arrows within the course of upcoming turns. I think about it could be even busier if U.S. automobiles received the customized mild signatures and car-to-X communication of Euro fashions—or their digital camera facet mirrors, which might not give me a transparent view to the automotive’s left facet by way of my progressive lenses. We get extra cumbersome, much less aero-clean normal mirrors—and clearer imaginative and prescient, consequently.

We’ll additionally get choices resembling a 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system with headrest audio system—the Miata influences all the pieces—and distinct sound zones for drivers and passengers. 

What we received’t get quickly, however will ultimately, is a value for the S6 Sportback E-Tron. It’s greater than $80,000 in base spec in Germany and greater than $100,000 absolutely optioned—and that’s earlier than the much-speculated higher-performance RS 6 E-Tron that nobody needs to speak about makes its approach into actuality. 

Till it does, the S6 E-Tron’s the influencer of the brand new A6 lineup. The way it does it’s easy: It does virtually all the pieces the earlier S6 sport sedan did, solely higher in lots of, if not most, methods. 

If that doesn’t persuade you, perhaps it might simply, you realize, stand in the midst of the highway and tousle its hair.

 

Audi flew us to Tenerife in order that we might dodge Instagram influencers and produce you this take a look at drive evaluate.