Audi continues to bolster its position as an EV leader. The 2025 sporty upper-midsize A6 e-tron Sportback and Avant and even higher-performance S6 e-tron Sportback and Avant models add four variants to Audi’s all-electric global lineup. In the U.S., most people would call the Sportback a hatchback and the Avant a station wagon.
The A6 e-tron’s place in the Audi universe
To understand the importance of the Audi A6, it’s important to consider Audi’s place first in the Volkswagen Group brands and then the non-VW Group brands with which Audi competes. If Volkswagen is the people’s car, Audi and Porsche are the upscale, luxury performance brands, with Porsche heavier on the performance side of the scale and Audi leaning more toward luxury.
But Audi’s competition isn’t VW or Porsche. Audi is supposed to compete directly with Mercedes-Benz and BMW. More specifically, the Audi A6 upper mid-sized car competes with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series. Those three model families are traditionally considered cars for successful executives and professionals. Audi may be the current leader in successful EV development and sales, but the A6 e-tron’s job is to be better than or at least a competitive alternative to the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW i5 EVs. The Audi “S” variants roughly correspond to the Mercedes-AMG and BMW M-series models.
That’s how important the A6 and S6 e-tron models are to Audi.
Audi A6 e-tron: The major takeaways
The A6 e-tron is the second Audi model built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) jointly developed by Audi and Porsche. The 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron debuted the EV electrical architecture. The A6 e-tron is the first PPE vehicle to take advantage of the platform’s flat floor, which is possible because the batteries and major powertrain elements are located below the floor.
Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Audi AG Board of Management, also noted, “The A6 e-tron is the first purely electric Audi model available as a Sportback and Avant.” That benchmark is less significant in the U.S. because the Avant is not slated for the U.S. market.
This article can’t begin to detail the design dynamics, lighting, electronics, safety, and comfort upgrades in the A6 e-tron, but power, speed, and range always matter with EVs.
The A6 e-tron Sportback’s 100 kWh battery (94.9 kWh net) and 270 kW output accelerates from 0-62 mph in 5.4 and a 130 mph top speed. The estimated range is 470 miles using the generous European WLTP calculation. The S6 e-tron power unit’s 370 kW output, 405 kW with launch control, hustles from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 149 mph.
The A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron will be available for ordering in September 2024. The A6 e-tron Sportback will start at $81,856 and the S6 e-tron Sportback will start at $107,735. The prices do not include destination and handling fees.
