2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling

Speaker 1: Read the all new Audi Q six E-Tron seen here in its more potent SQ six performance trim. It's automaker's newest entry into the mid-size SUV class, the first Audi to feature the newest generation of its electric vehicle platform, and it features the latest generation of Audi's dashboard tech. Let's get a closer look. Speaker 1: Let's start with design. Yes. If you're looking at the broad strokes, it's a small SUV [00:00:30] from Audi. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. No shade. It doesn't mean that it's a bad thing, it's just that the automaker has a very established design language. But if you look closer, you'll see that there are a lot of details that are unique to this worth a closer look. We'll start with the headlights. These actually aren't the headlights. This is the digital light signature. It is a multi LED segment that features a welcome animations and a customizable light signature that you can adjust on the dashboard. In total, there are 61 individual LED segments. Per [00:01:00] pod owners will be able to download and swap between 11 themes via the dashboard interface to customize the shape and appearance of the Q six's, daytime running light signature to keep things fresh or to make sure their Aron doesn't look too much like the Joneses. Speaker 1: The actual headlights are actually down below and here on the production model, you can see that they kind of hide in this glossy black area, but here's where your low beams and your high beams are going to be tucked. Moving over to the middle, we've got the automaker's signature single frame grill, but [00:01:30] here it's inverted. If you look closely what looks like grill openings are actually a little closed panels, and that's because an EV doesn't need a lot of airflow through here, so they're closed up for aerodynamics. But the look preserves the visual signature that you've seen on Audi's combustion cars and makes it look like an Audi. And of course, leading the way is the new Audi badge with a simplified 2D design. So as you start to move around the back of the vehicle, you'll see that Audi has built a very strong shoulder into the design of the vehicle [00:02:00] to give it a sort of sporty look to emphasize the electric performance. Speaker 1: And as we continue to move around, we'll see that we've got this light bar that wraps around the back. Now if you peer inside of here, you'll see the newest generation of Audi's digital ole technology. Now in some markets, you'll be able to get little animations in here that use an algorithm to make sure that even though these panels are constantly changing and shifting, the overall illumination level stays the same so it doesn't distract drivers. Now we won't get that feature [00:02:30] in the United States, but we will get 11 customizable static patterns to compliment the themes present on the front lights. Audi's also experimenting with ways to use the Q six's lights to communicate with other drivers and pedestrians. When the driver assistance or emergency aid features are active, the most obvious and easily demonstrable example is when you put your hazard lights on or the automatic emergency braking system is triggered, you'll see the ole tails reshape themselves into little hazard triangles. Speaker 1: That's the same familiar shape [00:03:00] found on the hazard flasher buttons on most cars, and that's to let following or approaching vehicles know that you're in trouble and that they should take extra care. The Q six tron will eventually be offered with electric rear wheel drive, but dual electric motor Quattro setup is going to be standard equipment at launch. The SUV uses an asymmetrical all-wheel drive system with an asynchronous EMO on the front axle and a permanent magnet drive motor for the rear wheels. The difference is that the front motor is on demand and can be [00:03:30] deactivated when it's not needed, say, during cruising on the highway for reduced consumption and instantly brought back on line when additional torque traction is necessary. Meanwhile, the rear motor offers a better torque and performance serving as the main drive motor under most conditions. Now, these two motors operate differently, but Audi has designed them to share many of the same components and construction. Speaker 1: They even use the same rotor and stator diameters, meaning they can be built and assembled on the same assembly lines, speeding up production and reducing production [00:04:00] costs and complexity. In the us the Q six each iron Quattro will arrive boasting 315 kilowatts of combined power with the ability to boost up to 350 kilowatts around 456 horsepower for short bursts. The FQ six upgrades to 360 kilowatts nominal with a 380 kilowatt sprint that's around 510 combined horsepower, allowing it to launch to 60 miles per hour. In around 4.2 seconds, I was able [00:04:30] to hop behind the wheel of the SQ six in prototype delivery for a quick spin testing the various regenerative braking modes, which now includes a one pedal driving mode and that electric launch control, which is a thrill to say the least, the electric SUV felt good Under these controlled conditions, though, I'll be waiting until I can get a full experience on public roads so that I can observe efficiency and range. Speaker 1: Both flavors of the qfi e tron use the same 100 kilowatt hour battery pack, which Audi estimates [00:05:00] will offer over 300 miles of range for the standard Q six Quattro. However, the Q six E trons pack is able to split itself into two 400 volt banks that charge natively in parallel at 400 volts. The Q six is also one of the rare EVs in the US that features dual charging ports one on each rear fender. Now, even though Audi has announced that an eventual switch to Tesla's NACS port for its EVs, the Q six tron won't be adopting that charging standard at launch. [00:05:30] Here in the cabin, we have the latest generation of Audi's Dashboard Tech built on their E three electronics platform. It's the digital stage, a three screen setup that features an 11.9 inch digital instrument cluster right here in front of me that's bonded with a curved ole display to a 14.5 inch main screen here over in front of the passenger seat, there's a 10.9 inch display for the passenger that allows them to do things like copilot and search for destinations or [00:06:00] even entertain themselves with videos. Speaker 1: But there's technology in place to ensure that I here in the driver's seat won't be able to see and be distracted by that. Of course, there is a fourth display that you won't be able to see from this angle, and that is the large augmented reality head up display, and that's going to project information about navigation driver rate features and infotainment right in my line of sight, right where I'm looking at the road and there are more screens this generation, but fewer physical buttons on the dashboard, which personally I find disappointing Audi [00:06:30] hopes that a move to more robust visual and voice controlled systems will make up for the lack of tactile and haptic feedback. So there you have it. Your first look at the all new Audi Q six NSQ six trons very promising electric SUVs with some smart tech built into 'em. Be sure to head over to cnet.com where we've got even more specs and deep dives into the tech. I'll reach you there.