Audi S6 e-tron reader test team
The Audi S6 performance car has gone electric, and the rest of the A6 line-up is following suit. Our jury takes a look and gives its verdict...
Pretty soon, when you visit your local Audi dealership, you won’t find a combustion-engined Audi A6 or S6 in the showroom. Instead, you’ll find one of these.
The Audi S6 e-tron is the flagship of the new, pure-electric Audi A6 e-tron line-up, and it represents a giant leap from its predecessor in terms of technology. It’s swift, too; the S6 e-tron completes the 0-62mph dash in 3.9sec, and the entry-level A6 Performance isn’t far behind with a time of 5.4sec.
In terms of range, the S6 officially manages 405 miles in Sportback (hatchback) form; the A6 e-tron promises 463 miles. And with a maximum charging rate of 270kW across the range, you won’t have to wait long to replenish the battery if you can find a fast enough public charger.
The S6’s sleek, aerodynamic bodywork hides the fact that it has a large battery under the floor. Inside, the S6 is the most futuristic-looking Audi yet, with an 11.9in digital driver’s display that flows into the main 14.5in infotainment touchscreen, and there’s a third (10.9in) screen in front of the passenger to keep them entertained.
The infotainment system makes use of AI technology to learn the features you use most often, along with a voice control system that can recognise more than 800 commands. The A6 and S6 e-trons should be practical, too; on top of the Sportback’s 502-litre rear boot, there’s also a small ‘frunk’ for storing the charging cables.
At launch, in Edition 1 trim, the S6 Sportback starts at £97,500, with full matrix headlights and a panoramic glass roof as standard. But will a group of our readers be impressed?
Balazs Sari
Age 44
Job Systems architect
Drives petrol Audi A6
“I love the design of the S6; it’s exceptionally attractive on the outside, and I’m very impressed with how they’ve disguised its extra height over the old car by making the doors taller.
“Having two charging ports on the car – one on each side – is useful. It’s also good that Audi has listened to owners and put lights on both ports; my A6 plug-in hybrid doesn’t have a light there, so it’s difficult to get the cable plugged in when I'm charging it at home at night.
“There’s plenty to like on the inside, too. It’s great that the front sports seats have adjustable headrests; I’m 6ft 3in tall and find seats with fixed headrests can be incorrectly positioned for me.
“The centre armrest in the back is not as practical as that in my A6, though, because it doesn’t have a storage compartment, and you wouldn’t be able to use it as an armrest if you put drinks in the cupholders.
“The rear seats might not be comfortable for adults on longer journeys, because the floor is too high and there’s not enough head room. I often drive my parents around, and I’m not sure how comfortable it would be for them.
“The S6 is the first car that’s made me think I could go fully electric. Most of my driving is short local trips, but I make a round trip of around 2000 miles once or twice a year to visit family in Hungary. If its official range is realistic, the S6 would need charging less frequently than most other electric cars.”
Rating 5 stars
Mike Booth
Age 58
Job Retired chartered electrical engineer
Drives Audi Q7
“Since retiring, I spend more time windsurfing, sailing and cycling and need a car with a long, practical load space. I owned five Audi A6 diesels between 2008 and 2023, and I’m tempted to go back to one when it’s time to replace the Q7.
“I’m impressed with the range of the S6; it would be enough for all our trips to the coast.The towing capacity of 2.1 tonnes is also excellent for an electric vehicle; my caravan weighs 1.7 tonnes, so the S6 would cope with that easily.
“Most of the sites we tow our caravan to are around 200 miles from where we live, and the S6’s official range might be long enough to reach these places without having to charge on the way. Public chargers are often located in such a way that they can be really tricky to use without unhitching the caravan.
“The S6’s boot would be roomy enough for our cycles, but it’s not quite long enough for my windsurfer board, so I’d have to consider a roof rack for that.
“Overall, I really like the car; it looks great and it should prove practical. In Edition 1 trim, though, the S6 Sportback’s £97,500 price tag is hard to justify, especially when it’s almost £30,000 higher than the new A6 e-tron in entry-level Sport trim.”
Rating 4 stars
Nigel Chapman
Age 66
Job IT product manager
Drives Tesla Model S
“The S6 e-tron is the first car I’ve sat in that beats my Tesla Model S in many areas. On range, my car will do around 250 to 300 miles between charges, but the S6 should do 400 miles, and it will do 0-62mph in 3.9sec, compared with my car’s acceleration of 4.4sec.
“It beats my car hands down for interior build quality, plus I like the large touchscreen and digital dashboard in the S6; they make the interior look clean and modern. I’m not concerned that it has fewer buttons than older Audis; I’m a fan of touchscreens, having used one for so long in the Tesla.
“I drive around 20,000 miles a year, including a number of European trips. The sat-nav on the S6 is better for longer trips than the Tesla’s; it enables me to directly input charging stops and how much charge I want to add at each one, and it shows how much range the car will have at journey’s end. With the Tesla, I have to use an online route planner and download the information to the car.
“Not all areas are better than my car, though. The S6’s boot is smaller than the Tesla’s and it doesn’t have the underfloor storage capacity of the Tesla, which will easily swallow two suitcases. The S6’s front storage area is smaller, too.”
Rating 4 stars
Oliver Newell
Age 28
Job Property developer
Drives Audi A7, Skoda Kamiq
“I’m a fan of Audi as a brand, and I was interested in seeing the S6 e-tron because I’d like to replace my A7 with something that’s a similar size and shape, but quicker and sportier.
“The S6 looks great outside, with nice proportions, and its interior is of a good quality, although I don’t think the materials used have quite the premium feel that they should for the price of the car.
“Having lots of new technology is not really a priority for me, and I think the curved infotainment screens are too big and in your face. The virtual rear-view mirrors aren’t for me, either, because they don’t offer any depth perception and there’s sometimes a lag before they show you what’s in their view.
“The interior doesn’t feel as spacious as my car, particularly in the back. The shortage of leg room for rear seat passengers is a big issue, and the boot is too narrow.
“Audi has missed out on some small but important details with the S6. For example, there aren’t any grab handles, and I’d prefer the door bins to be lined with fabric like they are in the Skoda Kamiq I drive for work. That way, hard objects don’t rattle around and distract you from driving.
“However, my main issue with the S6 is that the price is too high. I think it should really be around £60,000 to £65,000.”
Rating 3 stars
Paul Pacey
Age 73
Job Retired police inspector
Drives Kia EV6
“I’m looking for a car that I could treat as a combination of my EV6 and the Porsche Boxster that I’ve recently sold.
“On the outside, the S6 looks great: very modern yet still very Audi-ish. I’m pleased that it’s shorter than the BMW i5, which is too long to fit in my garage.
“I like the driving position in the S6, but I don’t like the squared-off steering wheel; as an ex-police driver, I steer by feeding the wheel through my hands, and this shape of wheel makes it hard to drive in this way. It also reminds me of the Quartic steering wheel you got on early Austin Allegros.
“Although I don’t need a car that’ll get to 60mph in 3.9sec, I do appreciate the range of the S6. I need a car that will do at least 300 miles in real-world driving, because I live in Lincolnshire and visit family in Kent, Manchester and South Wales fairly often. I’d like to be able to make all of these trips without having to recharge the car using the public EV charging network.
“It’s good that the S6 comes with all the latest driver assistance technology, including intelligent cruise control with lane assistance, which I find really useful for long motorway drives.
“The only letdown is that some of the interior trim doesn’t feel as premium as I’d expect on a car that costs nearly £100,000. For example, there’s no lining on the inside of the door pockets.”
Rating 4 stars
Edson Ofili
Age 35
Job Software engineer
Drives Audi Q4 e-tron
“I’m an Audi fan; I once had a petrol Audi A6 and am thinking of changing my Q4 for a new S6, or perhaps a Porsche Taycan.
“The S6’s interior is exactly the quality I’d expect from Audi, and I’m a really big fan of the wraparound infotainment screens. The driving position is great, too. I’ve driven an Audi A7 in the past, and I felt that it placed me too low. The S6 is notably taller and positions you higher from the ground. The flattened steering wheel is also a must for me, making it easy to get my legs under the wheel.
“If I’m being picky, I would prefer the panoramic roof to be black instead of grey, to look more cohesive with the rest of the car. The fact that there are DC charging sockets on each side of the car is a helpful feature, though.
“I’m not really a fan of the virtual door mirrors. I’ve test-driven cars with them before and found them difficult to adapt to; I guess it’s just a case of having to get used to them.
“There isn’t a lot of room in the rear seats, but that isn’t a problem for me, because I usually drive with only my partner. I do drive other family members around on the odd occasion, but I’m the tallest out of everyone, so having lots of leg room for them isn’t a priority.”
Rating 5 stars
Graeme Duncombe
Age 69
Job Retired company director
Drives Audi A7
“I’m not a fan of SUVs and prefer the sporty-looking styling of a saloon or hatchback; that’s why I’m currently on my third Audi A7. I think the designers have done a great job of accommodating the S6’s battery under the floor and still making it look sleek and aerodynamic. The drag coefficient of 0.21 is very low.
“I like the look of the front end, and how the air intakes actually open and aren’t just for show. The rear lights can change their pattern depending on the driving mode selected – a fun feature – and being able to turn them into warning triangles when needed is a sensible safety aid.
“The S6’s interior is superb. It’s everything I’ve come to expect of an Audi, with lots of soft materials and well-placed controls. I think there’s a good compromise between screen-based controls and physical buttons.
“I was sceptical about the virtual mirrors; they use screens that are lower down to look at than regular mirrors. They actually work very well, though, and the clarity of the images they display is excellent.
“The S6 doesn’t have as much rear leg room as my A7, and the rear bench is fairly short, so it might not be as comfortable for my 6ft 4in-tall son if he wants to travel in the back. It’s useful to have a hatchback boot and folding rear seatbacks, though.”
Rating 4 stars
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