I’ve been on a quest to replace all the LCD panels in my life with OLED. I recently replaced an old (and broken) iPad Pro with a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, which is much easier on the eyes when watching late-night, trans-Atlantic movies. I’ve been using a Galaxy S for several years, and I also switched to a Lenovo X1 Carbon laptop with an OLED display this year. I guess you could say I’m quite drawn to rich color reproduction and great contrast, especially in low-light situations.
Given this, I was very impressed with Audi’s new Q6 E-Tron, which has the most elaborate set of OLED displays I’ve ever seen in a car. Not only did Audi’s engineers spread a series of curved panels across the dashboard, practically reaching from the left door to the right, but they also embedded them in the taillights at the rear. It’s an OLED smorgasbord, but it would be a huge waste of electroluminescence if the car wasn’t good.
The Q6 E-Tron is Audi’s new crossover SUV, a five-passenger model that matches up well with the current Q5. However, the new Q6 is slightly larger in most dimensions and — more importantly — is battery-powered. This falls in line with the brand’s current mission to differentiate its EV line from its ICE offerings by giving electric models even-numbered designations and gas-powered models odd numbers.
At first, I thought this numerical nomenclature was just so weird. But with the market growing skeptical of electrification, it gives Audi the ability to offer its battery-powered and internal combustion (ICE) cars in parallel to the market while also differentiating them, catering to buyers who are happy to plug in as well as those who would still rather fuel up at a gas station.
Make your own judgment, but for those ready for an electric lifestyle, the Q6 E-Tron is Audi’s most attractive offering yet.
It starts with a new look. This SUV features many familiar styling cues, like the brand’s four rings, which make it instantly recognizable as an Audi. Despite this, it looks completely new and clean. From the big, aggressive front fascia and lighting on the nose to the attractive curved fender flares on the sides (reminiscent of the E-Tron GT), it looks great from any angle, including the neat lighting at the rear.
This continues inside, too. Overlapping shapes and contours create an interesting space, while the selection of mostly quality materials makes surfaces as good to touch as they are to admire.
It gets even better as you move from the Q6 to the sportier SQ6, with a bit of carbon fiber added along with racy microsuede material on the dashboard. The SQ6 delivers 509 horsepower to all four wheels in launch mode (483 without) thanks to a dual-motor configuration. The lesser-powered Q6 quattro also impresses with 456 hp (422 without launch mode) from the same dual motors. There’s also a rear-drive, single-motor Q6 with 322 hp (302 without) in launch mode, but I don’t think many people will choose it, for a few reasons I’ll get into a bit later.
At Audi’s US launch of the Q6, I ​​sampled both the Q6 quattro and the sportier SQ6 and was really impressed by their different driving characters. The Q6 is comfortable and quiet when equipped with the optional air suspension and engaging handling, with generally good ride quality. There’s no major change as you go through the various drive modes, but it does get more exciting when switched to Dynamic mode.
Those who want a more peppy experience, however, will want to opt for the SQ6. The extra power is nice, yes, but the combination of bigger wheels with sporty tires and a more aggressive suspension tune makes for a car that feels a lot more imposing. It handles well for a small SUV and actually gives good feedback through the steering, making it a car that’s easy to drive around corners.
But that extra helping of aggression comes at a price. The SQ6’s ride quality is pretty harsh, even when its air suspension is in its most comfortable mode. There’s also a fair amount of road noise from the tires.
That noise is still noticeably lower than a typical, internal-combustion car, making the Q6 a great place for a 20-speaker, 830-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system. It’s optional, but it’s a worthy upgrade thanks to the extra speakers mounted in the headrests.
Many cars in the past have had speakers mounted behind your head, but Audi has done some interesting things, like directing voice navigation prompts and even call audio directly into the driver’s ears. Initially, the effect is a little jarring. It almost feels like bone-headed operation, as if the navigation system is announcing the next turn directly inside your head, but that direct connection means it’s much less distracting to anyone else in the car.