The Audi A6 e-tron concept debuted at the Auto Shanghai 2021 as the forerunner of an innovative family of all-electric volume models. Audi is now launching the production A6 e-tron as a Sportback and Avant. As the second model on the PPE platform, the upper mid-size vehicle takes on the product’s known strengths of performance, range, efficiency and charging. It is also the first platform model with a flat-floor concept.
The exterior is powerful, sporty and perfectly proportioned. Audi’s new design philosophy defines the interior. Depending on the trim level, the A6 e-tron offers many innovative features, such as second-generation virtual exterior mirrors, a panoramic glass roof that becomes opaque at the touch of a button and illuminated rings at the rear. The A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron can be ordered from September this year as Sportback and Avant versions. Prices at market launch are 75,600 euros for the A6 Sportback e-tron performance and 99,500 euros for the Audi S6 Sportback e-tron.
A black grille surrounds the closed and turned individual frame, reflecting the special design language of the e-tron model. The main headlights and other functional elements, such as Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) sensors and air vents, are integrated into the dark mask, which makes them almost invisible.
The dynamic roof line of the A6 e-tron rests on a strong foundation with a low ride height. Quattro blisters are those contours that emphasize the quattro drive with their sculptural and muscular shape. They are a key element of the Audi design DNA. The Avant also features a flat roofline, with a D-pillar that slopes steeply forward. The aluminum-looking trim from the A-pillar to the roof spoiler is a new, distinctive feature of the A6 Avant e-tron and creates a high degree of recognition.
The A6 e-tron offers superb spaciousness, comfort and everyday usability. It is 4928 mm long and 2137 mm wide (including mirrors), with a wheelbase of 2946 mm. The Avant model is 1527 mm high, while the Sportback model is 1487 mm high.
The Audi A6 e-tron comes with 19-inch five-spoke dynamic wheels designed as aero wheels as standard, while the S line gets 20-inch ‘five-spoke tripod’ wheels in graphite grey. The S6 e-tron comes standard with 20-inch wheels. The largest 21-inch wheels are available as an option. Nine distinctive designs are available – from sporty to elegant, including six from Audi Sport.
The exterior appearance of the Audi A6 e-tron differs between the basic, S line and S model variants. Up to eight colors are available at launch, including the standard Magnetic Grey, as well as Glacier White Metallic, Typhoon Gray Metallic and Mythos Black Metallic. Two blue shades are also available, Plasma blue metallic and Malpelo blue metallic. Daytona gray pearl effect and Siam beige metallic are reserved exclusively for the S line variant and the S model.
Superior aerodynamics is a key component of Audi’s long history of success. Aerodynamic heroes of the past, such as the Audi 100 (C3) and the Audi 80 (B3), also belong to the mid-size segment.
At Audi, sporty design and aerodynamics are not at odds: Optimal basic tuning and numerous detail optimizations contribute to excellent aerodynamics and ensure an extremely low cw value of 0.21 for the Sportback, making it the best Audi of all time in terms of aerodynamics and the most aerodynamic vehicle in all of VW to the group. The Avant also achieves a very good cw value of 0.24, making it one of the best in its segment.
With the new Audi A6 e-tron, Audi emphasizes its leading role in lighting design and technology – an important part of the Audi DNA. The front and rear lights have a three-dimensional design and offer digital light signatures, merging the physical and digital worlds. Up front, the Audi A6 e-tron family offers digital daytime running lights with LED technology as an option, as well as second-generation digital OLED rear lights.
With around 45 segments per digital OLED panel, the A6 e-tron enables car-to-vehicle communication and increases road safety. Turning to the second generation of digital OLED taillights, ten OLED panels with 450 segments use a specially developed algorithm to generate a new image several times per second. The active digital light signature also points the way to the future of Audi lighting technology. At the front, an active digital light signature is created by interacting with a twelve-segment algorithm. At the back, all digital OLED segments are used for this purpose. The individual light segments interact with each other in such a way that the overall light intensity of the light signature does not vary.
The technology used also sets new standards in terms of individualization: with eight digital light signatures in the newly designed digital daytime running lights of the Matrix LED headlights and digital OLED rear lights 2.0, drivers can personalize their A6 e-tron in a completely new way, depending on the equipment.
A particular highlight of the new Audi A6 e-tron is the lighting of the four rings on the rear, depending on the equipment. This strongly emphasizes Audi’s corporate identity and gives the new A6 e-tron its own personality.
The interior of the Audi A6 e-tron is consistently adapted to the needs of the user. The three-dimensional, high-contrast design deliberately places elements in the foreground or background, creating a spatial architecture that is passenger-friendly in terms of design and ergonomics. The MMI panoramic screen, with its curved design and OLED technology, consists of the 11.9-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit and the 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen, together with the 10.9-inch MMI screen in front of the passenger.
Active Privacy Mode allows the passenger to enjoy entertainment content during the journey, such as watching movies or series, without disturbing the driver.
Audi takes a significant step forward in screen technology with the optional augmented reality head-up display (AR HuD), another central element of the digital stage.
The trunk offers 502 liters of space in both Avant and Sportback models. Folding the rear bench increases the capacity on the 1422 lu Avant and 1330 lu Sportback. The standard front trunk (frunk) under the hood offers an additional 27 liters of space, ideal for small travel bags. The towing capacity is 2100 kg.
The optional innovative panoramic glass roof further enhances the vehicles. Unlike previous types, the smart panoramic roof glass reduces direct sunlight and becomes opaque at the push of a button.
The infotainment system uses Android Automotive OS as the operating system. The A6 e-tron updates its content via over-the-air updates. That’s why the latest Audi connect services and the improved e-tron route planner, which comes as standard, are always up to date. Applications such as YouTube are available via the Audi Application Store for third-party applications, which is integrated directly into the MMI and does not require a smartphone to use.
With improved and more intuitive touch control, the new screen and control concept address global trends towards interaction. For example, voice control has been significantly expanded and now plays a key role. The vehicle’s self-learning voice assistant, Audi Assistant, can control numerous vehicle functions.
The Audi assistant has access to additional internet content, such as weather and general information. Through a connection to ChatGPT (enabled by the Microsoft Azure OpenAI service), users can communicate with their car using natural language and hear information they would like to know while driving.
The Bang & Olufsen Premium sound system with speakers provides optimal sound, with 20 speakers with a power of 830 W. Four are integrated into the headrests of the front seats, which gives Audi personal surround sound, personal navigation announcements and one-to-one phone calls.
Impressive range and charging performance
Powerful, compact and highly efficient electric motors and a lithium-ion battery newly developed for the PPE platform consisting of twelve modules and 180 prismatic cells with a total gross capacity of 100 kWh (94.9 kWh net) ensure a range of up to 756 km (A6 Sportback e-tron) and up to 720 km (A6 Avant e-tron). With an output of up to 270 kW (367 hp) in the A6 Sportback/Avant e-tron version (energy consumption in kWh/100 km combined: 17.0-14.0), the new Audi A6 e-tron provides a sporty driving experience that is Audi famous. The Audi A6 e-tron performance accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. The maximum speed is 210 km/h. The S6 e-tron provides a system power of 370 kW (503 hp), or 405 kW (551 hp) with launch control.
The S6 Sportback e-tron and S6 Avant e-tron accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds (energy consumption in kWh/100 km combined: 17.4-15.7). The maximum speed is 240 km/h. Its range is up to 675 km (S6 Sportback e-tron) and up to 647 km (S6 Avant e-tron).
The A6 e-tron performance (270 kW (367 hp)) with rear-wheel drive and the S6 e-tron (370 kW (503 hp) with quattro all-wheel drive, both as Sportback and Avant, will be available at launch.
Thanks to 800-volt technology and a maximum charging capacity of 270 kW as standard, short charging stops are possible with the Audi A6 e-tron. This means that the A6 Sportback e-tron performance can be recharged at a suitable charging station (High Power Charging, HPC) for a range of up to 310 km in just ten minutes. State of charge (SoC) increases from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes.
The typical Audi DNA is also visible in the suspension. Here there is a precisely defined setup philosophy, and the suspension management systems are precisely coordinated with each other.
The optional adaptive air suspension gives the vehicle a wide range between high ride comfort and sporty handling. Depending on the speed and personal preferences, it adapts to certain road conditions and regulates the height of the body at four different levels. The efficiency mode in Audi drive select is a special feature. In efix mode, the suspension lowers the body up to 20mm depending on speed, improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics. This serves to optimize energy consumption and increase range.
With the A6 e-tron driving assistance systems, Audi provides a wide range of functions that make everyday life easier and significantly increase road safety for all road users.
Adaptive driving assistant plus is a new feature of the A6 e-tron. It helps the driver when accelerating, braking, maintaining speed and set distance, and when steering into a lane. This can increase driving comfort, especially on long journeys.
Park assist plus, reversing camera, speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, park assist plus with distance display, lane departure warning and distraction and drowsiness warning will be standard equipment at market launch.
Market launch and prices
The A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron, both Sportback and Avant, will be available to order from September this year. Prices for the upper middle-class model at market launch are 75,600 euros for the A6 Sportback e-tron performance and 77,250 euros for the A6 Avant e-tron performance. The S6 Sportback e-tron costs 99,500 euros, and the price for the S6 Avant e-tron is 101,150 euros. Further models with rear or quattro drive will follow later, depending on the market. The model with a smaller battery will represent an attractive entry into the A6 e-tron family.
Source: Tportal.hr / Audi
Photo and video: Audi
Source: autoblog.rs
