The A6 Sportback E-Tron is based on Audi’s updated Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, which the automaker shares with fellow Volkswagen Group brand Porsche. The A6 E-Tron has a sleek four-door bodystyle with a sloping tailgate that opens like a hatchback. As with the more SUV-like Q6 E-Tron (which we also tested), the A6 E-Tron offers a longer driving range and faster charging speeds than many competing models, such as the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.
Single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor, all-wheel-drive versions are offered. The rear-drive model produces 375 hp, while the all-wheel-drive version we tested has two electric motors that combine to produce 456 hp. There’s also a high-performance S6 E-Tron model, which packs a potent 543 hp and comes with all-wheel drive. Each model is fitted with a 100-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.
Overall, we found the A6 E-Tron to be quick and quiet, with gobs of smooth electric power and sharp handling. It did well in our testing, posting a very high road-test score, though it’s not without some faults: The interior doesn’t have a look and feel that fits its $76,000 price tag, the ride is on the firm side, and many of the controls are frustrating to use while driving.
Still, our testers came away with mostly positive vibes with the A6 E-Tron. “This is, by a long shot, the best recent Audi that we’ve tested,” said one. “I could see myself actually owning and enjoying this vehicle.”
“It's a lovely, sporty car to drive. Good looking as well. The biggest issue for me is front seat access, which is why I would lean toward the Q6 E-Tron,” said one of our larger drivers.
Some testers, however, weren’t as thrilled. “I don't think I could ever own a vehicle with such a convoluted infotainment system and driver's screen,” said a tester. “It's just overwhelming. There are too many other annoying aspects as well, like the electronic door handles and the really slow, power-operated charge-port doors, which don’t seem long for this world.”
We bought a 2025 Audi A6 Sportback E-Tron Premium Plus Quattro for $76,065—anonymously from an area dealer, as we do with every vehicle we test—for the purpose of this road test review. Our A6 E-Tron was assembled in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Driving experience
Our testers were universally impressed with the A6 E-Tron’s electric powertrain. Its instantaneous acceleration and long driving range were frequently mentioned as strengths. One tester said, “An overall nicely tuned electric powertrain. Power builds linearly with pedal position, and there’s a lot of it.”
The 456-hp, A6 E-Tron AWD produces robust acceleration, zipping from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Unlike some more abrupt, high-powered EVs, the A6 E-Tron’s performance is nuanced, showing restrained strength rather than coming across as a blunt instrument. There’s plenty of strong surge anytime you need it, for example, to zip around a slower vehicle in a two-lane passing zone. But it’s also silky smooth. Our testers also praised the A6 E-Tron’s “one-pedal driving” feature, which enables the driver to speed up and slow down by using just the throttle pedal, without the need to step on the actual brake pedal.
The A6 E-Tron managed an impressive 347 miles in our 70-mph highway-range test. Not only is that quite competitive for the class, but that bests its 333-mile EPA-rated driving range. Home charging isn’t anything special, capable of about 30 miles of range gained per hour. But the A6 E-Tron can charge quickly at public DC fast chargers thanks to its 270-kilowatt maximum acceptance rate, which equates to about 14 miles of range gained per minute.
As we’ve experienced with many EVs, the A6 E-Tron has a mostly quiet cabin that masterfully filters out powertrain noise. Road and tire noise are noticeable at times, but never get obtrusive.
The A6 E-Tron’s handling is taut, tied-down, and sporty, and the car kept its composure even when pushed to its limits around our track. The steering turns into corners with good quickness, though it feels overly light at lower speeds. We weren’t as thrilled with the A6 E-Tron’s ride, however, which is on the very firm side of things. Some of that likely comes from the 20-inch wheels that Audi shod with all-season, run-flat tires (a type of tire that typically provides a stiffer feel due to their sturdy sidewall). Regardless of the reasons, don’t expect a plush ride.
Braking performance was excellent, with impressively short stops on our dry surface. Stopping distances in the wet were competitive, but not outstanding. As we experienced with our tested Q6 E-Tron, the A6 E-Tron’s brake pedal feel is also among the best we’ve experienced in an EV.
Cabin comfort
Anyone forking over $76,000 for a car should be wowed by the interior. The A6 E-Tron has a nice cabin, with a high level of build quality, but it doesn’t look very impressive. As we’ve seen in other recent Audis, there’s more shiny piano-black plastic trim in the A6 E-Tron than on Darth Vader’s helmet. The most egregious application of this material, which shows more fingerprints than a police station, is an ungainly panel that’s directly ahead of the front passenger, where the optional display screen would be if we ponied up for it. We didn’t, so it’s just a black void.
Getting into and out of this Audi requires some gymnastics. The car sits fairly low, and the steeply raked windshield pillars compromise cabin access. Exiting is likewise challenging because there isn’t much to grab onto as you hoist yourself up and out. Getting into the rear seat is even more difficult. In addition to the sloping roofline, the footpath is fairly narrow. Once inside, there isn’t much foot space under the front seats.
The A6 E-Tron's front seats are on the firm side, and the pronounced seatback and bottom cushion side bolsters provide excellent body-hugging support for driving on twisty roads without feeling confined. There are lots of adjustments to help tailor a comfortable driving position. However, a number of testers complained that the steering wheel couldn’t be tilted down low enough to suit them. A few drivers raised the seat higher than they wanted to address this frustration.
The rear seats are positioned too low relative to the floor, resulting in a distinct lack of thigh support. The seating position feels somewhat cramped, as well, due to the overly upright seatback.
The A6 E-Tron’s hatchback design offers a flexible cargo bay. Fold the rear seats, and you’ll have enough room for lots of stuff—a full-sized adult bicycle will even fit. In our cargo test, we fit 3 large suitcases, 2 backpacks, and an overnight duffel bag behind the upright rear seat, which is a decent amount of luggage. As much as we like the Sportback bodystyle for its generous cargo room, the styling impacts rear visibility. “The rear window is practically a slit,” said a tester. “The rear window is so short that I felt like I was missing out on seeing a lot of the road behind me,” said another.
Controls and usability
The interior features not one but two giant screens that appear as a single unit, comprising the 11.9-inch driver’s instrument screen and 14.5-inch center-mounted infotainment touchscreen, the right side of which curves toward the driver.The infotainment system initially feels overwhelming, and this isn’t helped by the fact that the A6 E-Tron mostly uses capacitive-touch controls, with few physical knobs or buttons. As such, common tasks, like adjusting the climate system, headlights, or media, require extra attention, and the touchscreen suffers from small text and inconsistent menu structures.
We also weren’t fans of the all-too-easy-to-engage touch-sensitive buttons on the door panel, which not only handle the usual suspects—door lock/unlock and mirror controls—but also seat memory, child lock, and headlight buttons. This arrangement pushes the window controls farther back on the armrest, making them awkward to access.
The A6 E-Tron offers several options for small item storage, including a good-sized bin under the center armrest. There’s also an open bin on the center console that houses a wireless phone charger. The charger is near vertical and holds a phone out of sight when not in use. While slick and secure, it’s easy to forget your phone when getting out of the car.
Active safety and driver assistance
Standard active safety and driver assistance features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.
Audi Cruise Assist (part of the optional Premium Plus package that was equipped on our test car) combines adaptive cruise control and lane centering assistance, with detailed map data and anonymized data collected from other vehicles. It uses radar, cameras, and ultrasonic sensors to maintain the following-gap distance to the vehicle ahead and allows the A6 E-Tron to accelerate, decelerate, and stay within the travel lane at both city and highway speeds, including in traffic jams.
We’re happy to see that both a rear occupant alert system and a belt minder come standard. The former is designed to remind the driver—based on rear-door logic—to check the rear seat when they turn the car off to help prevent children and pets from being unintentionally left behind in the vehicle. The rear belt minder alerts the driver if a rear passenger unbuckles their seat belt during the trip. There’s also a feature called “Exit warning” that will alert occupants not to open a door when parked on the street if the system detects a cyclist approaching from behind.