After a sputtering start with their electrification drive, Audi has finally given some attention to their previously lacklustre hybrid line-up. In particular, their ‘e-hybrid quattro’ powertrains are coming into full force, first blessing the A5 Avant and Saloon, and now making it into some of their bigger cars – the A6 Saloon and Avant. In both cars, performance isn’t lacking, with a far more than adequate 299 PS of power and 450 Nm of torque, achieved after pairing Audi’s 2.0 TFSI engine with a 105 kW electric motor. That ought to boost your 0-62 mph times to around 6.0 seconds, before topping out at 155 mph – all respectable figures for an executive car!
Best of all, since this all-new Audi A6 e-hybrid quattro is a plug-in hybrid, it comes paired with an even bigger battery pack than Audi’s MHEV (mild-hybrid) models, at 25.9 kWh in size. This is actually roughly 45% bigger in capacity than the outgoing ‘TFSI e’ hybrid models, thus being able to offer you way more electric range than before. Specifically, the electric-only range that you could expect would be a rather good up to 64 miles for the A6 e-hybrid quattro Saloon, or up to 63 miles for the A6 e-hybrid quattro Avant. I reckon that for most people, this should be more than sufficient to cover all your daily commutes, as well as regular A-to-B driving.
Hybridising Audi’s Now-Legendary A6
All without drinking a sip of petrol, too! In addition to the A6 e-hybrid quattro’s impressive EV range, the rest of the hybrid tech is just as noteworthy. For instance, with up to 11 kW of peak charging, you could top up the A6 e-hybrid quattro’s battery pack in just 2.5 hours – filling it up from 0-100% – using an AC charger. This makes it ideal for overnight top-ups, or even if you’re willing to wait around at your local public charging station. It’s not like you would have to top up that battery too often, though, as the new Audi A6 e-hybrid quattro comes with a superbly clever regenerative braking system, being able to recuperate up to 88 kW under braking!
If the brake regen is a bit too aggressive for you, then worry not, as you could adjust the regen in one of three varying levels using the paddle shifters. Plus, the A6 e-hybrid quattro could also use satnav data to dynamically and predictively tweak the brake recuperation to maximise the regen as much as possible. Speaking of, there’s a tonne of different drive modes that you could play around with, like the ‘EV’ mode, which lets you drive up to 87 mph for pure-electric driving, or ‘Hybrid’ mode, where it would bounce around between the engine and electric motor to help maintain a set state-of-charge and ensure that you have some battery life left for later.
A Great Blend Of Petrol And EV Power
Otherwise, the same old Audi staples can be found here on the new A6 e-hybrid quattro, such as all-wheel drive. In particular, here, it’s called the ‘quattro ultra drive’, where you get a nice variable torque split between the front and rear axles, and it can send 100% of your power to the rear wheels in Dynamic Mode for improved handling and added sportiness. In addition, it comes with rear-wheel steering for some extra agility, where your rear wheels can steer up to 5 degrees opposite the front wheels at speeds below 37 mph, while instead turning your rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels at higher speeds for added stability, too.
All of that power passes through a familiar, though refined 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, with an integrated electric motor for you to enjoy that seamless torque fill and lightning-fast gear shifts! If this all sounds great to you, then even better news still – the order books will be opened soon for the Audi A6 e-hybrid Quattro, both the Avant and Saloon, in early June 2025. Meanwhile, the first UK deliveries will come in late summer 2025. On the other hand, pricing will start at £60,980 for the A6 e-hybrid Quattro Saloon ‘Sport’, then moving up to the ‘S Line’ models, and topping out at the ‘Edition 1’, where the Avant will set you back at least £70,630.
