2026 Audi A6 e-tron

The next Audi A6 will be electric. Officially called A6 E-tron Sportback, the 2026 model will arrive in the United States in the middle of next year, built on the same architecture that underpins the new Q6 E-tron SUV. What'll happen to the gas-powered A6 sedan we currently know and love? That'll become the A7.

Sportback style

Like the recently revealed A5 (which replaces the A4), the A6 E-tron will only be a Sportback rather than a traditional sedan. This is a good thing; having a power liftback will make the A6 far more functional than a car with a standard trunk opening. Of course, a proper wagon would be even more appealing, and our friends across the pond will be treated to a proper A6 E-tron Avant. But we digress.

Official U.S. specs are still forthcoming, but Audi says the A6 E-tron will be available with wheel sizes ranging from 19 inches to 21 inches, and as you can see, the Sportback has a strong visual link to the Q6 SUV. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you; we're not big fans of the split headlight design, and the extra lower body side panels give the Sportback some unnecessary visual bulk. Maybe it'll look better out on the road.

One thing we do know, however: This car is super aerodynamic. Audi says the A6 E-tron has a drag coefficient of 0.21, making it one of the slipperiest shapes out there today. That's for a Euro-spec car with camera mirrors and wheels we might not get in the U.S., though, so our market's final aero profile might not be as good.

One battery, two power levels

In the U.S., Audi will offer the A6 E-tron with rear-wheel drive or Quattro all-wheel drive, both of which will be powered by a 100-kWh battery pack (94.4 kWh usable). The rear-drive A6 E-tron will offer 362 horsepower, while the A6 E-tron Quattro will up that output to 422 hp. Accelerating to 60 mph in the base car is estimated to take 5.2 seconds, and adding Quattro all-wheel drive reduces that time to 4.3 seconds.

Official EPA range estimates are still many months away from being finalized, but Audi's European arm says the A6 E-tron will max out at 750 kilometers — 466 miles — on the notoriously optimistic WLTP test cycle. Happily, because the A6 E-tron benefits from the same 800-volt architecture as the Q6 E-tron, it has a charging power of up to 270 kW.

Familiar cabin with tons of screens

The A6's interior is a lot like what we've seen in the Q6 E-tron, which is to say the cabin is absolutely dominated by screens. Directly in front of the driver, there's an 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit gauge cluster, not to mention a head-up display with augmented reality overlays, and off to the right is a 14.5-inch central infotainment screen. Beyond that, the front passenger has their own 10.9-inch display which has a special coating so it isn't distracting to the driver. No matter how you slice it, though, this is an interior that goes hard on digital real estate — which certainly seems to be the trend these days.

Generally speaking, the A6's interior looks and feels nice, and sitting in both the front and rear seats, we never found a lack of legroom. The rakish Sportback design does cut into rear headroom slightly, which will be an issue for taller passengers. But we suppose if you'll be carting adults back there on the regular, you might be more keen to purchase the Q6 SUV anyway.

Storage behind the passenger compartment is ample, with Audi quoting 26 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up, and around 40 cubic feet with them folded. There's a super small frunk under the hood, too, with just under 1 cubic foot of space — enough for a backpack but not much more.

Americans' appetites for sedans might be dwindling, but Audi sure knows how to make a compelling one. We'll be curious to see how the A6 E-tron stacks up against the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.