2025 Audi Q6 E-Tron and SQ6 E-Tron First Drive: Two EVs, One Standout

• The 2025 Audi Q6 E-tron and SQ6 E-tron are now arriving at dealerships.
• The Q6 E-tron offers as much as 321 miles of EPA-estimated driving range.
• Is the 509-horsepower SQ6 E-tron Quattro worth the upcharge? Read on to find out.

The SQ6 E-tron sure looks like it'd be the most compelling, right? It's more powerful and a lot quicker than the Q6 E-tron Quattro, without a massive decrease in range. Truthfully, though, I don't think it one-ups the Q6 E-tron Quattro in meaningful enough ways to truly make it worth the extra money. On city streets, highways and winding country roads alike, the Q6 E-tron Quattro feels like the best-balanced EV between the two.

Q6 E-tron Quattro: Notes from a scenic California drive

Audi put a lot more effort into making this EV fun to drive. This shouldn't come as a huge shock, since the Q6 E-tron is very closely related to the Porsche Macan EV — an electric SUV that's been earning lots of praise in Edmunds' one-year test drive program. And while the Macan EV is still the benchmark for steering tuning in this class, Audi is nevertheless making forward strides here. The Q6 E-tron's steering is more engaging than what you'll find in Audi's other EVs, the Q4 E-tron and Q8 E-tron, with a greater sense of feedback, keeping you well abreast of what's happening where the tires meet the pavement.

The Q6 E-tron's standard suspension setup includes static steel springs, and unfortunately, I can't speak to its ride quality. My test car has the optional adaptive air suspension, which gives this SUV a super comfortable ride, nicely smoothing out the imperfect road surfaces of downtown Santa Rosa, California, while keeping the Q6 E-tron's body motions in check along undulating sections of Highway 1 along the coast.

The Q6 E-tron has several driver-selectable levels of regenerative braking, and unlike Audi's early EVs, there's a legit one-pedal driving mode, too. The default Auto mode takes into account things like GPS route data and uses forward-facing radar to automatically increase or decrease regen on the fly, but you can use the paddles on the steering wheel to either turn regen off, or step down two levels, where you'll get a maximum regenerative braking force of 0.15 g. Use the gear selector stalk to select B instead of D, and you'll enter the one-pedal mode, with a full 0.25 g of braking force, which is enough to smoothly bring the Q6 E-tron to a complete stop. Truth be told, while I'm normally a fan of one-pedal driving, the B mode is a little too strong to drive the Q6 E-tron smoothly.

SQ6 E-tron Quattro: More powerful, but …

Look, I'm not about to discount the allure of 509 horsepower and a 4.1-second 0-60 mph time in a compact SUV. The SQ6 E-tron Quattro absolutely gets up and goes when you drop the hammer, but that's really the extent of its dynamic advantages over the Q6 E-tron Quattro.

The SQ6 comes standard with the aforementioned adaptive air suspension, and it's got a specific tune for the supposedly sportier S model. In reality, though, the SQ6 feels bouncier than the Q6; the movements of the air springs seem to happen quicker and are therefore a bit more jarring. Without some kind of active anti-roll tech — like the 48-volt systems found in more expensive SUVs — there are situations where the SQ6 E-tron feels less refined than the Q6. And considering this isn't really a sports car — yes, even with that "S" in its name — the experience is somewhat off-putting.

A comfortable, tech-forward cabin

Audi's goal with the Q6 was to effectively create an electric version of its popular Q5 SUV. And here, the company has excelled; both the Q6 and SQ6 are absolutely lovely inside, with comfortable seats, great overall ergonomics and a high-quality vibe. I actually prefer the Q6's interior to that of the Porsche Macan EV — it genuinely feels more premium and spacious across both rows of seats. A maximum of 60.2 cubic feet of space with the second row seats folded makes the Q6 useful for hauling cargo, and the SQ6's cabin doesn't differ from the base car too much, save for the weird squircle steering wheel and some unique trim and upholstery options.

Fans of physical buttons, I have bad news: Just about everything is housed in the central 14.5-inch infotainment display. Where the Macan at least offers a fixed haptic-response display of climate controls, adjusting temperature and fan settings in the Audi involves diving into a separate menu. At least there's a volume knob, though it's still awkwardly placed away from the driver on the center console.

Straight ahead of the driver is an 11.9-inch OLED gauge cluster, which shows a wealth of pertinent information using crisp text and vibrant colors. The curved housing that incorporates the gauges and multimedia screen can make it somewhat tough for passengers to use, but don't worry, they have their own dedicated 10.9-inch display that can control some — but crucially, not all — of the Q6's functions. The three-across digital landscape is a bit of a tech overload, if I'm honest, but that could just be personal preference. Natural-language voice commands are included in the Q6's tech package, too, and will work even if you don't know how to pronounce "Audi" correctly.

The Q6 E-tron Quattro is a solid, well-rounded EV

Admittedly, I haven't spent time with the rear-wheel-drive Q6 E-tron, but Audi expects the Quattro variants to be the volume sellers, and I do, too, even though the base car is expected to travel the farthest, with its EPA-estimated 321-mile range. However, it charges slower than the other Q6 E-trons (260 kW vs. 270 kW) because its battery comes from a different supplier, and the $2,000 upcharge the Quattro model seems like a no-brainer considering how much more power and equipment you get while still achieving an estimated 307 miles of driving range.

I'd love to be able to say the same for the jump from the Q6 E-tron Quattro to the SQ6 E-tron Quattro, but without any real performance advantages aside from straight-line speed, its $7,100 upcharge is a much tougher sell. Audi is supposedly working on an even hotter RS Q6 E-tron, though, which could prove to be more enticing. Until then, the good-looking, tech-heavy, great-driving and incredibly comfortable Q6 E-tron Quattro seems like the best overall buy to me.