Audi is taking the Auto Shanghai show by storm with the unveiling of an unexpected A6 E-Tron concept. Its name might suggest we’re dealing with a traditional sedan, but the sleek EV is a more practical liftback to mirror the company’s well-known A5 Sportback and A7 Sportback models equipped with combustion engines.
You know it’s a concept from its huge 22-inch wheels, cameras instead of conventional side mirrors, and no door handles. Other than that, it doesn’t look too far from what we would expect from a production-ready Sportback with purely electric propulsion. The attractive design is more than just for show as it’s also impressively aerodynamic, dropping the body’s drag coefficient to a mere 0.22.
Built on the Premium Performance Electric (PPE) architecture engineered by Audi and Porsche, the A6 E-Tron has approximately the same size as the A7 Sportback and comes with a large battery pack with a useable capacity of around 100 kWh. Mounted within the wheelbase, the battery offers more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) of range between charges, based on the WLTP test cycle.
Audi has developed the concept to charge at 270 kW, resulting in a 5% to 80% charge in less than 25 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, 10 minutes of charge equate to more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range. Much like E-Tron GT sedan, Audi’s new electric concept benefits from the 800-volt charging technology we’ll be seeing more of in models more sophisticated than the MEB-based Q4 E-Tron.
Speaking of sophistication, the Quattro-equipped A6 E-Tron also has air suspension you’re not going to find on the electric SUV. Performance is not too shabby either, with the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) taking less than four seconds. It’s possible by installing a pair of electric motors with a meaty 470 hp (350 kW) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft).
The matrix LED headlights are cooler than they look as Audi has made them serve as projectors as well. As a matter of fact, there’s even a video game projected in front of the car on a wall and playable from a smartphone. At the back, digital OLED taillights – first seen in the facelifted Q5 crossover – now have tridimensional elements.
The A6 E-Tron remains a concept for the time being, but Audi says it foreshadows production PPE-based coming from late 2022 when the Q6 E-Tron will be launched. Hopefully, it won’t take the company too long to reveal the concept’s interior as we only have exterior images for the time being.
Source: Audi
