Audi Q6 e-tron Review

The Audi Q6 e-tron has landed right in the middle of Audi's electric SUV range, filling the gap between the smaller Q4 e-tron and the considerably chunkier Q8 e-tron. And it isn't just another Audi with an e-tron badge stuck on the back. Underneath, there's new EV technology, seriously quick charging and enough range to make checking the battery percentage every five minutes unnecessary. 

On paper, then, there's plenty to like. The bigger question is whether it's good enough to tempt you away from the growing crowd of premium electric SUVs fighting for your monthly lease payment. 

In our Audi Q6 e-tron review, we're putting it through its paces to see what it's like to drive, how far it'll realistically take you and whether an Audi Q6 e-tron lease deserves a spot on your shortlist

Quick Verdict on the Audi Q6 e-tron 

The Audi Q6 e-tron gets a lot right. It's almost silent to drive, packed with clever tech and has the range and rapid charging to make longer journeys much less of an EV planning exercise. There's plenty of space for family life too, and the interior feels suitably posh for something wearing four rings on the nose. 

It isn't cheap, of course. An Audi Q6 e-tron lease will cost more than a mainstream electric SUV, and ticking too many boxes on the options list won't help matters. We also think the Porsche Macan Electric is more entertaining when the road gets interesting. 

For everyday driving, though, the Q6 e-tron is hard to pick holes in. If you want a premium electric SUV that's easy to drive, comfortable over long distances and doesn't make charging feel like a second job, it deserves a spot near the top of your shortlist. 

Overall Rating: 9.3/10 

The Audi Q6 e-tron is a seriously good all-rounder. It's comfortable, quick to charge, lovely inside and practical enough to handle family life without complaint. You can find cheaper electric SUVs and faster ones, but few manage to tick quite as many boxes. If you're considering an Audi Q6 e-tron lease, our team can highly recommend it in this Audi Q6 e-tron review.  

Audi Q6 e-tron at a Glance 

Want the numbers without wading through the whole Audi Q6 e-tron review? Here are the headline specs worth knowing.  

Maximum range varies depending on model, wheel size and specification. 

Who Should Lease the Audi Q6 e-tron? 

The Q6 e-tron has plenty going for it, but that doesn't automatically make it the right EV for your next lease agreement. Here's who we'd happily point towards an Audi Q6 e-tron lease, and who might be better off looking elsewhere.  

The Audi Q6 e-tron is a great choice if you:

The Audi Q6 e-tron may not be the best choice if:

Our Verdict 

The Q6 e-tron is one of our favourite EVs. It's comfortable enough for long journeys, with a seriously premium interior and enough range to stop every motorway trip becoming a tour of Britain's charging stations. If you want something that makes every B-road exciting, there are sportier options. For an Audi Q6 e-tron lease that needs to slot neatly into everyday life, though, it's a very convincing package.  

Exterior Design & Road Presence 

There's no mistaking the Q6 e-tron for anything other than an Audi. You still get the familiar SUV shape and oversized Singleframe grille, although the slim daytime running lights give the front end a sharper, more modern look. Higher-spec versions also let you customise the digital light signatures, which is entirely unnecessary but admittedly quite cool. 

From the side, it sits neatly between the smaller Q4 e-tron and much bigger Q8 e-tron. Chunky wheel arches give it some presence, while S line models turn things up a notch with larger alloys and sportier exterior details.

The rear gets a full-width light bar, with digital OLED lights available further up the range. Audi hasn't tried too hard to make the Q6 e-tron look futuristic simply because it's electric, and we think that's a good thing. It's more understated than some of its rivals and should still look smart long after today's more adventurous EV designs have started showing their age. 

Interior, Technology & Comfort 

Climb inside the Q6 e-tron and Audi's premium reputation makes a lot more sense. The cabin feels well put together and suitably expensive, although the big change here is just how much screen Audi has managed to squeeze across the dashboard. 

The driver gets an 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit alongside a curved 14.5-inch infotainment screen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included. Higher-spec models can add a separate 10.9-inch passenger display, so your co-pilot can handle the music or navigation instead of reaching across and interfering with your screen.

There's plenty of room to get comfortable, too. Rear passengers benefit from the Q6 e-tron's long wheelbase, and excellent sound insulation keeps things pleasantly quiet once you're up to motorway speeds. Storage is dotted around the cabin and there's a wireless charging tray for your phone, although you'll probably spend more time admiring the dashboard than getting excited about the cupholders. 

For anyone considering an Audi Q6 e-tron lease as a long-distance or family car, the cabin is one of its biggest selling points. It feels premium without making everyday controls unnecessarily complicated. 

What's the Audi Q6 e-tron Like to Drive? 

The Q6 e-tron isn't an electric SUV that'll have you inventing excuses to take the scenic route, but that's not really the point. Audi has clearly put comfort first, and for everyday driving, that works rather well. 

Around town, the instant electric power makes pulling away effortless, and the light steering helps disguise just how big the Q6 e-tron actually is. Parking isn't too intimidating either, particularly with the 360-degree camera fitted. 

Motorways are where it feels most at home. There's very little noise inside and the suspension does a good job of smoothing out rough surfaces, so a few hours behind the wheel shouldn't leave you desperate to escape at the next services. 

Quattro versions add extra grip when the weather turns typically British, and the battery's low position helps the Q6 e-tron stay settled through corners. The Porsche Macan Electric is more fun when the road gets twisty, but our Audi Q6 e-tron review means that this is the car we'd rather spend several hours driving up the M6 in. 

Battery, Range & Charging 

Range is one area where the Q6 e-tron makes a strong case for itself. Most versions get a 100kWh battery (94.9kWh usable), with up to 392 miles of official WLTP range available depending on the model. Real-world figures will vary, especially once British winter decides to get involved, but there's enough range here to make longer trips much easier to plan. 

The really clever bit is the charging. Audi's 800-volt technology allows the Q6 e-tron to charge at up to 270kW, taking the battery from 10% to 80% in around 21 minutes on a compatible rapid charger. In other words, the car could be ready to leave before you've finished debating whether to buy an overpriced service-station coffee. 

At home, a 7kW wallbox will take roughly 14 hours to charge the larger battery from empty. Most drivers won't be arriving home on 0%, of course, so plugging in overnight should comfortably cover normal day-to-day driving.

Performance & Powertrains 

There are several versions of the Q6 e-tron to choose from, but you don't need the fastest one to enjoy it. The rear-wheel-drive models put the emphasis on efficiency and offer plenty of performance for everyday driving, making them the sensible choice if squeezing more miles from a charge matters most to you. 

Quattro versions add another motor and all-wheel drive, giving you more power along with extra grip when the roads get slippery. It's a useful upgrade if you want the added reassurance, although plenty of drivers will be perfectly happy without it. 

Then there's the SQ6 e-tron, which answers the question nobody really needed to ask: how fast should a big electric family SUV be? Very, apparently. It can hit 62mph in under five seconds, yet still feels like a Q6 e-tron when you're not launching it away from the lights. 

Based on our full Audi Q6 e-tron review, we'd prioritise range over outright pace. Even the less powerful versions are hardly sluggish, and those extra miles are likely to prove much more useful than winning the occasional traffic-light grand prix. 

Running Costs 

The Q6 e-tron isn't a budget EV, but charging it doesn't have to cost a fortune. If you can plug in at home and take advantage of a cheaper overnight tariff, your everyday energy costs should be considerably lower than filling an equivalent petrol SUV. 

There are premium-car costs to remember, though. Insurance can be expensive and those enormous Audi alloys won't be wearing bargain-bin tyres. Servicing should require less routine maintenance than a combustion-powered car. And Audi's warranty provides some extra reassurance during a typical lease term. 

Business drivers have another reason to consider an Audi Q6 e-tron lease, as fully electric cars continue to attract much lower Benefit-in-Kind tax rates than comparable petrol or diesel company cars. 

So, a cheap car lease, it is not. But potentially cheaper to live with than the petrol SUV you're replacing? That's where the Q6 e-tron starts to make considerably more sense. 

Reliability & Safety 

The Q6 e-tron is still relatively new, so it's too early to make any grand claims about how it'll behave after years on the road. That's less of a concern when leasing, though, as Audi's three-year manufacturer warranty should cover most standard lease terms. The battery gets separate cover for eight years or 100,000 miles. 

There's plenty of safety technology watching your back too, including autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warnings. Higher trims add more driver assistance tech, although we'd still recommend looking over your shoulder occasionally rather than letting the Audi do all the work. 

For an Audi Q6 e-tron lease, the combination of warranty cover and a strong safety package should provide plenty of reassurance. 

Audi Q6 e-tron Trim Levels Explained 

You don't need to head straight for the top of the range to get a well-equipped Audi Q6 e-tron lease. Sport gives you plenty as standard, whilst S line adds the styling upgrades that make the Audi look a little more special on the driveway.  

Availability may vary depending on current model year. 

Sport is the sensible choice. You still get Audi's impressive digital cockpit and plenty of everyday equipment, so you won't spend your lease feeling as though you chose the cheap seats. 

The S line adds a sportier look inside and out, including larger wheels and different exterior styling. If the difference in monthly payment isn't huge, this is where we'd put our money. 

Edition 1 piles on more equipment, but we'd check the lease price carefully before getting carried away. Nice-to-have extras are considerably less exciting when you're paying for them every month. 

For most of our Audi Q6 e-tron lease customers, the S line should hit the sweet spot without sending the monthly payment too far north. 

Audi Q6 e-tron vs the Competition 

There's no shortage of premium electric SUVs competing for your lease payment. The Audi Q6 e-tron sits somewhere between the sportier choices and the big luxury cruisers, which is actually a pretty useful place to be. 

The Porsche Macan Electric is more entertaining to drive, whereas the BMW iX gives you more space if you're happy with its rather opinion-splitting looks. The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV leans further towards luxury, but the Audi's interior feels easier to get your head around. 

Then there's the Tesla Model Y. It's difficult to ignore the price, although the Q6 e-tron feels like the more premium car once you're sitting inside it. 

That's really the Audi's advantage. It doesn't necessarily beat every rival at its own game, but there aren't many areas where it falls noticeably short either. If you want one premium electric SUV that can handle most things without making a fuss about it, the Q6 e-tron makes a very strong case for itself. 

Audi Q6 e-tron Review: Final Verdict 

So, after all that, is the Audi Q6 e-tron worth leasing? We think so. It feels like an Audi that happens to be electric, rather than an EV trying desperately to remind you how futuristic it is. It's comfortable over long distances and has the charging speed to make motorway trips far less of a faff. 

An Audi Q6 e-tron lease also makes sense if you're keen to drive the latest EV technology without committing to owning it long term. You'll have fixed monthly payments and, depending on your lease term, manufacturer warranty cover for some or all of the agreement. 

You will pay more for the four rings than you would for plenty of mainstream electric SUVs. If you're already shopping at the premium end of the market, though, the Q6 e-tron earns its place on the shortlist. 

Our pick? We'd look for a good Q6 e-tron S line lease deal and spend the money saved by avoiding the top trim on something considerably more exciting. 

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