Despite its prototype status, the Audi A6 e-tron concept do not hide from what comes. The chosen name clearly tells us what to expect from it when the production version is released (probably in 2023).
It will be Audi's E-segment electric saloon, complementing the existing A6 and A7 Sportback. And when it arrives, Stuttgart's rival, the Mercedes-Benz EQE, will be waiting for you on the market, of which we've already shown you spy photos and which will be revealed later this year.
Unlike the EQE, which looks like a smaller EQS, Audi gave the A6 e-tron concept a set of more conventional proportions, which could have been modeled on the A7 Sportback. In other words, a hatchback — fastback type — with a clear separation between the A-pillar and the plane of the hood.
The exterior dimensions are also close to those of the combustion relatives: the 4.96 m long is exactly the same as the A7 Sportback, but the concept is a little wider and taller than this one, at 1.96 m wide and 1 .44 m tall.
The sleek, lean and fluid lines are also aerodynamically effective, with Audi announcing a Cx of 0.22, a figure that is among the lowest in the industry.
Still on its design, the singleframe “inverted” stands out, that is, it is now covered, formed by a panel in the same color as the bodywork (Heliosilver), with the necessary openings for cooling around it; the black areas at the bottom of the side, indicating battery placement; and of course, the sophisticated lighting both front and back.
Customizable luminous signatures? Check
The lighting of the A6 e-tron concept uses Digital LED Matrix and digital OLED technology. The latter not only allows the optical groups to be thinner, but also opens the door to greater customization, namely, that of luminous signatures. Behind, the OLED digital elements also assume a three-dimensional architecture, allowing the dynamic lighting to gain a 3D effect.
The Digital LED Matrix technology used in the headlights also makes it possible to transform a wall into a projection screen, with the occupants being able to use this feature to, for example, play a video game, using the smartphone as a command.
Complementing the sophisticated lighting, we also have LED projectors scattered around the body. There are three high-resolution ones on each side of the Audi A6 e-tron concept, which can project various types of messages onto the floor when the doors are opened. There are four more high-resolution LED floodlights, one in each corner of the body, which project direction signals onto the asphalt.
PPE, the new premium electric platform
As a foundation for the Audi A6 e-tron concept, we have the new PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform, specific for electric cars and developed halfway between Porsche and Audi. It started with the J1 — which serves the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT — but it will have a much more flexible nature.
As we saw in the Volkswagen Group's most compact MEB, this PPE will also be used by several models in various segments (D, E and F), but always aimed at premium models, where Audi and Porsche live, with Bentley also enjoying of this in the future.
Audi emphasizes the flexibility of this architecture, which will allow models with a low height and ground clearance like the A6 e-tron concept, and taller models with longer ground clearances, in crossover and SUV, without having to modify the architecture base.
The chosen configuration, identical to other platforms dedicated to electric vehicles, places the battery between the axles on the platform floor and the electric motors directly on the axles. A configuration that allows for a longer wheelbase and shorter spans, as well as the absence of a drive shaft, maximizing internal dimensions.
The first PPE-based model to hit the market will be a new generation all-electric Porsche Macan in 2022. It will be followed later in 2022 (closer to the end of the year) by another electric SUV, the (now called) Q6 e-tron — which has already been caught in spy photos. The production version of the A6 e-tron concept is expected to show itself shortly thereafter.
The numbers of the A6 e-tron concept
The A6 e-tron concept comes equipped with two electric motors (one per axle) delivering a total of 350 kW of power (476 hp) and 800 Nm, powered by a battery with a capacity of around 100 kWh.
With two engines, traction will be on… four wheels, but already lifting the edge of the veil on the future, Audi says there will be more affordable versions with just one engine mounted at the rear — that's right, Audi electrics will fundamentally be models rear-wheel drive, unlike Audis with combustion engines, which derive mostly from a front-wheel-drive architecture.
Ground links are also sophisticated, with multilink schemes both at the front (five arms) and at the rear, and an air suspension with adaptive damping.
There are no definitive numbers about its performance, but Audi again gives a glimpse of the future when it announces that the most powerful versions of this electric A6 will do less than four seconds in the classic 0-100 km/h, and in the less powerful versions they will be … powerful enough to do less than seven seconds on the same exercise.
Like the Taycan and the e-tron GT, the PPE also comes with 800 V charging technology, allowing charging up to 270 kW — the first time this technology will be applied in a vehicle in this segment. In other words, this means that, at an appropriate charging station, 10 minutes is enough to gain 300 km of autonomy and less than 25 minutes will be enough to charge the battery from 5% to 80%.
For the A6 e-tron concept, Audi announces a range of over 700 km. A sufficiently high value for, says the brand, so that this model can be used as the main vehicle for any trip, not being limited to shorter and more urban trips.