As someone who grew up with a range of Audis from 5000 CS Turbos to a V8 quattro, multiple C5 A6 models, along with some D2 A8s in my orbit, you can imagine my surprise when a rear-wheel-drive 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback silently pulled into my driveway.
This new model doesn’t just mark the next-generation A6, of which a gas model is now coming because the world is retrenching, but it also marks a shift in the automaker’s dynamics and mentality.
We’ve driven the A6 E-Tron Quattro, which features a dual-motor powertrain delivering all-wheel drive. But the single-motor A6 opened my eyes to a new day at Audi.
The Basics
The A6 E-Tron Sportback is completely new for 2025. The exterior lacks a distinct personality. It’s not pretty or delicate like a Lucid, it’s not distinctive like the latest BMWs (for better or worse), and it’s not flashy like a Mercedes. The dual lighting-element treatment has been adopted, with the LED daytime running lights split out from the headlights, and frankly, nothing about this screams Audi. It’s not offensive. It’s just not distinctive.
Inside, the A6 E-Tron is a mixed bag. Build quality seems top-shelf, however. Everything feels rock solid, the doors open and close with a thunk, and nothing wiggles. But the dashboard, which has a less distinctive version of a massive screen like a Lucid or a Cadillac floating off the dash, feels generic, as if it were from a Chinese automaker. As a veteran Audi fan, I’m not sure there’s any lineage here. Certainly not in the way of the recent Audi C concept, which is said to preview the upcoming Audi design language. The shiny piano black plastic trim everywhere is going to look horrendous as it ages and gets scratched. The control panel button setup that integrates every button on the driver’s door into a single panel is borderline offensive as a cost-cutting measure.
I did appreciate how the A6 E-Tron is actually a hatchback rather than a sedan. It made loading large objects easier and provided more cargo space, especially with the rear seats were folded down.
Driving the 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron
The A6 E-Tron I tested was a single-motor model powering the rear wheels with 362 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque. An 800-volt electrical architecture is paired with a 100-kWh battery pack, of which only 94.4 kWh is tapped.
The driving experience is odd at first, given that it doesn’t drive like other Audis. There’s no engine hanging off the front, so the car feels balanced; it turns in quickly, and the front end doesn’t push around. It’s almost like an older BMW in a weird twist of a timeline. The steering is light, but not darty. Minor corrections aren’t needed on the highway, but thinking the wheel will relay what’s going on with the tires is a stretch.
Despite being the single-motor model, the A6 E-Tron has plenty of punch, with a 0-60 mph sprint of just over 5 seconds. It’s not uncomfortably quick, but it’s more than quick enough off the line or when it comes time to pass on the highway.
Range, Charging, and Efficiency
The single-motor rear-wheel drive A6 E-Tron has an EPA-rated range of 370 miles. That seems almost unrealistic, but it’ll depend on your driving conditions. Getting over 300 miles of range shouldn’t be a problem, though.
In the first half of the week, before much suburban highway driving was mixed into the equation, the A6 E-Tron averaged about 3.7 mi/kWh. That figure dropped as more mixed suburban driving was included in the total of 420 miles driven over the week, resulting in 3.1 mi/kWh. That would equate to 292 miles of real-world mileage.
That 800-volt electrical architecture enables fast charging from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes.
Quick Verdict
Starting at $67,195 including a $1,295 destination charge, the A6 E-Tron is about the same price as a base Lucid Air and is more expensive than the Cadillac Lyriq crossover. The A6 E-Tron I tested was loaded with a Prestige package adding $6,300 of niceties such as adaptive air suspension, Bang & Olufsen 3D surround-sound system, and a 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen on the dashboard, all totaling $75,240.
The reality is the Lucid Air looks better, goes further, and wipes the floor with Audi in terms of efficiency. But the Audi is a car that, without question, is solidly built, doesn’t have the software teething issues of a startup automaker, has a fully built out dealer network with a reputation for taking care of customers, and perhaps most importantly, no longer feels compromised in terms of driving dynamics. If Audi can make an EV that charges, feels, and drives like this now, I’m really interested to see what it can do with its upcoming, more distinctive lineup.
Audi provided The Drive with a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
| 2025 Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback Specs | |
|---|---|
| Base Price (Prestige) | $67,195 ($75,240) |
| Powertrain | single-motor | single-speed automatic | rear-wheel drive |
| Horsepower | 362 |
| Torque | 375 lb-ft |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Curb Weight | 4,949 pounds |
| Cargo Volume | 29.95 cubic feet behind second row | 39.87 behind first row |
| 0-60 mph | 5.2 seconds |
| Top Speed | 130 mph |
| EPA-Rated Range | 370 miles |
| Score | 8/10 |
