BMW kind of kicked off this whole SUV-meets-coupe thing when they brought out the X6, and now, this trend has hit the electric market. Audi’s been on board with this for a while now—they’ve got the Q4 Sportback E-Tron and the Q8 Sportback E-Tron in their lineup already. But they’re not stopping there. At the 2024 Paris Motor Show, Audi’s dropping their newest addition—the Q6 E-Tron Sportback.

You can probably guess from the name that this Sportback version is a sleeker take on the regular Q6 E-Tron, which just came out a little while ago. It’s also like a cousin to the Porsche Macan. The main difference? The roof. Audi shaved off almost 1.5 inches from the roofline, giving it that swoopy coupe vibe. It might not sound like a lot, but believe me, it changes things. The slanted roof helps lower the drag coefficient from 0.28 to 0.26, so it’s a bit more aerodynamic than the regular SUV shape.

Now, Audi claims that the Sportback’s roofline reminds them of their OG TT Coupe. To be honest, though, I don’t really see it. Like, sure, it’s got a sloped roof, but the rest of the car is way bulkier than the lean, mean TT machine from back in the day. It’s hard to ignore how much bigger the Sportback is in comparison.

The Q6 Sportback E-Tron borrows a few design cues from other Audi models built on their Premium Platform Electric (PPE) system. For instance, it has a split headlight setup, which seems to be the hot new trend in Audi’s electric cars, as you can see in the A6 E-Tron. The split headlights are also what sets it apart from its smaller sibling, the Q4 Sportback E-Tron. That said, it would’ve been cool to see more differences between these models. Especially since the upcoming gas-powered Q5 Sportback isn’t going to look all that different either.

Of course, that tapered rear end, as sleek as it looks, does cut into the cargo space a little. But not by much. You’re still getting 511 liters of trunk space with the back seats up. Fold them down, and you’ve got 1,373 liters of room. The front compartment, or “frunk,” remains unchanged with 64 liters of storage, and there’s another 25 liters scattered throughout the cabin for smaller stuff.

Step inside, and the interior’s almost a straight copy of the regular Q6 E-Tron. The triple-screen setup dominates the dashboard, with a 14.5-inch infotainment screen in the center, an 11.9-inch driver’s display, and a 10.9-inch screen for the front passenger. If you want more tech, there’s an optional head-up display with augmented reality features. You’ll find the same arrangement in the A6 E-Tron too, with very few physical buttons to mess with, which keeps things looking clean.

Just like the standard Q6 E-Tron, the Sportback comes in a few different versions. You can go for a rear-wheel-drive model with a single motor or opt for Quattro, which gives you a dual-motor setup for all-wheel drive. There are two battery sizes—one has 75.8 kWh of usable power, and the other bumps it up to 94.9 kWh. The top-dog model, the SQ6, only comes with a bigger battery and dual motors.

This SQ6 really brings the heat. It churns out 483 horsepower and can launch from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. If you want something a bit slower (but still fast), the Quattro-equipped Q6 Sportback E-Tron has 382 horsepower and hits 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. Going further down the lineup, there’s a rear-wheel-drive version with 302 hp that’ll do the sprint in 6.6 seconds. And then there’s the base model, with 248 hp, which gets to 60 mph in about 7 seconds.

If you’re after the best range, you’ll want the rear-wheel-drive Q6 Sportback E-Tron Performance with the bigger battery. It can go up to 408 miles (656 kilometers) on a single charge, based on the WLTP cycle. The model with the smaller battery still gets a decent 339 miles (545 kilometers) of range.

Charging speeds depend on which version you choose, but Audi says you can get up to 270 kW of charging power. That means you can juice up from 10% to 80% in just 22 minutes. And if you’re in a rush, 10 minutes at a fast charger can add around 165 miles (265 kilometers) of range.

One thing that sets the Q6 Sportback E-Tron apart from the cheaper Q4 Sportback E-Tron is the platform. The Q4 uses the older MEB architecture, while the Q6 rides on the PPE platform, which means you get some fancier features. For example, the Q6 Sportback E-Tron has adaptive air suspension, giving it a smoother ride. Plus, it’s equipped with an 800-volt electrical system, allowing for quicker charging times. Inside, you’ve got a Bang & Olufsen sound system with 20 speakers, including four embedded in the headrests up front—fancy, right?

After its big reveal at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, the Q6 Sportback E-Tron will hit the market in Europe by the end of the year, maybe early 2025. As for U.S. availability, Audi hasn’t spilled the beans yet. We’ll have to wait and see what they’ve got in store for this electric coupe-SUV crossover.

Source and Images: Motor1