Audi SQ6 e-tron Review & Prices

This is the Audi SQ6 e-tron - a sportier version of the regular Q6 e-tron that offers keen drivers a more dynamic alternative.

Audi’s ‘S’ models have a place in the company’s all-electric future, and the new SQ6 e-tron is the second - following on from the larger, posher SQ8 e-tron. Like other S models, it’s a higher-performance model, stopping a little short of the hardcore makeover given to RS-badged models but with a greater focus on being faster and more fun to drive.

The SQ6 e-tron is a pretty large, posh electric SUV, and as such its natural alternatives are cars such as the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. It’s a little smaller and less expensive than those cars, though, and its appearance doesn’t really yell out that it’s an electric car - so it’s like opting for a simple jacket with minimal branding rather than going straight for the logo-blasted designer gear.

The SQ6 e-tron doesn’t suffer any loss in practicality compared to the regular Q6 e-tron. That means you still get a big, 526-litre boot that beats out the 500-litre BMW iX and the 520-litre Mercedes EQE SUV.

You also get plenty of space in the back seats for adults with a totally flat floor ensuring the centre passenger doesn’t have to play footsie with the other two.

Front seat passengers enjoy sporty seats with loads of adjustment, and Nappa leather upholstery as standard. For an extra cost you can choose a leather and microfibre combo with extra red detailing for that sporty touch.

All SQ6 models come in posh Edition 1 trim, which is fully loaded - not only do you get fully adjustable air suspension, Audi’s Matrix LED lights and customisable light signatures and the aforementioned sports seats, but inside you get three massive screens across the width of the dashboard, triple-zone climate control, a panoramic glass roof and plenty of other luxury features.

The SQ6 is the most powerful Q6 e-tron revealed so far, and it features two electric motors with a combined power output of 490hp - or up to 517hp in short bursts when launch control is engaged. It’s capable of 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 142mph - handy on the autobahn.

Those two motors endow the SQ6 with quattro all-wheel drive, but don’t go expecting it to have serious off-road chops - it’s designed for greater grip on tarmac rather than supremacy on the rough stuff.

That’s quite a bit slower than the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV 53 and the BMW iX M60, but those cars are more than £20,000 more expensive than the SQ6 e-tron - and it leaves the door open for Audi to launch an even hotter RS Q6 e-tron in the future.

All that extra performance does blunt the SQ6 e-tron’s range a little, but it still offers up to 372 miles on a charge, compared with 381 miles from the regular Q6 e-tron quattro.

If this electric SUV sounds like your cup of tea, check out the best Audi SQ6 e-tron deals right here on Carwow. You can browse other Audi deals here, or find a used Audi for sale here. And remember that Carwow can also help you sell your old car when the time comes.

The SQ6 e-tron commands a significant premium over the regular Q6 e-tron - more than £20,000 extra over the equivalent Edition 1 model. However, if you compare it to sporty alternatives from Audi or Mercedes, it's around £20,000 cheaper - making it quite an interesting halfway house on the way to high-performance electric SUVs.

You do get a ton of equipment with the compulsory Edition 1 trim level, though - all models have the passenger-side display, for example, which is a feature you don't see very often.