Spy shots point to the new Audi Q6 e-tron arriving in 2022

We already know the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, and we will soon meet the Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback. Audi’s line-up of 100% electric SUVs is set to expand further, as the first spy photos of the new Q6 e-tron suggest - a national exclusive from Automotive Reason - and it is expected to be unveiled as early as 2022.

Beneath the camouflage sits a new SUV that should slot somewhere between the forthcoming Q4 e-tron and the current e-tron. In other words, picture this new Q6 e-tron as the 100% electric counterpart to the Audi Q5.

Where the Audi Q6 e-tron fits in Audi’s electric SUV range

Unlike the e-tron and e-tron Sportback, which are based on a platform originally intended for internal-combustion vehicles - MLB evo (A6, A8, Q5, etc.) - the new Q6 e-tron will use an architecture created specifically for 100% electric vehicles. Even so, it will not be the MEB platform that we already know from the Q4 e-tron.

PPE: the new dedicated electric platform

Instead, it will be underpinned by a fresh platform developed together with Porsche: PPE (Premium Platform Electric). This architecture will debut with the new Macan from the Stuttgart brand, also in 2022. As we have previously mentioned, the next generation of the Porsche Macan will be exclusively electric, while the current generation (with internal-combustion engines) will continue on sale alongside it for a while longer.

Three SUVs, one platform

Just as today’s Porsche Macan shares many components with the Audi Q5, the upcoming Macan and this all-new Q6 e-tron are expected to be closely related from a technical standpoint - the same platform, battery and motors. The Macan will be revealed first, with the Q6 e-tron arriving a few months later.

Already testing, but little is known

Even though both models are already undergoing tests - as the spy photos show - the reality is that little to nothing is known about the specifications of these two new electric SUVs.

For now, there are only rumours: talk of electric range close to 500 km, and the use of the Taycan/e-tron GT’s 800 V electrical architecture, which could enable ultra-fast charging of up to 350 kW.

We will have to wait. The arrival of the new Q6 e-tron has also raised questions about the future of the Audi Q5. A third generation is planned for 2024 (the current model launched in 2017 and has already received an update), and the question is how “new” it will be. We know the current Macan will be refreshed once again to extend its lifespan for a few more years, so the Q5’s path could very well follow the same approach.

The definitive name for this new Audi electric SUV also remains unconfirmed. Alongside the Q6 e-tron designation, the name Q5 e-tron has also been suggested. However, following the example of the split between the Q3 and the Q4 e-tron - both competing in the same market segment - all signs point to the same happening here.