Audi Q6 E-tron (RWD) 2026 Review

In Australia, there is barely any demand for EVs priced above $100,000. Buy above $100K and the key EV purchase incentive — a full waiver of fringe benefits tax (FBT) on pre-tax novated leases — becomes unavailable.

That’s a problem for Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and other luxury manufacturers, which had hoped private buyers would see so much value in premium EVs they’d forego the FBT waiver. That didn’t happen.

As a result, Audi’s Q6 midsize electric SUV has generally had to be discounted by dealers in order just to get deals done. That has necessitated discounts of $20,000 or more from the Q6’s previous starting price of $115,500 plus on-road costs.

We say previous, because Audi has decided to acknowledge the problem and cut its losses. It has reorganised the Q6 lineup in Australia by introducing a new base model with a smaller battery, a less powerful rear-wheel drive motor, and a $100K official price that will transact a few thousand dollars lower to qualify for the FBT waiver incentive.

That price stays the same no matter whether a customer prefers their tier-one Q6 in traditional SUV shape or in swooping-roofline Sportback format.

While the battery and motor are downsized, it’s not all bad. Ultimately, Australian customers can now officially step into the high-tech, 800-volt Q6 — which shares its core architecture with the Porsche Macan — without saying ‘auf wiedersehen’ to tax savings or having to fight a dealer to swallow a massive cut.

Anyway, the new entry Q6 has been stuffed with desirable equipment, helping it not to feel stripped-out: 19-inch alloys, matrix LED headlights, real leather — heated and powered up front — a 14.5-inch OLED touchscreen, full connectivity, all charging cables, heated steering wheel, power tailgate: all included.

All safety tech is also standard. Front, side, curtain and centre airbags are joined by front and rear AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane departure, blind-spot monitoring, speed sign recognition, a 360-degree camera, and tyre pressure monitoring. The Q6 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating against 2024 protocols.

The base-grade sacrifices are as follows: the base car’s 75.8kWh (usable) nickel manganese cobalt battery has a shorter 462-489km range compared to the $115K Q6 E-tron Performance, which has a 94.9kWh pack. The latter grade is also rear-wheel drive, but has a higher 225kW/485Nm motor tune, while the new base model makes 185kW/450Nm.

Unusually, that higher-tune RWD Q6 continues in existence for Australia — you’d have to imagine demand will be low other than for existing stock — while buyers who don’t care about the EV incentive might consider the $122,500 Q6 Quattro, which has dual motors and a heady 285kW/855Nm.

The thing is, the higher-spec Q6 models that don’t qualify for the EV incentive don’t get meaningful additional spec, other than the bigger battery and more power. The important feature the expensive Q6s add (and only as an option) is the possibility to specify air suspension ($4900).

It’s unfortunate that the Q6 base model doesn’t have air suspension and can’t be ordered with it (for now), because its ride quality is really the only thing stopping it from being, easily, one of the best-value sub-LCT electric car buys in Australia.

Q6 examples fitted with air suspension have unbelievably good ride quality and if you try it on a test drive, you’ll be very hard-pressed to step down and accept the Q6’s standard passive-damper suspension.

Not that the base Q6 rides terribly. It’s just very…Audi. The ride is very firm, tightly controlled and with next to no rebound. You notice the bumps. They don’t crash into the cabin, but for a family SUV that’s meant to be luxurious, it’s a little much. Air ride would fix this; it’s unavailable.

And that’s annoying because the rest of the drive is appropriately mature and sophisticated, if not particularly fun. Power is adequate and is delivered in silken fashion (overboost to 215kW allows a ‘fine’ 7.0sec 0-100km/h time) while adjustable regen’ — including a radar-driven adaptive setting — should allow drivers to find something comfortable.

You can tell that the bespoke PPE platform shared by Audi and Porsche was expensively developed at a time where EVs were truly expected to take over, and fast. There is bank vault build quality and refinement with not a creak — plus incredible body control.

While this is a heavy car (2315kg tare), and a relatively large midsizer (4771mm long, 1939mm wide and 1648mm high, on a 2899mm wheelbase), the Q6 doesn’t feel quite as big inside as it looks. Boot space measures an acceptable 526 litres, though rear seat space is tighter than expected. Teenagers will still fit but it’s not massive.

Interestingly, the Q6 is one of those cars that is perfectly pleasant when cruising (save that over-firm ride), but which unveils a devilishly entertaining character when pushed harder. Maybe the Macan demanded a communicative, flexible side to the chassis; either way, the Q6 is also a beneficiary, and this rear-drive Audi really boogies on a country road.

Audi’s engineers were, however, obviously quarantined from Porsche’s steering department because the Q6’s (quite large) tiller is aloof.

Something that hasn’t been written or spoken about enough in EV reviews is the growing chasm between flashy (and often affordable) “premium” cars and models from traditional luxury brands which might not be as well-equipped — and appear to be poorer in value — but have far more resolved driving dynamics and more refined cabin environs.

The latter group (of which the Q6 is clearly a member) are often slagged off by online commentators as overpriced and, technologically-speaking, behind the times. Maybe there are some elements of truth to this, and ‘legacy’ carmakers are certainly learning from the newcomers, but this sentiment is at best an oversimplification of the facts.

The thing about the Q6 is that it is an Audi first, albeit one developed to meet the (increasingly sophisticated) EV requirements of European customers, fleets and states. There’s an indelible richness to both the cabin and the driving experience that goes above simply throwing soft surfaces, more power and rotating screens at a car.

It’s in the extensive genuine leather over PVC. It’s in the graining of the secondary materials. It’s in the consistency of the force required to move a stalk or button. It’s in the fonts. It’s in the menu structure being intuitive. It’s in the calibration of the stability control. Is Audi — or similar firms — perfect? Of course not, but it takes a long time to get fine details right.

Here, the screens are fixed (among the trio, a 14.5-inch OLED central touchscreen with magnificent black tones). The sport seats are firm and supportive, the ergonomics brilliant, with key controls in reach. The curved display panel is perhaps a little much, if you favoured Audi’s restrained previous-generation interiors.

That’s why the emerging breed of sub-LCT models from long-running luxury brands deserve a look in and a test drive, even if they are ultimately more expensive and less techy than some of their new-brand protégées.

In any case, the Q6’s bona fides are pretty good on the latter front. Its 800-volt platform allows decently quick charging (at slightly throttled base-grade 225kW speeds), and we found it to be very efficient, returning 15.3kWh/100km on a mixed loop for 495km range, or seven percent better than WLTP.

A six-year service plan costs a half-reasonable $2080 while the warranty on the Q6 is five years/unlimited kilometres, while the battery is warranted for eight years/160,000km.

How would we have ours? Technically, with a price right on the cusp of the LCT (it’s a bit over, though Audi acknowledges it will transact at LCT), the new base model Q6 does not appear to leave buyers room for optioning anything. Good thing in-vogue, solid Magnet Grey is the free colour!

It may turn out that Audi dealers are willing to throw in the Style Pack ($5500) at the threshold price, with this combo adding S line exterior styling with a black pack, 20-inch grey wheels, and privacy glass.

It might be a bigger ask to order a base Q6 with the appealing Premium Pack ($8900), which nabs a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, opening panoramic sunroof with shade, faster USB ports, acoustic glazing, and augmented reality HUD. But we’d recommend trying anyway.