Audi Q6 e-tron long-term test: Is this the best electric family SUV for 2026?

• Report 1: Audi Q6 e-tron – redefining the electric SUV?
• Report 2: The one option on the Q6 e-tron that's a must
• Report 3: Audi Q6 e-tron vs original e-tron – how much has Audi’s electric SUV really progressed?

Report 1: Audi Q6 e-tron – redefining the electric SUV?

For those of us who have spent the last decade watching Audi’s electric e-tron branding evolve from a niche experiment into a full-scale lineup, the arrival of the Q6 e-tron marks a significant milestone.

Date: 17 March 2026 | Current mileage: 36 | Claimed efficiency: 3.3 mi/kWh

Say hello to our new Audi Q6 e-tron. You'd be hard pressed to miss it. But this isn't just another SUV – it’s built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), shared with the Porsche Macan and promises a leap forward in range, charging and handling.

Our test model is the Q6 e-tron quattro Edition 1, finished in a rather striking Soneira Red metallic with Mythos Black bumpers. At a total cost of £83,080, it certainly isn't a budget choice, especially with over £6000 worth of optional extras bolted on. 

We’ve opted for the Sound and Vision Pack (£3195), which adds a layer of digital sophistication to the dashboard that makes some rivals look a generation behind. Is it strictly necessary? Perhaps not, but for the high-mileage driver, the upgraded audio and clever head-up display quickly become features you’d hate to lose.

Inside, the Edition 1 trim also gets Dinamica microfiber and leather seats with diamond stitching that are as comfortable as they are good to look at.

We've only driven a handful of miles but with almost 390PS and quattro all-wheel drive, performance is effortless. It’s a heavy car, but it masks its weight well on the move. We’ve also specified a folding towbar (£1050), reflecting how many of our readers actually use these vehicles – not just for the school run, but for active weekends away with things like towbar-mounted bike racks.

Our car sits on 21-inch 'Aero' wheels, which look fantastic in metallic black gloss, though we’ll be keeping a very close eye on how they affect the ride quality on the UK's increasingly potholed backroads over the coming months. Especially as our car is not fitted with the optional air suspension which also adds adaptive dampers.

The keen eyed among you will notice that this is a 2025 model year car, you can no longer order the Edition 1 from the factory. The (sort of) equivalent now is essentially the Black Edition which comes with a black grille rather than the body coloured version on the Edition 1. The Black Edition quattro is also slightly quicker than the Edition 1 with a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds but with the same range.

The next six months will see us finding out what the real-world charging speeds are like, how the range holds up and whether that nearly £3200 infotainment pack is a genuine help or just a high-tech distraction. We'll also be comparing it with our own car – a 2020 Audi e-tron 50 – to see just how far EVs have progressed in the past 6 years.

Report 2: The one option on the Q6 e-tron that's a must

We're one month into our time with the Q6 e-tron and it's quickly become apparent that we've made one major error with the specification.

Date: 17 April 2026 | Current mileage: 1823 | Claimed efficiency: 3.3 mi/kWh | Actual efficiency: 2.8 mi/kWh

Having covered 1800 miles already we've had a good chance to get to know our Q6 e-tron. As well as the usual school runs and regular 100 mile weekend round-trips to see family, the Q6 e-tron has been my transport for several longer drives, including an interesting cross country drive to Wycombe to drive the new Jaecoo 8.  

With an arrival time of 9.30am on a Monday and traffic already looking iffy on the M25, Waze took me on non-motorway route across from my home in Bedfordshire. And when I say non-motorway, there were times when I was on single track country lanes praying that I wouldn't meet a tractor coming the other way.

What the rough rural roads of that route did highlight to me was that I'd made a pretty big error when specifying the Q6 e-tron. And that was not ticking the box for air suspension. Instead our car rides on standard springs and the result is far from comfortable.

It probably doesn't help that I came out of the uber-comfortable Volvo XC90 with its pliant air suspension, straight into the Q6. The difference between the two is stark. The Volvo is all wafty and smooth, the Q6 in contrast feels busy and overly stiff, not helped by its big 21-inch alloys.

I should of course have chosen adaptive air suspension when specifying our car. It's a £2115 option but I'd say it's worth every penny. On the original 2020 Audi e-tron, air suspension came as standard, even our family car – a base-model 50 Technik – has it. I knew it would be firmer without but I didn't quite realise just how firm it would be, not helped by the fact our Editon 1 model has Sports suspension...

The trade off is that it does handle extremely well. This may be a big SUV but it's incredible in corners with huge amounts of grip and mightily good body control. This is where you can see the Porsche Macan connection. Problem is, with a family in tow, enthusiastic cornering is a rarity these days.

My trip back was the usual motorway route of the M40, M25 and M1, where the Q6 e-tron is far happier when it comes to ride. It also meant I could use the adaptive cruise control. After being a bit of a sceptic for years, I'm increasingly finding myself using cruise control systems. And the Audi system is one of the best I've tested. It's smooth, reliable and doesn't get confused by busy motorways as others do. 

Our Q6 is proving efficient too and we've seen an average of 2.8 mi/kWh since we started with just 30-odd miles on the clock. That's working out at around 230 miles from an 80% charge – I've not needed to max it out to 100% yet but with a few very long journeys planned it won't be long before I can test out its full range.

Report 3: Audi Q6 e-tron vs original e-tron – how much has Audi’s electric SUV really progressed?

Comparing our Audi Q6 e-tron with the family 2020 e-tron reveals massive leaps in range and charging speed, but a step backward in ride comfort on rough UK roads.

Date: 18 May 2026 | Current mileage: 2402 | Claimed efficiency: 3.3 mi/kWh | Actual efficiency: 2.8 mi/kWh

Audi's electric SUV has gone through a bit of an identity crisis since its launch in 2019. First called simply the Audi e-tron it was then facelifted and rebadged as the Audi Q8 e-tron (not to be confused with the standard Audi Q8 which was a different thing). Now in its latest guise it's been rebranded as the Audi Q6 e-tron. No wonder buyers are a bit confused.

Our family car is an Audi e-tron, a 50 Technik, which was the entry-level model when launched. Don't be fooled by those S Line wheels. So we're in an ideal position to see just how far Audi's electric SUV has progressed in the space of about five years.

Of course the latest Q6 e-tron is built on the same platform as the Porsche Macan Electric, hence the more upright front end design compared to the original Audi e-tron. That bluff nose and high placed headlights certainly give the Q6 e-tron plenty of road presence, helped by the Soneira Red metallic paint finish on our car.

But the biggest difference – and a barometer of how quick EV technology is advancing – is the range. When new, the claimed range of our 50 Technik was 190 miles. The Q6 e-tron we have has a claimed 350 mile range. Admittedly the e-tron range wasn't great even at the time (a Polestar 2 is much better) but that didn't stop it from being a big seller. 

Of course, these are only claimed ranges and unless you won't see those figures in real life driving, but it's a useful comparison. Then there's charging tech. This is perhaps more than anything, highlights how much technology has progressed over six years.

Feature	2020 Audi e-tron 50 Technik	2026 Audi Q6 e-tron quattro
Electric architecture	400 volt	800 volt
Battery capacity (net)	64.7kWh usable	94.9kWh usable
Max DC charge rate	120kW	270kW
10% to 80% charge time	25-30 minutes	21 minutes
AC home charge	11kW (approx 7 hours 0-100%)	11kW (approx. 13 hours 0-100%)

The Q6 e-tron takes less time (just 21 mins) to go from 10% to 80% than the older e-tron 50 despite the fact that the Q6 is charging a battery that is nearly 50% larger. The 2020 e-tron has a flat charging curve – so it will hold its maximum 120 kW speed all the way up to 80%. However, the 2026 Q6 e-tron's 800-volt system allows it to peak at 270 kW, meaning it can add roughly 158 miles of range in just 10 minutes. 

Then there's comfort. When our e-tron was new, it was Audi's EV pioneer and came with a high level of standard equipment, so even our base-level car had air suspension as standard fit. That's no longer the case and as I explained above, it will cost you more than £2000 to have it fitted. The contrast is stark. Our e-tron is very comfortable and serene, which is surely what most people want from a big electric SUV.

The Q6 e-tron may have better handling but the ride is horrible in comparison. It's fine on very smooth motorways but on a poorly surfaced road, you feel every bump and crack. I've got used to it but the rest of the family – especially the kids in the back – aren't as keen. 

Inside there's actually little to choose between the two. Both have similar space in the back and a good-sized boot. The Q6 of course has a more modern infotainment system - it also now uses Android Automotive OS – plus it ditches the twin stacked screens. But both old and new work well and I wouldn't say I notice a huge difference when switching between the two cars. One thing that I do like about the older e-tron (above) is the stylish gear selector - the Q6 gets a rather boring button. 

So for now, the Q6 tends to do the big miles for us on motorways, but for the local school run, which involves some very potholed roads, the e-tron often gets the nod thanks to its better ride.