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?

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.