The Audi A6 E-Tron electric sedan is under development on some gorgeous alpine roads. This video of its testing provides a close-up look at the upcoming EV.
The production-spec A6 E-Tron has a strong resemblance to the concept for the four-door. There are small tweaks like increasing the size of the lower portion of the split headlights. The inlets in the corners are less prominent on the road-going version. The trapezoidal opening in the center of the lower fascia is bigger.
Gallery: Audi A6 E-Tron Sedan Spy Photos
The development engineers appear to be torture testing the brakes during a portion of this video. The A6 E-Tron has its emergency lights on and is driving slowly down the mountain. Occasionally, you can hear the brakes squeal.
The similarity with the Audi A6 E-Tron concept is most noticeable when viewing the vehicles in profile. There's a sleek roofline with an arching shape that flows to a short rear deck. The specifics are hard to see because of the camouflage, but there appears to be delicate sculpting along the flanks.
This A6 E-Tron development vehicle wears placeholder taillights. The concept has full-width lamps with a pixel-like design. The rear diffuser on the production model appears to be smaller than the concept.
The A6 E-Tron rides on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform. We don't have any info yet about the production-spec powertrain. The concept has an electric motor powering each axle with a total output of 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters). Audi estimates this is enough to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) quicker than 4.0 seconds.
The production model's battery is also a mystery. The concept has a 100-kilowatt-hour pack offering an estimated range of over 435 miles (700 kilometers) in the WLTP test. The fast-charging system operates at up to 270 kilowatts, meaning plugging in for 10 minutes can provide up to 186 miles (300 kilometers) of range.
The A6 E-Tron should debut in production form later this year, and it would join Audi's range for the 2024 model year. A wagon version is also coming, but this one might not go on sale in the United States.
