2025 Audi A6 E-tron - rakish saloon and sleek estate EVs

A6 E-tron leads model blitz. New saloon and estate to be joined by no fewer than 22 new Audi ICE cars and EVs.

As with the Audi A8, the electric successor to the Audi A6 will be a totally new car from the ground up, related to its predecessor in no more than its general silhouette and market positioning. Due in dealerships next year, the new A6 E-tron will arrive first in saloon-shaped Sportback guise, adopting a much more rakish, coupé-inspired roofline that will effectively give it a second role as an electric alternative to today’s A7 Sportback.

The roomier A6 E-tron Avant estate will arrive a few months later, touting similar load-carrying capacity to its forebear (courtesy of a slim, spread-out underfloor battery and a ‘frunk’ in place of an engine). This will give Audi an answer to the similarly conceived BMW i5 Touring. Also as with the A8, the A6 will arrive in production form little changed from the radical concepts by which it has been previewed. This means it will sit extremely low and be sculpted by its designers with a keen eye on maximising aerodynamic efficiency.

Flush door handles, prominent air tunnels and heavily accented swage lines, for example, will be defining cues, setting the tone for all electric Audis to follow, as design boss Marc Lichte pursues a “sleeker and simpler” ethos for his new creations.

DrivesToday understands that Audi is targeting a maximum range of 435 miles, which together with 270kW rapid-charging capability will enable the A6 to offer comparable ease of use to its petrol and diesel predecessors.

Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor, four-wheel- drive powertrains will be available, with the latter providing a basis for a rapid electric RS6 E-tron with more than 600bhp.

The A6 is expected to ultimately ditch the 14-yearold E-tron moniker that has adorned every electric Audi so far, in line with a new naming strategy under which Audi EVs will receive even-numbered names and their ICE counterparts odd-numbered ones.

It is anticipated that today’s A6 will be renamed A7 when it’s updated, just as the A4 will be renamed A5. See below for full details.

New A6 E-tron will take trendy liftback shape… …while ICE A6 saloon and estate will get heavy update