The all-electric A6 is coming. New spy shots capture the view of the test vehicle very cold for winter testing in arctic conditions. The cold air also gives us a series of sharp images that show details beneath the camouflage.
For starters, we’ve got our best look yet at the discrete headlight arrangement that graces the front of this four-door electric car. Compared to the A6 E-Tron concept that debuted in April 2021, the production model has its headlights under a set of LED lights on top of the fascia. If one looks closely, one can see the sheer nature of the headlights, with an overall design that closely resembles the new BMW 7 Series. The headlights will be mounted high on the side vents, with a solid Audi grille in the center. The exact details of the lower fascia are still a mystery, but renderings suggest a symmetrical design is to come.
Turning our attention to the rear, the slim taillights look nearly identical to the concept, but don’t seem to extend too far forward on the quarter panel. Whereas the standard A6 is a clear sedan, the E-Tron adopts a swooping roof like the A7 Sportback. A very close look at the pane under the rear window reveals the standard trunk lid in place, as opposed to the larger hatch. The specific design, however, is still unconfirmed.
Behind it all, the A6 E-Tron must use Audi’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture. That’s the same platform that powers the Q6 E-Tron and the upcoming Porsche Macan EV, but rumors don’t mention numbers for power and range. The A6 E-Tron concept uses a dual-motor layout developing a combined output of 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts), with a WLTP declared range of 435 miles on a full charge. There’s no reason to believe the production model will stray far from those benchmarks when it’s finally revealed.
By the way, we’ve been looking at prototypes for almost a year at this point. We originally thought the debut would take place at the end of 2022, but with the end of the year almost here, it looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer. When the camouflage lifts – most likely in the first quarter of 2023 – the E-Tron A6 should become a 2024 model year.
