Audi's S6 Sportback E-Tron Is Speedy And Subtle, But The Price Might Make You Blink

Some versions of EV success come via playfulness and whimsy. Some automotive manufacturers create unique electric vehicles with ultra-bold styling that stands out from the crowd. They attract attention by being aesthetically uncommon, but big swings sometimes swing to big misses (if you're looking for an example, look no further than the six-sided metal EV parading around as a pickup truck). Audi, on the other hand, seems to have taken a different approach. With vehicles like the S6 e-tron, the German automaker seems to be fitting in to stand out.

On the outside, there's not much to identify the S6 e-tron as an all-electric vehicle. Its styling is understated and sleek, at least to my eye, just like most other Audi sedans and hatchbacks. On the inside, it's comfortable, quiet, and well-built — just like most other Audi sedans. Stylistically, it feels pretty similar to its smaller, gasoline-powered step-sibling, the S5 hatchback. More than just styling, though, the S6 e-tron is nearly as enjoyable to drive and without compromise when it comes to the overall experience.

Like most other Audi products, there's a simple trim-level structure for the S6 e-tron, so it should feel pretty straightforward if you're building yours out. The basic Premium trim will set you back $79,995 (including $1,295 destination fee) and it includes adaptive air suspension, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and three-zone automatic climate control. The mid-level Premium Plus will add $3,500 to the base price tag, but that extra cash gets you an augmented-reality head-up display, a Bang & Olufsen stereo, 360-degree camera, and heated rear seats.

The Prestige package vehicle I tested is all the way at the top of the range. The as-tested price for the one in my parking spot all week was $88,390. It has all the aforementioned equipment plus items like power soft-closing doors, a 10.9-inch screen for the passenger, and upgraded exterior lighting (LED taillights and signature headlights). For my money, the mid-level Premium Plus makes the most sense, saving a bit on superfluous extras like the third screen and the soft-closing doors, but keeping most of the other creature comforts.

There's a lot of power to be had at pretty much every level of the e-tron hierarchy, and there are several models to choose from. The S6 is the higher-performance model, but there's a base version too: the A6 e-tron. The base, single-motor A6 e-tron puts out 375 horsepower, while the dual motor version turns the knobs up for a total of 456 hp. With launch control engaged, peak horsepower for the S6 e-tron reaches 543 ponies. In regular operation, the S6 e-tron it pushes you around with a plenty-impressive 496 hp.

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Audi's estimates have that power pushing the S6 e-tron from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Somehow, that astonishingly quick pace is par for the course with luxury EVs these days, but it's still impressive from behind the wheel. At nearly 5,300 lbs, the S6 doesn't feel particularly light on its feet — an attribute that most heavy, performance EV sedans have in common, even if it is admirably fast. It does feel confident and composed in the corners, with stable handling characteristics. 

Heavy braking is all done in a straight line and I wasn't able to overcook the brakes, even with a quick pace under my belt. Steering was a bit less impressive. In all the various drive modes, the S6's steering felt light and artificial. It doesn't stop you from having a bit of fun when the roads start to get twisty, but it doesn't provide many thrills either.

Whether it was static or underway, the S6 felt pretty special on the inside. The quality of the materials in the S6's cabin is top notch. The seats are upholstered with a lovely color called Arras Red and it helps provide some contrast from the Daytona Gray exterior. The heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats do the trick to keep the driver and front passenger comfortable in just about any situation. During a uniquely cold and rainy week in Los Angeles, they were features I was glad to have.

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The cabin felt spacious enough for adults in all the seating positions, but getting in and out of the driver's seat did require a bit of ducking. I grazed the top of my head on the upper bit of the door opening more than once during my test, and I check in at just 5-foot-9. Taller drivers will need to duck even further. Thankfully, they'll have plenty of legroom and headroom once they've become situated inside. 

Behind the rear seats you get 25.9 cubic feet of cargo space, which should be enough for a few suitcases on your way to the airport. Naturally, there's a small front trunk for toting around a smaller bag or a charging cable too. The ride quality from the S6's adaptive suspension was properly comfortable during my test, even over broken bits of highway. The ride was quiet too, with only the slightest of road noise from the tires at highway speeds.

Like its smaller, internal-combustion cousin the S5, the S6 e-tron has a lot of screens. For the driver, there's the 11.9-inch "virtual cockpit" display in the place of traditional gauges, and a 14.5-inch center touchscreen display. They're technically stitched together in a wide single panel that Audi calls their wrap-around digital stage. It's aesthetically pleasing, with excellent graphics, bright colors, and crisp resolution. Finding some menus and tapping through the various screens took a bit of learning, much like the S5 did, so I'd recommend new Audi owners spend some serious get-to-know-you time with the interface. Oh, and if those screens aren't enough, there's the head-up display with a ton of information to see including navigation directions and vehicle speed. 

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As I alluded to earlier, I didn't have much use for the third display screen, mounted in front of the passenger. It is a pretty crisp panel, though, which leaves it feeling like an intentional luxury addition instead of an afterthought. The Bang & Olufsen stereo was properly loud, with excellent sound quality at near-full volume. It's an option I wouldn't skip.

When it comes to driving aids, the S6 is packed to the brim, but they weren't my favorite part of the driving experience. At best, the S6's driver aids were adequate. In traffic, or on highways with a bit of a curve, is where the aids proved most frustrating. The steering input from the S6's lane-keep assist is overbearing, pushing you to one side of the lane or the other. When I tried to steer it a bit to correct the car's position within a lane, the steering wheel fought back hard. As a result, I just turned the system off to do the steering myself.

The S6's adaptive cruise control was less finicky, providing a decent following distance and catching up to gaps in traffic with ease, but it was on the conservative side of cautious. Then, there were driver aids that just said "No thanks, we'll be checking out now." During some mild rain, the S6 alerted me that front assist aids were out of order, then it alerted me that the fatigue-warning system wasn't functional. After parking, turning the car off, then turning it on again, I was able to get rid of the warnings, but each warning came on at least twice during my week-long test.

The S6's battery checks in at 100 kWh, which is pretty sizable, even for large performance EV sedans these days (and some larger EV SUVs). And as a result of the battery there are some impressive numbers in place when it comes to range and charging, too. According to EPA estimates, the base single-motor A6 e-tron will go 392 miles on a single charge with optional 19-inch wheels. The more-powerful S6, with its dual motors, drops down to an estimate of 324 miles. My heavy right foot didn't allow me to achieve those sorts of numbers, but the S6's range was still more than adequate.

Getting a proper range reading out of the S6, however, wasn't exactly easy. When I was taking some twisty roads and pushing the pedals a little closer to the floor, the S6's range would drop dramatically. As many as 10 or 15 miles would suddenly fall off the predicted range. Then, back in the city where things were going at a slower pace, the range jumped back up by nearly 30 miles. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. 

At least the charging times are likely to be fast. According to Audi, charging the S6 will take about 11.5 hours on a home Level 2 charging system, and with 270 kW DC Fast Charging, it will go from 10 to 80 percent charge in just over 20 minutes.

Spacious, upscale, and comfortable, the 2025 Audi S6 e-tron is a strong choice amongst EV luxury sedans (and hatchbacks). The S6 powertrain provides thrilling straight-line acceleration, and most of the driving dynamics like braking and handling are impressive too. Steering could be a bit tighter, but that's a small complaint in an otherwise impressive package. The cabin is extremely well constructed, with premium materials, supportive seats, and really good-looking screens. Driver aids aren't as intuitive as I would've liked, but that's a small complaint in the grand scheme of things.

With the top-trim S6 priced at nearly $90,000, though, a small part of me can't help but wonder if the dual-motor A6 e-tron wouldn't be 95% as entertaining, even with its lesser but totally-adequate 456-hp rating. With similar equipment (not all the same options can be selected) and the dual-motor setup, the A6 e-tron in the top Prestige trim has an MSRP of $77,240. That undercuts the high-performance S6 version by more than $11,000, and it benefits from an even longer potential range: EPA estimates put it at 377 miles on a single charge. If it were my choice, the A6 e-tron is the electric Audi I'd go with.

It doesn't seem flashy, gaudy, or boisterous in any way, especially not in the rainy-day-themed Daytona Gray paint scheme, but the Audi S6 is pretty proud of being an "S" model. Like I've done with some other high-performance vehicles I've tested lately (Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, Honda Civic Type R, etc) I counted the number of logos on the S6 e-tron, and there were lots.

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The rear hatch gets an S badge, but no badge on the front grille. Each of the four wheels get small RS logos (which we'll be generous with and count towards the total) plus the front brake calipers have S' of their own. That's seven total. Each side of the car gets "S6 Sportback e-tron quattro" displayed on the rear window glass and now we're at nine. The steering wheel gets its own S, bringing the total to an even 10.

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From there, the front door sills make 12, with the front seats each adding one S of their own and making the total number 14 – only slightly more than half of what the Caddy has to offer. Better luck next time, Audi.