2026 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron review: Quick drive

European auto brands like a slinky booty on an SUV, and Audi is no different.

Sparked by the success of its low-riding Sportback range, which started off with the A5 and A7 Sportbacks in 2009-2010, the German marque has rolled out coupe-styled versions of its popular SUVs since the late 2010s.

The Q3 Sportback debuted to much fanfare in 2019, followed by the Q5 Sportback in 2021. Now, Audi has rolled out a Q6 Sportback e-tron, based on its new Q6 e-tron electric SUV which shares its underpinnings with the new Porsche Macan Electric – much like the original Q5 and original Macan.

As with the traditional wagon-bodied version, the 2026 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lands in Australia with a range of variants including a single-motor entry variant, and the go-fast SQ6 Sportback e-tron flagship.

We joined the ‘Audi Media Day’ in Sydney to test the Q6 Sportback e-tron as well as a number of other new Audi models that are landing Down Under as you read this.

Albeit brief, our quick stint behind the wheel of the Q6 Sportback e-tron reveals the coupe-styled electric SUV’s demeanour is much like its taller sibling’s.

So, whether you opt for the Sportback or not really is down to style and personal preference…

How much does the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron cost?

Audi has managed to get the starting price of the Q6 Sportback e-tron aligned with that of the standard SUV, which is rare given brands generally charge a premium for coupe-style model derivatives.

It’s worth noting that the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro and SQ6 Sportback e-tron models do, however, command a $5000 price premium over the equivalent Q6 e-tron, making the base grade something of a value proposition by comparison.

Further, Audi Australia hasn’t imported the long-range ‘performance’ spec of the Q6 Sportback e-tron, meaning you have to opt for at least the quattro to get the larger 100kWh battery pack (83kWh is the standard range battery).

The Q6 Sportback doesn’t really have any direct rivals, given BMW’s similarly styled iX2 is a size smaller and there is no electric X4 at this point in time, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is effectively on life support locally.

You could throw in the Polestar 4 and related Porsche Macan though, as well as the Genesis Electrified GV70 and Lexus RZ if you’re cross-shopping against some of the more niche mid-size electric SUV offerings.

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron like on the inside?

Very much like the Q6 e-tron, as well as other new Audi models like the A5 and Q5.

Front and centre is Audi’s new ‘digital stage’ which incorporates the virtual cockpit (digital instrument cluster) and central ‘MMI touch’ (infotainment touchscreen) displays, and in the Q6 e-tron the MMI passenger-side display is also standard-fit.

This all makes for a very screen-heavy cockpit, which means jumping in for the first time – especially at night – can be a little overstimulating at first given the brightness and clarity mixed in with the colourful ambient lighting.

Audi’s OLED displays offer vibrant and crisp graphics, fluid animations, and relatively snappy responses. Still, as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of the A5 and Q5, it’s not as timeless as Audi’s old stuff.

The climate controls are now relegated to the touchscreen (albeit housed in a permanent toolbar at its base) while the usually clicky and tactile switchgear on the steering wheel has been swapped out for haptic buttons with feedback.

I miss the conventional (but virtual) dials of the previous-generation driver interface, and there’s a ton of gloss black surrounding the screen bezels. The steering wheel controls can be a little hit and miss too, even if they’re generally better in operation than other examples of the breed within the wider VW Group portfolio.

Once you get the hang of it – as I mostly have following a longer-term loan of the Q6 SUV, as well as wheel time in the A5/S5 and Q5/SQ5 – it’s generally not too hard to use, thanks to the smartphone-like interface and shallow-ish menus.

While the passenger display is standard in the techy Q6 rather than an option in Australia like in the A5/Q5, I still reckon it’s a little naff. Sure, it’s cool that the front passenger can toggle their own navigation display or watch media on YouTube or the like, with a privacy filter so you don’t distract the driver, it serves little purpose other than a party trick.

Perceived build quality is generally pretty good, though the swatches of piano black trim quickly get old if you have dirty fingers. You’ll coat the displays, steering wheel and centre console in prints if you’re not careful.

At least storage up front is decent, with a cubby ahead of the centre console including a smartphone cradle with charging pad, a storage area under the front-centre armrest, as well as door bins capable of swallowing a slim bottle.

Second row accommodation is good even with the sloping roofline, with space for 6’1″ me to sit behind my own preferred driving position without much hassle.

Niceties include a third zone of climate control as standard, dual USB-C charging ports, map pockets on the front seat backs, and a fold-down rear centre armrest with cupholders. Parents will be able to utilise the ISOFIX anchor points on the outer seats as well as the top-tether points across all three rear positions.

Further back, the Q6 Sportback e-tron isn’t far off the cargo volume of its SUV sibling, quoting 511-1373 litres of capacity (versus 526-1529L for the SUV). The tapered roofline will eat into space for taller cargo, but it’s a deep boot with thoughtful touches like netting and hooks to help secure your odds and ends.

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

A 64L storage area, as there is no petrol or diesel engine here. The Q6 Sportback e-tron is available in three variants in Australia – offering single-motor and dual-motor electric drivetrains.

Note: We only drove the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro on this test on a 36km mixed loop, which is how we achieved the ‘as tested’ energy consumption figure.

That indicated figure of 19.2kWh/100km (which included some more spirited driving up and down hilly sections), would translate to a real-world range of just under 500km, which is a bit under Audi’s 569km claim.

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron drive?

We got a relatively brief drive of the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro on the return leg from the Royal National Park to the St George Sailing Club in and around Sydney.

The 36km-plus route offered a mix of winding B-roads through the ‘nasho’, as well as stints on the highway and the suburbs, giving us a varied if not quite extensive breadth of conditions to throw at the dual-motor Q6 Sportback.

In its standard ‘comfort’ mode the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro might almost feel lethargic on first impressions, as Audi has chosen to give it a very progressive throttle response rather than all-out torque the moment you hit the throttle.

This makes for a much smoother and more linear experience off the line and on the move, though you can dial it up a bit by hitting ‘dynamic’ mode which will help you dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 5.9 seconds – not bad for a 2.4-tonne EV.

While the heavy battery helps create a low centre of gravity and the sporty (ie: firm) suspension tune helps to minimise body roll and give off a more athletic character, Audi’s light steering calibration makes this feel more GT than RS.

Even in its dynamic setting, the response and feedback through the tiller is not a patch on the communicative wheel in the related Porsche Macan, and despite quoting decent performance numbers this car is not what I’d call particularly sporty to drive.

That said, it plays right into Audi’s schtick of premium feel and handling balance. I will say I’d prefer adaptive air suspension over the base e-tron and e-tron quattro’s steel-sprung chassis, however.

Particularly on the optional 21-inch wheels fitted to our test car (not pictured here), the ride is a bit too firm and busy for my liking, especially when this car is most likely to spend the bulk of its time silently slinking through city and suburban streets.

You feel each and every road imperfection, with successive hits causing the big Audi to pogo front to back, almost feeling like a stiff car on a tiny little wheelbase – not great if you have travel nausea-prone passengers.

Audi offers adaptive air suspension on the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro as part of the $4900 Tech pro package, which also adds digital OLED tail-lights as well as an electrically-adjustable steering column. My test vehicle did not have this equipped.

Assistance tech is another area of mixed feelings for me. On one hand the stuff you do have is fairly good, with well-tuned adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring, but the lane-keep assist is a bit hit-and-miss.

Not only do Australian-delivered models currently lack active lane centring, which is available in overseas markets and quite handy on highway drives, the standard lane-keep function can be a little late to react and sometimes feels like it’s pulling you towards the lane markings rather than gently correcting you back to the centre of your lane.

Given how good previous Audi models have been in the driver assistance space, it seems like some of its newer products have taken a step back. At least it won’t drive you crazy with beeps and bongs whenever the speed limit changes, though.

The standard surround-camera system is helpful too, given the high shoulder lines and sloping rear-end. It helps you slot the 4771mm-long, 1965mm-wide Q6 Sportback e-tron into tight parking spaces that little bit more easily.

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The quattro sits in between the base Q6 Sportback e-tron and the SQ6 Sportback e-tron performance flagship.

2026 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron equipment highlights:

• 19-inch alloy wheels in gloss grey
• Tyre repair kit
• Matrix LED headlights
• Semi-autonomous parking assist
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
  • incl. passenger kerbside function
• Proximity entry, keyless start
• Digital key
• Hands-free power tailgate
• 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen
• Wireless phone charger
• 10-speaker 180W sound system
• Leather-appointed upholstery
• Front sports seats
  • Heated
  • Power-adjustable
  • 4-way power lumbar
  • Driver’s memory
• Heated outboard rear seats
• Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leatherette-wrapped instrument panel, door trim elements, centre armrest
• Aluminium inlays
• Tri-zone climate control
• Ambient lighting
• 3yr Audi connect plus services
  • Climate control adjustment, locking and unlocking, charging monitoring via smartphone app
  • Live traffic and parking information
  • Emergency call and automatic service reminder (10 years of access included)

Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro adds:

• 21-inch alloy wheels in gloss grey
• Stainless steel pedals
• ‘Sport’ steering wheel
• Black headliner

SQ6 Sportback e-tron adds:

• 21-inch alloy wheels in gloss black
• Red brake calipers
• Adaptive S air suspension
• Digital OLED tail-lights with configurable signatures
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• Augmented reality head-up display
• 16-speaker 705W Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system
• Nappa leather upholstery
• Massaging front seats
• Dinamica-wrapped instrument panel, door trim elements, centre armrest
• Power-adjustable steering column with memory

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Options

The Q6 Sportback e-tron range is available with a number of packages and single-item options.

Tech pro package: $4900 – e-tron quattro

• Adaptive air suspension
• Digital OLED tail-lights
• Electric steering column

Style package: $5500 – e-tron

• S line exterior
• 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels
  • 5 twin-spoke offset design
  • Silk matte grey, gloss turned finish
• Black exterior package
  • incl. Audi rings in anthracite grey
• Privacy glass

Style package: $3000 – e-tron quattro

• 21-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels
  • 5 Y-spoke dynamic design
  • Black metallic, gloss turned finish
• Black exterior package
  • incl. Audi rings in anthracite grey
• Privacy glass

Premium package: $8900 – e-tron, e-tron quattro

• Panoramic glass sunroof
• Augmented reality head-up display
• Bang & Olufsen 3D premium sound system
  • 16 loudspeakers incl. centre speaker and subwoofer
  • 16-channel amplifier
  • 705W output
• Colour interior ambient lighting
  • incl. dynamic interaction light
• USB interfaces with higher charging capacity
• Acoustic glazing for front door windows

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron safe?

The Audi Q6 e-tron has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2024. This rating applies to Sportback models as well.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 9 airbags incl. front-centre, rear-side
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking
  • Front turn assist
  • Rear turn assist
  • Swerve assist
• Blind-spot assist
• Front cross-traffic assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Driver fatigue monitoring
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Surround-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron cost to run?

Audi Australia backs the Q6 Sportback e-tron with a five-year new vehicle warranty, and an eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage battery warranty.

To see how the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron

Save for the obvious design changes, the Q6 Sportback e-tron feels very much like the regular Q6.

That means it has the same balance of strengths and weaknesses as its SUV-bodied twin, only it’s more expensive if you opt for the dual-motor e-tron quattro or SQ6 e-tron variants.

Smart looks, glossy tech and largely uncompromised practicality make the entry variant in particular a sexy alternative to Audi’s more conventional mid-size electric SUV.

However, the Q6 Sportback also inherits the SUV’s busy ride, missing assistance tech, and not-quite-benchmark efficiency in dual-motor quattro guise.

My pick? The base ‘e-tron’ makes the most sense, with a few choice options to dress it up from the pretty understated spec you see here.

Interested in buying an Audi Q6 e-tron? Let CarExpert find you the best deal here

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