There's a lot of name changes going on at Audi. From now on, all odd-numbered cars (like the new A5, which replaced the A4) are combustion-engined. Even-numbered cars, like this new A6 e-tron, are electric. Confused? Don’t worry. Audi was. The Q8 is combustion and electric. Whoops.
Anyway, the all-new A6 is here on its co-developed Porsche platform… and it manages to make a very slippery hole in the air without looking like a slug on wheels. Are you listening, Mercedes EQE?
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The A6 Sportback (see, it’s a hatchback now, not a saloon because that’s less draggy) has a drag factor of 0.21. Yes, that’s a weird little number, but look at the details. The flush grille up front, the shuttered duct below it which only opens when the car motors demand cooling. The ‘air curtains’ guiding flow around the front bumper.
Underneath, there are ramps to channel air around the turbulent tyres. They’re a different shape on the Sportback to the Avant, because the long-roof wagon has a different aero profile.
So different in fact, Audi had to fit a fence into its diffuser to balance the aero out. And as a result, it is slightly less aerodynamic: 0.24 Cd. But that’s enough to eke a claimed 719 kilometers out of the 100kWh battery. The Sportback claims 750 kilometers.
For the aero-obsessed, you can help the cause. There will be flat-faced wheel designs, and you can option ‘virtual door mirrors’ which are less vulnerable now because they fold at last. Audi says the cameras are so much less draggy than mirrors, they alone add about 6 kilometers of extra range. Whether or not that’s worth the money – or their less than ideal visibility on a dark wet night – is up to you.
Inside, Audi’s popped the screens displaying what the cameras see higher onto the door, supposedly more in your eyeline. Your eyes have five screens to choose from – besides one for each ‘mirror’ there’s a large (11.9in) instrument display for the driver, a ginormous (14.5in) widescreen in the center to share, and the passenger gets their own slightly smaller (10.9in) monitor.
While you’re round the back, enjoy the twinkling tail lights which get brighter as the car behind follows closer, warning them to back off. An anti-tailgating feature… on an Audi. Where do they get their ideas?
BMW might be a little salty Audi is invading its ‘kings of rear wheel drive’ cachet: The new A6 is RWD in single-motor form, putting out 362hp. If that and a 5.4sec 0-100kph time is too sluggish for you, then the quattro-drive dual-motor S6 e-tron will be along in just 3.9sec, thanks to 496hp.
If you plump for the S6, range drops to 670 kilometers in the Sportback and 638 kilometers for the S6 Avant. TG believes a Plaid/Taycan-chasing RS6 e-tron will top the range off next year.
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
