2027 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron: Less ‘ow’ in this Audi

2027 Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron Quattro: Even better than the typical Audi.

Price: $78,590 as tested. Prestige package adds adaptive air suspension, fancy stereo, heated rear seats, and more for $5,850; Warm Weather Package adds $1,300; and gray paint $595.

Conventional wisdom: “Highs: Extra-speedy DC fast charging, quick acceleration, short stopping distances, agile handling, comfortable front seats. Lows: Stiff ride, unintuitive controls,” Consumer Reports says.

Marketer’s pitch: “Unmistakably Audi.”

Reality: The Audi that other Audis wish they were.

What’s new: After debuting the Q6 Sportback e-tron for 2025, Audi has skipped the 2026 model year and now calls the new version the 2027. Unlike mostly early releases, this version forgoes exciting changes save for making every model dual-motor all-wheel drive, and Audi touts software updates “tailored to make the driving experience even more emotional, intuitive, and efficient.” Having tested a 2025, I find this hard to believe.

The Q6 Sportback e-tron is a swoopy, wedge-shaped version of the Q6 e-tron, which looks more like an SUV.

Competition: BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Mercedes-Benz EQE, Tesla Model X, Volvo EX90

Up to speed: Acceleration in the Q6 Sportback e-tron was up to the level of most premium EVs. With its 456 horses, the EV gets to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

The swoopy crossover had a habit of going 65 mph just about everywhere, and that made for some wild rides on country roads when I wasn’t paying close attention.

Shifty: The shifter is Audi’s little slider toggle, looking like a larger version of a sound engineer’s slider controls.

On the road: But “wild rides” noted above didn’t mean the vehicle was getting away from me. The Q6 Sportback held on tight, adding fun to the curves even when I was doing some fairly stupid stuff. Suggested tagline: “The cure for your stupidity.” Probably wouldn’t sell many cars. Especially not among readers of this column, who are intelligent to a person.

Here’s the first place “less ow” figures in: Audis also have a habit of being stiff on highways and jolting occupants over road seams and potholes, but not this model. The Q6 Sportback was as mannerly a vehicle as I’ve tested, without feeling fluffy or detached.

Driver’s Seat: And for further “ow” reduction — whenever I get an Audi I make sure to do extra stretches for days in advance. The seats can be as stiff as the suspension, and unforgiving for car reviewers of a certain age.

This model is nothing like that. The seats were supple, just the right blend of support and comfort, really approaching the Lexus arena.

One problem in the Q6 Sportback that I’d only experienced in a BMW — the heads-up display interfered with driving. I set it as low on the windshield as I could, and it still sat too high.

This time, though, the hologram appeared to be on the road or on other cars. A few times I thought I was about to drive over a speed limit sign that had blown onto the road. Fortunately, it’s simple to turn off.

The model tested had a start button but also seemed to offer start-up via the seat sensor. So I spent a better part of the extra long nine-day test turning the vehicle back off every time I sat down.

Friends and stuff: Front-seat occupants may enjoy superior accommodations, but rear-seat sitters not so much, even with the optional heat. Legroom is poor, and headroom is troubling. I’m not sure when “lack of headroom and legroom” started to be spelled sporty — probably somewhere around Lee Iacocca’s original Mustang — but it’s still a thing today.

Let’s try mating sporty and comfortable, people. This is America, darn it, and we’re all getting older and bigger and fatter.

Cargo space is 26.1 cubic feet in the rear and 52.9 with the seat folded.

Play some tunes: The Bang & Olufsen sound system in the test vehicle made Mr. Driver’s Seat very happy indeed. The playback was head and shoulders above most other vehicles, an A trending A+. It did require a bit of fussing with the sound controls, and some of the surround sound echo became a little overbearing in some songs. Making changes was super easy in the touchscreen.

Unfortunately the voice activation kept interpreting my singing as a cry for help, and interrupted my music enjoyment about once a trip to ask if I needed assistance. True story.

Keeping warm and cool: All the HVAC functions are in the touchscreen, either small and at the base of it or large and taking up the screen. I am not a fan.

Danger, Will Robinson! Dive! dive! Audi’s emergency alerts about road closures up ahead played at about 85 decibels in the speaker by my left ear. Ouch. I’m sure it’s easy to change, but maybe that should default to a less frightening level?

Range: The 285-mile range was quite nice. The recharging was also pretty fast on my poky little 110-volt wall socket. Audi says it can go from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes with a DC fast charger.

Where it’s built: Ingolstadt, Germany. More than half (58%) of parts are generated in Germany, while 16% hail from Hungary.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predict the Q6 e-tron reliability to be a 3 out of 5.

In the end: Fast, fun, smooth, and a way to avoid escalating gasoline prices.