Audi has a new midsize EV, and we’ve driven it: The 2025 A6 Sportback
Long straight roads glide underneath.
Credit:
Audi
The car’s cabin layout and ergonomics are starting to feel familiar at this point—it shares much not only with the electric Q6 e-tron but also Audi’s new midsize combustion cars, the A5 and Q5. (We’ll leave for now the fact that a combustion A6, unrelated to today’s vehicle in virtually all but name, is also in development, bringing an end to the “odd numbers for ICE, even numbers for EV” convention that briefly took hold at the automaker. Now nameplate chaos reigns.)
Hey Audi…
The voice control proved a frustrating alternative to using the touchscreen, with a lot of “I’m sorry I can’t do that” and “can you ask me that again” for commands that I’m pretty sure ought to have worked. But both the A6 and S6 felt mature in terms of software, something that wasn’t true for the same infotainment platform a year ago. I remain frustrated with how limited the UI options remain for the main instrument display, however.
I keep writing this, but Audi pioneered the use of high-resolution digital displays instead of analog dials and gave owners quite a lot of choice, including the option of a moving map for navigation. Now, there’s a way to make the display very minimal, which would be useful at night, but otherwise, you’re extremely limited in what you can display in front of you. The optional full-color heads-up display has the same augmented-reality direction tech that we’ve seen in other luxury cars, and it remains helpful when driving on unfamiliar roads, although that requires using the native navigation app; Apple CarPlay users should still see turn-by-turn directions on the HUD, though.
The layout is starting to become familiar.
Audi
The layout is starting to become familiar.
Audi
The rear seat isn’t quite as spacious as we expected.
Audi
The rear seat isn’t quite as spacious as we expected.
Audi
Forget my usual rant about passenger screens. I’m too in love with the Alcantara on the dash.
Audi
Forget my usual rant about passenger screens. I’m too in love with the Alcantara on the dash.
Audi
The rear seat isn’t quite as spacious as we expected.
Audi
Forget my usual rant about passenger screens. I’m too in love with the Alcantara on the dash.
Audi
The Prestige trim levels get Audi’s OLED rear taillights.
Audi
There’s 25.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats, or 39.9 cubic feet if you fold them flat. And the Sportback hatch opening makes it easy to get large loads like bikes in there.
Audi
There’s a useable frunk.
Audi
The front splits the lights into daylight running lights up top and beams below.
Audi
In Balanced or Dynamic, the A6 was eager to corner.
Audi
There’s no true one-pedal driving mode, just a choice between B—0.25 G of lift-off regeneration deceleration—and D, which can be toggled between none, 0.06 G, and 0.15 G of lift-off regen braking using the paddles behind the steering wheel. B is preferable when the road turns twisty, something both A6 and S6 coped with surprisingly well. Hairpins proved the steering and suspension rapid enough to rotate the car quickly, and what felt like numb steering initially began to reveal some information about road surfaces and available grip as the road surface changed then changed again. There’s also a noticeable difference between the drive modes. Comfort feels a little soft and wallowing, Dynamic effectively transfers more bumps into the cabin, and Balanced is a rather good midpoint between the two, and where I spent most of my time. I should also note the lack of fatigue I felt despite a full day behind the wheel of both cars.