[ĐÁNH GIÁ XE] Audi Q6 e-tron: The first electric SUV that made me forget I was driving an electric car

Not all electric cars provide an enjoyable driving experience.

In fact, after many years of experiencing all kinds of electric cars from popular to high-end, I realized that most electric car models today have one thing in common: very fast, very powerful but sometimes lacking the emotion that car lovers are often looking for.

But the Audi Q6 e-tron is a completely different story. During the journey of more than 100 km from Hanoi to Hai Phong, Audi’s latest pure electric SUV left me with more surprises than I imagined before driving it.

The journey starts from Hanoi’s eastern city

At 9 am, we departed from Hanoi center. It was a quite hot early summer day, inner city traffic was still crowded as usual. In the car were three sisters and a male photographer, carrying full luggage for a day of work and experience.

The distance from Hanoi to Hai Phong is not too long, but it is quite an ideal route to evaluate a car. There are crowded streets, there are congested sections, there are high-speed highways and even gentle coastal roads when entering the city center.

Right from the first kilometers, the Q6 e-tron showed true Audi comfort. The steering wheel is light when maneuvering in the street, the driver assistance system operates smoothly, good visibility and especially the almost absolute quietness of the electric powertrain.

Hanoi – Hai Phong Expressway is where Audi shows its bravery

When entering the Hanoi – Hai Phong highway, one of the most beautiful and quality highways in Vietnam today with a maximum speed of up to 120 km/h, the Audi Q6 e-tron began to show qualities that really impressed me.

The first thing is acceleration. With just a light press of the accelerator, the car immediately shoots up to high speed with the confidence typical of an electric vehicle. But what I like most is not how fast it is, but how the car accelerates.

The Q6 e-tron does not create a feeling of “thumping” or “kicking the back” too strongly like many other electric cars on the market. The power is transmitted to the road very linearly, very smoothly and extremely easy to control.

You still feel the power of the electric motor, but at the same time it still feels familiar like you are driving a high-end internal combustion engine SUV. This is a point that people switching from gasoline cars to electric cars will greatly appreciate.

The PPE platform makes the difference

One of the reasons why the Q6 e-tron brings a different driving experience comes from the PPE (Premium Platform Electric) platform. This is a completely new electric vehicle platform co-developed by Audi and Porsche, and is also the first Audi model in Vietnam to use this architecture.

Unlike many electric vehicle platforms that focus entirely on acceleration performance, the PPE was developed with the goal of maintaining the typical driving feel of German models. And that is clearly shown on the Q6 e-tron. During the journey, the car feels solid, compact and stable at high speeds. This is also the point that surprised me the most.

In the past, I often didn’t really like the driving feel of many electric SUVs because the car’s body tended to float a bit or stall when changing lanes quickly. People sitting in the back are sometimes more susceptible to motion sickness.

But the Q6 e-tron feels very much like a premium gasoline SUV. The car is stable. Solid chassis. Body control is very good. Even when changing lanes at high speed, the car still feels confident and comfortable. Even without looking at the battery indicator, many people will have difficulty realizing that this is a pure electric car.

A car born for long journeys

According to Audi’s announcement, the Q6 e-tron can travel a maximum of about 583 km after each full charge according to WLTP standards. The car we received had a battery level of about 99% and the system displayed a range of up to approximately 600 km.

After more than 100 km traveling from Hanoi to Hai Phong with enough operating conditions from crowded streets, highways to inner city roads, the actual battery consumption is quite comfortable. That brings great peace of mind to users. You no longer have to constantly worry about finding a charging station or calculating the remaining distance. This is one of the rare electric SUVs that makes me feel completely ready for long road trips.

Not only that, the DC fast charging system with a maximum capacity of 260 kW allows the car to charge from 10% to 80% in just about 22 minutes or add about 260 km of operating range after just 10 minutes of charging in ideal conditions.

The interior space is exactly like a German luxury car

If I had to choose one point that makes me most satisfied on the Q6 e-tron, it would probably be comfort. Although the weather in the North that day was quite hot, the air conditioning system worked very effectively.

The cabin always maintains a comfortable temperature throughout the journey. After nearly two hours in the car, no one in the group felt tired or motion sick. The seats are spacious, support the body well and bring a feeling of relaxation even when sitting for a long time.

The cockpit is also where Audi most clearly demonstrates its technological philosophy. In front of the driver’s eyes is the Audi MMI Panoramic Display system including the 11.9-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus screen and the 14.5-inch MMI central screen designed to face completely towards the driver.

All information from speed, navigation, operating status or entertainment functions are displayed sharply and intuitively.

In addition, the HUD system displays information on the windshield, helping the driver almost not take his eyes off the road. After a few minutes of getting used to it, every action becomes as natural as a reflex.

So quiet that only music remains

Soundproofing is always a strength of German luxury cars and the Q6 e-tron continues to promote that very well. Electric motors are inherently quiet. But Audi also handles road noise and wind noise very well when operating at high speeds.

At many times on the highway, the cabin is almost completely separated from the outside world. When the Bang & Olufsen sound system kicks in, the experience becomes especially relaxing. This is the type of space that makes trips of hundreds of kilometers much easier.

Conclude

The journey from Hanoi to Hai Phong is not a very challenging route, but it is enough for the Audi Q6 e-tron to show off its essence.

An electric SUV that is powerful but not too ostentatious, a high-tech car that is still very user-friendly and most importantly, an electric car that still brings the driving emotions that car lovers really want.

With a selling price from 3,199 billion VND in Vietnam, the Audi Q6 e-tron is not a car model for the masses. But if you are looking for a luxury electric SUV from Germany, possessing the latest PPE platform, excellent performance, modern technology and convincing driving feel, this is definitely one of the most worthy options on the market today.

After nearly 20 years of driving and experiencing many different car models, the Audi Q6 e-tron is one of the few electric cars that makes me step out of the car with a feeling of complete satisfaction. And perhaps, that is also the most valuable compliment for Audi’s new electric SUV model.

Content is produced with support from Audi Vietnam.

Reporter (Otoxemay)