AUDI Q6 E-TRON

Can you enjoy a premium SUV without spending £80k-£100k? Let's see

- WILL RIMELL

Go for a walk on any given day and count the number of Range Rovers, Defenders and SUVs from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche you see.

Premium SUVs are a growing presence on our roads as more people pay to have the very best cars their money will buy - and manufacturers are alive to this, pumping out more and more luxurious models. But how ‘cheap’ can you go to access this lifestyle while ensuring your selection is future-proof? Our latest long-termer might just provide the answer.

As standard, the Audi Q6 E-tron starts from a relatively low £60,515 (yes, ‘relatively’ is doing some heavy lifting there) and gets a leather-clad and tech-heavy cabin, a soft ride, tons of space and a chunky road presence. Plus it’s based on a platform co-developed with Porsche, and who doesn’t want a cut-price Porsche?

The future-proofing aspect? First, it is electric; second, for an extra £4k we have equipped it with the biggest battery available, so any drop in battery capacity over time will be mitigated; and third, it sits on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture - one of the first models to do so - which will underpin all Volkswagen Group premium cars from now on.

This all appears great on paper, and over my first few hundred miles in it, the Q6 E-tron has impressed.