Rings of Fire and Ice

Hot but not too hot, posh but not too posh, Audi's electric S6 shows what it can do in the German winter

- Chris Chilton

A CHILL WIND IS BLOWING in Germany's car market when we arrive in frosty Munich to grab the keys to Audi's new all-electric S6 e-tron. Our aeroplane touches down the same day figures land revealing electric vehicle (EV) sales in the country fell by almost a quarter in November versus the same period a year earlier. Other months in 2024 delivered similarly worrisome results for a carmaker already too committed to the launch of the electric A6 and S6 to turn back.

But, maybe, Audi need not worry and not just because they will soon launch a combustion-powered successor to the old A6, this time badged A7. People are still buying EVS-they now account for one in four new cars sold in the United Kingdom― and there is a good chance they will want to buy this one. The A6 e-tron is built around the same VW PPE platform that forms the basis of sister brand Porsche's acclaimed Macan Electric and promises a long range, fast charging, and sorted chassis. Audi are the last of the big three German premium car-makers to launch a zero-tailpipe-emission executive car, but, on paper, it looks like it could be the best of the bunch.

We have an S6 Sportback e-tron and a couple of days to test that theory and a Google Maps route that takes us down through the south of Germany, across Austria, and to within spitting distance of the Italian border.

The regular non-S version, the A6 e-tron, is unusual for an Audi in that it is rear-wheel drive in its most basic form, though all-wheel-drive models are also available. That car has a £62,500-£85,300 (Rs 67.51 lakh-Rs 91.70 lakh) price range and power outputs that stretch from 326 to 462 hp.