Should you buy an Audi A6 E-Tron Sportback?  

Yes. It’s a refined, super-smooth offering that’s going to fit perfectly into the life of electric car-driving company car drivers who need to rack up the miles. It has a long driving range, and an interesting and commodious interior for those up front.

It feels like a much more polished product than the Mercedes-Benz EQE and has a longer driving range than the BMW i5 thanks to being a little lighter on its feet. Rear space is a little disappointing, as is interior quality in places, but this is a fundamentally good electric car you’d be more than happy to own. 

However, while an A6 Sportback E-Tron might be on your wishlist, we’d argue the Avant should be a little higher. While the estate’s boot isn’t any bigger below the parcel shelf you do get usefully more headroom in the back, and more cargo capacity with the rear seats down. There is a small driving range penalty, but it’s worth it. 

What’s new?

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In case you missed the memo, the Audi A6 Sportback E-Tron is very different to the Audi A6 you’ve known for the last two or three decades. Out goes petrol and diesel engines and in comes a new all-electric platform to help it go toe-to-toe with the best electric cars out there. 

There are a few power outputs to choose from and the option of rear or four-wheel drive. In other words, there’s a fairly wide range to better take on the likes of the BMW i5, Mercedes-Benz EQE and Volkswagen ID.7. It certainly has a decent headstart with the A6 sharing its platform with both the Audi Q6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan EV. Expect plenty more siblings in the future, too. 

Ignoring the S6, there’s a choice of three trim levels. Entry-level Sport has all the kit you really need, such as leather upholstery, a large wraparound digital dashboard and plenty of driver assistance kit. Up next, the S Line only really provides visual changes for a not insubstantial price increase. If you want more kit, you’ll need to jump to the Edition 1, which brings Matrix LED headlights, electric memory seats and a front touchscreen for the passenger. Raid the options list and you’ll find features such as an augmented reality head-up display and digital door mirrors, though neither of these are particularly useful.

The A6 E-Tron’s closest rivals are the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, although there’s always the more spacious VW ID.7, too, which performs brilliantly against these established premium rivals at a much lower price. The A6 E-Tron is a very different car to its petrol, hybrid and diesel engined A6 cousin, and has a sophisticated character all of its own that we find very endearing. 

If you’re looking for a large family EV with added polish, this could be the car for you. As always, we test our cars thoroughly and over time – and we’ll update this review as we spend more time behind the wheel. Find out more about how we test cars here.