- Audi adds plug-in hybrids to the engine lineup of the new A6.
- Two power outputs are available: 295 and 362 hp, and buyers can choose a sedan or wagon body.
- Both power versions have a WLTP range of 66 miles regardless of body style.
Plug-in hybrid sales are rising, and buyers prefer models with big batteries and lots of electric range. The new Audi A6 E-Hybrid Quattro delivers a big 25.9 kWh battery, making it one of the PHEVs with the most range you can buy right now. The PHEV powertrain is shared with the slightly smaller A5, which gets marginally more range.
Even though its usable battery capacity is 20.7 kWh, so 5 kWh is used as a buffer and to keep the system running even with a low state of charge, it is still rated at 66 miles (106 kilometers) of pure electric range WLTP. In its size class, it’s only beaten by the Mercedes-Benz E300e, which has slightly less gross battery capacity but more range with a 73-mile (118 km) rating.
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Source: Audi
That’s pretty good but still not up to the level of some PHEVs on sale today in China, like the Denza Z9, whose 38.5 kWh battery gives it a claimed CLTC electric range of 125 miles (201 km).
The new A6 PHEV comes in two power levels: 295 hp and 362 hp. Both systems have the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 248 hp, and the difference in power outputs comes from the electric motor, which can deliver up to 141 hp on its own. The more powerful variant sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, regardless of whether it’s the sedan or the Avant wagon, while the lesser-powered model needs 6 seconds for the sprint.
Commuting on the highway in pure electric mode shouldn’t be an issue since the A6 PHEV can drive at up to 87 mph (140 km/h) just on electrons. Turn on the gas engine, and both power variants will go up to 155 mph (250 km/h).
The battery takes 2.5 hours to charge from an 11-kilowatt three-phase charger, up from 7.4 kW in the previous-generation A6. However, the figure is average compared to some PHEVs offering 22 kW charging and Audi’s own A3 Sportback TFSIe offering 50 kW DC fast charging (which can go from 10 to 80% in half an hour).
When the vehicle is in EV mode, the driver can control the level of brake regeneration by using the paddles on the steering wheel, which you can’t do in many other PHEVs. All variants get the same seven-speed twin-clutch transmission, which also houses the electric motor, and rear-wheel steering is standard.
The base price for the Audi A6 E-Hybrid Quattro sedan in Germany is €65,800 or €68,300 for the wagon. If you want the more powerful version, the prices are €75,050 and €77,550, respectively. The new A6 hasn’t been officially unveiled in the United States, and we don’t know if the PHEV models will be offered here.
