Experiencing the 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron

Let’s cut to the chase. The 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron has 496 horsepower, with launch control resulting in brief bursts totaling 543 hp. That’s a ton of muscle, enabling an impressive standstill-to-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. Here’s the bit that’s less obvious: the car is so quiet, serene, and composed that it’s easy to underestimate just how fast it is and, consequently, how capable it is at dealing with all those accelerative forces.

Numbers Don’t Lie, but Feelings Might Obscure

No one looks at the speedometer when they’re driving through a bend, especially on an unfamiliar road. Meanwhile, the two electric motors in the S6 Sportback e-tron deliver mighty thrust without a big song and dance. All those usual signals — like a high-revving engine with a loud exhaust or noticeable body roll — are missing from this car. It’s a similar deal on the straights. Any wind or tire noise is subdued to the point of being negligible. So reaching license-threatening velocity could be the work of a mere moment. This is all part of what makes the S6 Sportback e-tron beautiful.

More Than Skin Deep

Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or, in this case, in the hands of the steering wheel holder. I’m that guy, and this is my opinion. I’ll confess to being a bit predisposed to the S6 Sportback e-tron on a couple of grounds. The first is that I think (and I’m far from alone in this) Audi is making some great electric vehicles. The designs and engineering, plus the fact that Audi is an established company, are likely to sway me should I ever be in the market for an all-electric midsize luxury car. The second is that Audi S cars are sweeeeet.

There’s a middle zone between the company’s A cars (like the also-new 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron) and the sportiest RS variants. There is no RS 6 Sportback e-tron, but anyone seeking even more thrust and thrills can check out the 912-hp Audi RS e-tron GT.

Nevertheless, that spot occupied by S cars is where so many wonderful attributes converge: Power that just steps past the point of ampleness, equipment levels that underline luxuriousness, and a setup that leans toward sportiness without sacrificing comfort. Factor in the exterior and interior designs as well, and this is how a car can be beautiful. To me, at least.

Other standard assets include all-wheel drive (AWD), a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension, and 6-piston brake calipers up front, contributing to confident braking. The brakes feel natural, by the way, despite having an energy recuperation system to help with range.

The Range Loner

Speaking of, maximum range for the S6 Sportback e-tron is 324 miles. To compare, the 601-hp BMW i5 M60 xDrive manages 253 miles, while the 617-hp Mercedes-AMG EQE can only stretch to 220 miles. Those differences in muscle aren’t going to have any big effect on public roads. This Audi pretty much matches its rivals for charging speed, taking 21 minutes to go from 10% to 80% using a DC fast charger.

All these things add up to make the S6 Sportback e-tron a superb example of its class. It drives with poise and punch, yet still with an unmistakable flow. Now it’s time to look within.

The Inner Light

Digital Stage is Audi’s answer to what Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Genesis have been doing with large one-piece screens stretching about halfway across the dashboard and showing two displays — a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment touchscreen. In the S6 Sportback e-tron, they measure 11.9 and 14.5 inches, respectively. There’s also the option of a 10.9-inch third screen for the front passenger. Cleverly, it’s not visible to the driver. My experience of the infotainment system is that it’s sufficiently user-friendly. And I learned that it recognizes 800 spoken commands. In typical Audi fashion, the overall fit and finish are worthy of the car’s luxury status.

Standard equipment includes fine Nappa leather seating surfaces with diamond stitching, while the supportive yet comfortable sport front seats have heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. The panoramic glass roof is clever, letting in light but not heat, and comes with variable levels between transparent and opaque. My test car came in Prestige trim, with an excellent Bang & Olufsen surround-sound system incorporating speakers in the front headrests, plus a head-up display enhanced by augmented reality.

I found rear legroom acceptable at 35.2 inches, as long as no one taller than average sat up front. There’s no aerodynamic advantage to being a Sportback instead of a sedan (this car has a slippery drag coefficient of 0.24), but a Sportback is really an Audi thing, and it does add a dimension of practicality. Cargo space behind the rear seats goes from 26 cubic feet (much more than the i5 or EQE trunks) to 39.3 when those seats are folded down.

The 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron starts at $79,995, significantly below its rivals. There’s also a gasoline-powered S6 sedan coming for the 2026 model year. The S looks set to reign supreme.

See 2025 Audi S6 e-tron inventory available