Audi A6 E-Tron First Spy Shots Show EV With Split-Headlight Design

Last year, the Audi A6 E-Tron got its first outing when the automaker unveiled the concept. Audi introduced an attractive Sportback model that our spy photographers have now captured out testing. The new shots show the model at a supplier, with camouflage hiding the design, which looks tweaked from what Audi debuted on the concept.

The car retains the concept’s overall shape, with a sleek roofline cascading down to the rear. One apparent change is at the front, where the car now sports a more prominent split-headlight design. The concept featured thin lighting units above fake-looking intakes; however, the car in the spy shots appears to have a thoroughly tweaked front-end design. It’s too hard to tell if there are any other significant styling changes, but we doubt there will be many judging by what we see in the photos.

Audi will use the Premium Platform Electric architecture jointly developed with Porsche to underpin the A6 E-Tron. The two companies will use the platform to underpin a variety of upcoming vehicles, including the upcoming Audi Q6 E-Tron and the next-generation all-electric Porsche Macan.

Specific powertrain details remain a mystery, but the concept debuted with a dual-motor configuration making 470 horsepower (350 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) of torque. The concept car could hit 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in less than four seconds. The PPE will give the A6 E-Tron fast-charging capabilities, recharging the EV from five to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. It should also provide the model with superb range.

While the Audi A6 E-Tron will ride on the PPE platform, it won’t be the first PPE model to arrive. We expect the Q6 E-Tron and all-electric Macan to break cover later this year, with the A6 E-Tron possibly joining the two, though an early 2023 reveal wouldn’t surprise us. The A6 E-Tron should arrive in the US as a 2024 model, but a lot can happen between now and then to disrupt that timeline. We also have the A6 Avant E-Tron concept debuting soon, which shows off a long-roofed version of the EV.