High-horsepower Audi Q6 E-Tron is a Porsche-linked Leap Forward

Audi pulled the cover off its new Q6 E-Tron SUV tonight, unveiling with it the next generation of its battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The model moves the ball forward on technology for the Ingolstadt, Germany-based automaker.

The model rests on a new platform that was developed by Porsche, which, like Audi, is a member of the Volkswagen Group family. Called “PPE”, the platform is designed to allow future Audi models to be competitive with those from other luxury automakers, especially their performance variants.

The Q6 E-Tron is a luxury midsize SUV that is nearly the same dimensions as the Q5 SUV. It is one-third of a foot longer, 4 inches wider and a half-inch shorter. The SUV’s wheel base is a quarter-foot longer.

New design has allowed traditional Audi angles and forms to evolve into sleeker lines that fit in more with the E-Tron GT rather than the Q5.

A wide light line on the rear emphasizes the width of the SUV. Those OLED lights have 360 segments that are used to generate a new image every ten milliseconds using a specially developed algorithm.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology in the lights allows them to communicate with other connected cars to warn of an accident or breakdown, for example.

Q6 E-Trons destined for U.S. shores will not receive moving light and connectivity technology due to government regulations. Should the regulations change, the lighting and connectivity technology could be activated via an over-the-air update.

New electric motors and fresh lithium-ion battery cell chemistry will allow the Q6 E-Tron to travel up to 388 miles between charges based on the WLTP (European) test cycle, the automaker said. The similarly sized Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV can go 320 while the BMW iX is good for 324 based on EPA ratings, which are traditionally harsher.

The SUV can charge at a rate of up to 270 kilowatts (kW) thanks to its 800-volt architecture. Audi said that 158 miles of charge can be added to the “tank” in as little as 10 minutes under ideal charging conditions. Charging from 10 to 80 percent can happen in 21 minutes.

Audi will eventually offer the SUV in two battery options, 83 kilowatts (kW) and 100 kW. The North American market is likely to only get the larger battery.

Drivers can also recoup lost energy with regenerative braking. Audi said that around 95 percent of everyday braking processes can be handed by its regenerative braking system.

Rear- and all-wheel drive Q6 E-Trons will come to market, but availability will depend on where a buyer resides. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph comes at the rate of either 5.0 seconds in the Q6 E-Tron version or 4.2 seconds in the sporty SQ6 variant when launch mode is engaged. Speed tops out at 130 and 142 miles per hour (mph), respectively.

Various power variants of the model will available. U.S.-bound models include the 422-horsepower (hp) Q6 E-Tron and 482-hp SQ6 E-Tron. Both models get a small horsepower boost when in launch mode.

The Q6 E-Tron is home to Audi’s new interior design philosophy that takes ergonomics and technology into account to make the space more comfortable and usable. Spaces are differentiated by materials used . Comfort-orientated areas have soft materials while control areas feature high-gloss black surfaces.

The fresh interior concept leans heavily on sustainable materials. Surfaces are made from recycled polyester. Plastic elements in the front section of the model, including the HVAC intake, have been recycled.

The driver-centric cockpit is home to a curved OLED display that houses an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster (virtual cockpit) and a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen.

Q6 E-Tron is able to be equipped with an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display. The digital technology projects speed, traffic signs, assistance notifications and navigation symbols onto a virtual plane ahead of the driver. The image creates the impression that he elements shown are floating mid-air 656 feet in the distance.

An additional 10.9-inch touchscreen sits in front of the passenger. It is not viewable by the driver when the car is in motion.

All screens run Android Auto OS in the background, skinned similar to what Volvo uses.

Buyers will have a 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premium sound system on offer. It delivers 830 watts of power, and includes four speakers in the headrest.

Audi has made the SUV capable of seating five, with an ample 18.5 cubic feet of cargo space. The interior space benefits from the electric vehicle platform’s flat floor.

A front truck offers an additional 2.2 cubic feet of storage space.

Audi’s equipped the Q6 E-Tron with a wide range of driver assistance and safety technologies. Adaptive driving assistant plus is designed to help with acceleration, maintaining speed, keeping distance between cars, and lane guidance using high-resolution map data.

Rear park assist, cruise control, lane departure warning, efficiency assist, active front braking assist, and a driver drowsiness warning come standard on the new SUV.

Audi makes the Q6 E-Tron at the company’s Ingolstadt, Germany, plant. Its bodywork production is 87-percent automated with 328 employees and 1,150 robots working on it per shift.

Pricing and vehicle delivery dates will be announced in the coming weeks and months.