Audi’s fleet favourite A6 has morphed into an all-electric executive car to bring the fight to the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE.

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On sale now, the Sportback and Avant models are priced from £69,900 and £71,700 respectively, and deliver up to 463 miles of range. Range-topping S6 versions are also available, priced from £97,500 and £99,300 and with up to 550hp.

Further models will arrive later, bringing new entry-level versions with a smaller battery and lower pricing, along with a super-hot RS6 e-tron.

Audi hasn’t confirmed but the former petrol- and diesel-engined A6 versions are expected to live on as A7 models under its new badging approach of even numbers for electrically powered models, such as the Q4 e-tron, and odd for combustion engine models.

Previewed by the A6 e-tron concepts debuted at the Auto Shanghai show in 2021, the A6 features a super streamlined design that earns it the honour of being not only the most aerodynamic series production Audi of all time, but also the most aerodynamic vehicle in the entire VW Group. Aerodynamics are aided by switching from the previous saloon bodystyle to a sleeker Sportback coupé design.

It’s built on the PPE platform – short for Premium Platform Electric. Also used for the Q6 e-tron, it’s been developed for “exceptional” performance, range, efficiency and charging capability. Highlights include 800V technology and a maximum DC charging capacity of 270kW. The new A6 and S6 models also get a 100kWh (94.9 kWh net) lithium-ion battery newly developed for the PPE.

Kicking off the first wave of models are the Performance versions. These feature a single rear-mounted motor delivering 380hp (with launch control), giving a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.4 seconds for both Sportback and Avant variants and with a top speed of 130mph. Official WLTP range figures are given as 463 miles and 437 miles respectively.

The dual-motor S6 versions deliver a total of 550hp (with launch control) and rear-biased all-wheel drive, along with up to 405 miles of range (WLTP) for the Sportback and 388 for Avant.

The maximum 270kW DC charging capacity enables a 10 to 80% recharge in 21 minutes and delivers enough power for up to 192 miles of range in 10 minutes.

A6 Performance models feature five-link front and rear suspension as standard while S6 versions with rear-biased all-wheel drive gain adaptive air suspension with controlled damping, able to adapt to specific road conditions and delivering four different levels of ride height. In Efficiency mode via the Audi drive select system, it lowers the body by 20mm (depending on speed) for enhanced aerodynamics, helping to optimise energy consumption and driving range.

A6 e-tron models are available with Sport, S line and Edition 1 specification options, priced from £69,900/£71,700, £73,400/£75,200 and £78,400/£80,200.

S6 e-tron variants available exclusively with an enhanced Edition 1 trim and priced at £97,500/£99,200.

The interior is based around the Audi MMI panoramic display, featuring a curved design that builds in a 11.9-inch virtual cockpit and 14.5-inch MMI touchscreen.

Standard features across the range include MMI navigation plus, Audi Connect internet-based services, the Audi smartphone interface and wireless smartphone charging. The new AI-supported, self-learning Audi Assistant is also on hand to enable vocal control of numerous vehicle functions, and the latest Audi app store integrated directly into the MMI offers access to a rapidly growing selection of popular third-party apps.

Driver assistance features included in all models include a TopView camera, Parking Assist Plus system with a 360-degree exterior camera coverage, adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist, intersection cross traffic assist and swerve assist.

First UK customer deliveries of the A6 and S6 e-tron start February 2025.