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By Jonathan Crouch

Audi's S6 e-tron offers us a very fast but cooly finessed kind of A6 e-tron. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 54

Someone wanting Audi's very fast, but very understated S6 e-tron luxury sports EV will come in search of speed and technology without extrovert drama. Some segment rivals will seem more dynamic, but this Ingolstadt model is a very complete all-round proposition. Don't opt for a faster Porsche Taycan or Mercedes EQE without considering it.

Backgroundword count: 118

Welcome to a very different kind of Audi S6. We seen a range of engines fitted within this executive sports saloon and estate model line over the years, V10s, V8s - even a diesel V6. But nothing quite like this S6 e-tron, which as the name suggests has gone full-electric. Audi is actually badging the more direct combustion replacement for the old C8-era S6 as 'S7'. Here though, we'll be focusing on the S6 e-tron EV. It's got a lot more power than its combustion predecessor and, as with the ordinary A6 e-tron, comes in five-door or Avant estate guises. An even faster RS 6 variant will sit above it in the range. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 263

The S6 e-tron, as you'd expect, comes only with the very largest of the batteries available in the A6 e-tron range - a pack 100kWh in size (94.9kWh of it usable). EV range is rated at 406 miles for the Sportback and 388 miles for the Avant. The battery pack energises motors on both axles that create a rear based four-wheel drive system. There's a permanent magnet motor at the back with 380PS; and an asynchronous motor at the front with up to 190PS. These together deliver a combined output of 503PS. Which rises to 551PS if you engage Launch mode, which provides for a 0-62mph time of 3.9s en route to 149mph. If you're driving like this, you'll need to make sure you've opted for the fieriest of the drive settings, 'Dynamic'. There's also a 'Sport' setting for the stability control. With a kerb weight of nearly 3.3-tonnes though, this isn't a sports saloon you'll want to be throwing around the lanes very often. There's an 'e-tron sport sound' that plays through the speakers under acceleration. More usefully, air suspension is standard - the S6 is the only A6 e-tron model to have it, which hasn't gone down well with some potential A6 e-tron customers. As with that standard model, there's a regenerative braking system controlled by steering wheel paddles, with a couple of fixed levels and a 'one-pedal' mode. Or you can choose an adaptive mode - or turn the regen system off completely. Unlike most EVs, this S6 is also quite comfortable towing, able to tug along up to 2.1-tonnes.

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