The Audi Q6 e-tron may have been developed as the ideal electric SUV to drive around the city, but the carmaker thinks it can go just as well off-road – albeit with modifications.
Revealed over the weekend, the Audi Q6 e-tron offroad concept is a prototype designed to show how capable the SUV’s electric platform is.
Audi’s concept most notably features a significantly raised ground clearance, sitting 160mm higher off the ground and with a 250mm wider track than the regular Q6 e-tron.
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That extra ground clearance isn’t just for show, as Audi has also fitted newly developed portal axles which it claims can allow the electric SUV to climb up a 100 per cent gradient – or a 45-degree slope, if you’re so inclined.
Audi also claims the portal axles increase the torque at the wheel by 50 per cent, instead of the usual 20 to 30 per cent increase for conventional units.
This extra torque and hill-climbing ability comes at a price, dropping the Q6 e-tron’s top speed to only 175km/h – down from 210-230km/h.
The carmaker quotes a power output of 380kW from its dual electric motors, suggesting the offroad concept uses the same powertrain from the SQ6 flagship, which also develops 580Nm.
Additional cosmetic changes compared to the regular Q6 e-tron include a unique lower driving light setup (with five lights on each side), knobbly off-road tyres, extended wheel-arch flares and a roof storage system with integrated light bar.
While Audi is yet to confirm production plans for the Q6 e-tron offroad concept, it said in its media release that it “gives a taste of a potential vehicle in the progressive off-road segment”.
If it does go into production – and ends up coming to Australia – expect a price tag north of the SQ6 e-tron’s $151,400 before on-roads figure.
