Audi will be giving buyers of its electric SUVs a new shape to choose from, one with sportier proportions, which also improves driving range thanks to better aerodynamics.

The automaker launched the Q6 Sportback e-tron, which will also be available in the sportier SQ6 e-tron form.

The Sportback models receive a sloping roofline.

Canadian market details and launch date were not provided.

Globally, the Q6 Sportback e-tron will be available in multiple versions, including a standard model with an 83-kWh battery and rear-wheel drive, as well as models with a larger battery and all-wheel drive.

The performance model, featuring a 100-kWh battery and rear-wheel drive, has the longest range of the Q6 e-tron family with an estimated 656 kilometres.

Power and range

Let’s take a loot at the different versions of the upcoming Q6 Sportback e-tron.

The entry-level model features the 83-kWh battery and rear-wheel drive and has a range up to 545 kilometres. Zero to 100 km/h is reported in seven seconds.

The performance model, featuring the 100-kWh battery, rear-wheel drive and an electric motor with 302 hp has a range of up to 656 kilometres. It accelerates to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds.

The quattro model has a system power output of 382 hp and accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. It has a range of 636 kilometres.

The most powerful model, the SQ6 Sportback e-tron has 482 hp, all-wheel drive and can accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. Its estimated driving range is up to 607 kilometres.

As a comparison, the standard Q6 e-tron model, with the standard SUV roofline, has an NRCan estimated driving range up to 494 kilometres, so the new model, in base trim, gains about 50 kilometres of range.

Interior

The new SUV comes with a panoramic display and a passenger display. There’s a slim, free-standing curved panoramic display with OLED technology, including an 11.9-inch virtual cockpit and a 14.5-inch touch display.

There’s also an optional 10.9-inch passenger display with active privacy mode.

Additionally, there is an optional augmented reality head-up display, which projects a large, tilted image plane onto the windshield, displaying information such as vehicle speed, traffic signs, assistance and navigation signs.

Voice commands are done via an AI-supported digital assistant, which is represented by an avatar and can recognize more than 800 voice commands.

The infotainment system runs on the Android Automotive OS, which comes with Audi’s latest suite of connected services.

For audiophiles, there’s a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system with 20 loudspeakers and a total output of 830 watts.

The Q6 Sportback e-tron will launch globally sometime around the turn of the new year.

The automaker says the models will start at 65,900 euros. Canadian pricing has not been announced.