Audi Q6 e-tron likely to be assembled locally; Current Q8 e-tron could be phased out
The Audi Q6 e-tron is set to come to India very soon and from the looks of it, the car will be assembled locally in the country at the Skoda VW plant in Aurangabad. The Q6 e-tron is said to be a game-changing EV for Audi and the car is currently undergoing testing in India before its invertible launch later this year.
If the car comes as CKD instead of a full-blown CBU, it would benefit Audi India big time as they could price the car very competitively well under the Rs 1 crore (ex-showroom) mark. Another plus point for the brand is that upon the Q6 e-tron's arrival, it won't face any direct competition from other luxury manufacturers in the country.
Smaller luxury EVs like the Volvo XC40 & C40 Recharge, BMW iX1, Kia EV6 and recently launched Mercedes EQA & EQB are priced between Rs 54.95 lakh and Rs 77.50 lakh (ex-showroom). The larger EVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron are priced between Rs 1.15 crore and Rs 1.40 crore (ex-showroom). This leaves a big gap open between Rs 80 lakh and Rs 1 crore price bracket for the Q6 e-tron to slot in which is exactly where Audi will place the car.
Audi India also plans to launch 3 different versions of the Q6 e-tron: Rear-wheel Drive, Quattro and the SQ6 version. As to which of these will come first to India is something we will have to wait and watch, but bringing 3 different setups will help the SUV to be appealable to a larger audience.
All cars share the same 100kWh battery pack. The Quattro Q6 e-tron has a range of 625 km and produces 387PS and 580Nm of torque. The RWD car has a range of 641 km and puts down 306PS and 485Nm of torque.
The range-topping SQ6 produces a whooping 517PS and 580Nm of torque. It has a WLTP-certified range of only 598 km but can sprint from a standstill to 100kmph in just 4.4 seconds. The SQ6 is the only one that is expected to breach the Rs 1 crore (ex-showroom) price frame.
Audi Q8 e-tron: To end productionOn the other hand, Audi is also contemplating discontinuing its largest EV the Q8 e-tron, which is another aspect its younger sibling, the Q6 e-tron could capitalise on. The current Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron were launched in India in August 2023 and are available in two variants: e-tron 50 and e-tron 55. The SUV now seems to be on its way out due to decreased demand.
The big electric SUV from Audi was initially launched as the "e-tron" in 2019 and was received quite well among customers. Audi later added the "Q8" prefix to bring the car more in line with its SUV naming nomenclature. The current flagship SUV is expected to stay in production until next year after which the Q6 e-tron and Q4 e-tron are expected to take over the ranks.
The Q8 e-tron won't be completely gone though. Our understanding of the matter is that the new generation of the Q8 e-tron and its Sportback equivalent are already in the works. We don't know much about when the car will make its public debut but it will be based on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE platform) and will be produced at Audi's home in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Another reason Audi aims to axe the current Q8 e-tron is the facility. The car is manufactured in Brussels, Belgium where Audi is claiming to face "long-standing structural challenges". Restructuring also seems to be impossible because of its proximity to the city centre. In addition, the manufacturing expenses in the Brussels factory are higher than in other Audi facilities due to high logistics expenditures.