Audi Australia is ditching plans to launch the all-electric A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron range Down Under, following a “strategic realignment”.
In a statement supplied to CarExpert, a spokesperson for the German marque’s Australian division said: “After careful consideration and thorough evaluation, we have decided not to introduce the A6 e-tron or S6 e-tron model to the Australian market at this time”.
“This decision reflects a strategic alignment with local market demand for upper-large luxury electric passenger vehicles. Despite growth in electric vehicle (EV) uptake, the large luxury sedan EV segment remains relatively niche. Demand is modest and price sensitivity is strong within electrified segments here, with volume centred around incentivised price points such as the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold.”
“As always, we continue to monitor market developments closely and are constantly evaluating the suitability of all models available to our market. Should there be a meaningful shift we remain open to revisiting the possibility of introducing A6 e-tron or a variant thereof in the future.”
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Further to the supplied statement, Audi Australia’s managing director, Jeff Mannering, says while other models on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) like the Q6 e-tron have made it to local showrooms, the large luxury passenger segment “remains very niche”.
“We are focused on models that truly resonate with Australian drivers today, and we will remain agile as the market continues to shift,” Mr Mannering said. “While we’re incredibly proud of what A6 e-tron represents, our decision not to bring it to market at this time is based on ensuring the right fit for our customers here in Australia”.
This statement is a backflip on the July 2024 announcement that the A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron would launch in Australia during the first half of 2025. As recently as the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in March, Audi Australia had committed to launching the large electric liftback and wagon family this year.
No doubt a contributor to Audi’s decision is the slow sales of rival vehicles from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The BMW i5 range has returned only 403 registrations in 2025 – notably double that of the combustion-powered 5 Series lineup – while the oddly shaped Mercedes-Benz EQE is floundering with 111 registrations year to date (YTD).
Like the related Q6 e-tron and Q6 Sportback e-tron SUVs, the A6 e-tron offers some four drivetrain variants including a high-performance S6 e-tron. Both Sportback (liftback) and Avant (wagon) body styles are available.
The base model fits an 83kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a single rear-mounted electric motor for claimed range of over 610km on the WLTP cycle, with the longer-range 100kWh li-ion battery offering over 750km in ‘performance’ RWD guise.
At the top of the range, the S6 e-tron gets a dual-motor electric drivetrain offering up to 405kW with launch control activated, making for a 0-100km/h claim of 3.9 seconds while still offering over 670km of WLTP-certified range.
The PPE architecture on which the A6 e-tron family is an 800V platform co-developed with Porsche, already underpinning the new Macan Electric and the aforementioned Q6 e-tron family. It allows for a maximum DC fast-charging rate of 270kW, while the regenerative braking system can recuperate up to 220kW of electricity.
Audi also offers a separate A6 Sedan and Avant range overseas, complete with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. While the e-tron is a non-starter at this point in time, Audi Australia told CarExpert the combustion-powered models are still “under evaluation” for our market.
The regular A6 family is also expected to be bolstered by more rugged allroad as well as high-performance RS6 versions in the near future, though neither variations have been revealed just yet.