Latest news with #AudiQ6
Stuff.tv
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Stuff.tv
The deliberately quirky DS No8 impressed me, both inside and out
Stuff Verdict The DS No8 looks cracking on the outside and is a feast of innovation and comfort on the inside, with enough room to keep most family-focused buyers happy. Pros Very impressive range on all models Elegant looks both inside and out All-wheel-drive version drives super nicely Cons Interiors might be seen as a little garish to some It's quite a big old bus when in small spaces The weight is easy to feel when you're driving Introduction DS Automobiles always offers something a little bit different, and that's maybe never been more true with the DS No8. This is a very individual SUV-coupe that oozes class and also packs plenty of innovation, especially when it comes to using lots of unusual materials for the interior. It's been designed to take on the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Audi Q6 e-tron and, interestingly, the Polestar 4, which in itself is a bit of a curio. The unmistakably French model starts at a sniff over £50,000 for the No8 Pallas trim and climbs to nearly £55,000 for the No8 Etoile. You can have a front-driven version with 230bhp, a long-range variant with 245bhp, or a three-motor, 350bhp range-topper if additional grunt is required. The DS No8 is therefore going to be ideally suited to anyone who likes a little bit of individuality, lots of comfort and needs to munch miles on a regular basis. The biggest bonus with driving a DS is that it stands out from the crowd, and there's no better example of that than the new No.8. Here's how I've been getting on with it… How we test cars Every electric car reviewed on Stuff is tested on a range of road surfaces and, where possible, in varying weather conditions. We use our years of experience to compare with rivals and assess ergonomics, technology features and general usability. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. The styling I was expecting the DS No8 to be different and, seeing it in the metal for the first time, the coupe-style exterior is a bit of a head turner. There was a lot to take in as I worked my way around the outside of this large car – it's 4.8 metres long, although that sloping rearward roofline helps keep the profile surprisingly svelte. The acute styling looks quite dramatic, but despite its bulk the No8 has been designed with aerodynamics in mind. Case in point is at the front end, where the carefully honed edges have been worked to cut through the air as efficiently as possible. There's also a distinctive illuminated grille here. My only worry with this is just how much that front end would be to repair should it be damaged in an accident. Standing back for a wider look at the DS No8, it could almost be something from the Rolls Royce stable. The use of colour is quite clever; the Crystal Pearl of my Etoile trim test car works brilliantly against the contrasting black roof, trim highlights and bonnet. The latter, incidentally, is painted using a specially developed new technique that's similar to screen printing, eliminating overspray and thereby wastage. Another bit of innovation. As for the deliciously minimal back-end, I think there are whiffs of the Lexus LC 500 about those taillights – no bad thing in my book. Lift the tailgate and there's 620 litres of storage space, although there's no frunk under the bonnet. The DS designers have gone to town with the cockpit of this car. Although there's quite a lot of plastic, it is balanced by the clever use of new and sustainable materials. The pictures, I think, speak for themselves. The drive Prior to driving the all-wheel drive No8, I spent a little time in the front-driven No8 Pallas. The latter sounded like it was being quite hard on the front tyres, even when it was being driven sedately. As a result, I found the four-wheel drive Etoile car a much more likeable thing to spend time in, even if the extra power isn't really needed unless you're a fan of pushing EVs to their max. The DS No8 isn't really that kind of car. I found it delicious to drive when taking things easy. Sure, there's a lot of weight in evidence, which is more noticeable when it's taking on tight bends. Overall, though, the DS No8 offers no trouble and can be handled with the minimum of effort. I was surprised how good the turning circle was too, especially given its size, and parking turns into a breeze thanks to the excellent on-screen reversing camera views. It's interesting to see how the square steering wheel has made a comeback and the one in the DS No8 was, I thought, surprisingly spindly. It felt good in my hands though, and elsewhere the drive mode controls are all effortless, with a range of options that, naturally, make Comfort the most obvious selection. Sport delivers a boost of fizz, and this large car will still make zero to sixty in 5.4 seconds in the AWD format. That's fine. The Active Scan Suspension will be mighty handy on UK roads too as it uses cameras to spot irregularities in the road ahead and adjust the setup accordingly. Ideal. The technology A big part of the DS No8 experience revolves around the in-car entertainment. Oh sure, there's the novelty value of Chat GPT if you want to find something out, but the sound system is where this car felt decidedly high-end. DS has collaborated with French audio specialists Focal to develop the audio setup, with no less than 14 speakers festooned around the cabin to provide a full-on sensory experience. I was mightily impressed with the way it looked and even more blown away by how it sounded. That works in tandem with a host of other options, all designed to make any type of journey that little more soothing and stress-free. I got so much benefit from the 'Cat paw' massage seat mode that I was surprised I didn't burn the electric motors out. However, it is noticeable that under the posh DS software skin, this looks to be the self-same system found in the Peugeot all-electric range, like the Peugeot E-3008 for example. The infotainment system is centred around a 16in screen that sits nicely along the dash. There was some occasional lag from this during use, but nothing that put me off dipping in altogether. DS has kept things minimalistic when it comes to physical controls, mind, so expect to spend quite a lot of time delving into the screen's innermost workings. Even more so if you want to peruse the delights of those massage seat settings. It's all in there though. Somewhere. DS No8 verdict I was quite taken aback as to how quirky the DS No8 was. The exterior shape and novel design grew on me, and the interior – whilst being a bit wild in places – works when it's enjoyed as a whole. Fair play to DS for keeping up with the innovation and unusual ideas, which in the main work to great effect. I'm not quite sure how well it'll age over time, but people probably said that about the original DS when it appeared all those years ago. Stuff Says… Score: 4/5 The DS No8 looks cracking on the outside and is a feast of innovation and comfort on the inside, with enough room to keep most family-focused buyers happy. Pros Very impressive range on all models Elegant looks both inside and out All-wheel-drive version drives super nicely Cons Interiors might be seen as a little garish to some It's quite a big old bus when in small spaces The weight is easy to feel when you're driving DS No8 technical specifications Powertrain Permanent magnet synchronous electric motor Battery 98kWh Power 350bhp Torque 377lb-ft 0-62mph 5.4sec Top speed 118mph Range 469 miles Charge rate 160kW Cargo volume 620 litres
Auto Express
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron review - new sexy roof, same solid EV
The Q6 e-tron comes across as Audi's most convincing electric car to date. The Sportback version gives improved EV range and a sportier shape for a modest reduction in practicality, and a £2,500 premium. The car is still very much in the familiar Audi vein - solid, secure, comfortable and classy but without necessarily entertaining the driver as much as some rivals can. Advertisement - Article continues below With its Sportback models Audi has absolutely nailed the commodification of the curvy car roofline. Right across the German brand's range customers are invited to sacrifice a couple of thousand pounds, and a little boot space, for the sleeker, coupe-like profile created when a car's roof curls gently down at the rear rather than diving abruptly off the cliff of a tailgate. The Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron is simply another variation on that popular theme. It's expected that around 20 per cent of the UK buyers going for an Audi Q6 e-tron mid-size SUV will choose a Sportback. They'll get a somewhat sexier roofline that's achieved by reworking the entire top of the car. The windscreen slopes more dramatically than on the standard Q6 SUV, facilitated by more steeply angled A-pillars. The roof itself is 37mm lower, and above the heads of the rear seat passengers it begins its gentle arch down to a subtle spoiler on the tiny boot lid. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View XC40 View Q4 e-tron Does it look better? I'll let you be the judge. I'm not a fan of the whole coupe SUV experiment mainly because, to my eyes, the classic coupe design themes depend on a low, ground-hugging car shape to work properly. Perched atop a chunky, high-riding SUV they often look ungainly. Thousands of car buyers can't be wrong though and I will say that the Q6 Sportback is one of the better executed coupe SUV designs out there - its wide stance, powerful haunches and short overhangs helping the cause. Let's get back to a more factual analysis though. In choosing the Sportback body style, Audi Q6 e-tron buyers are paying an extra £2,500 over the standard 5-door SUV. Also in the minus column go a 15-litre reduction in boot capacity and less headroom in the cabin. Advertisement - Article continues below On the plus side, the Q6 Sportback e-tron is more aerodynamic than the SUV and that yields a maximum WLTP combined range of 334 miles in the entry-level model compared to 325 miles in the standard Q6 equivalent. How you view that trade-off will determine whether you're a Sportback kinda person or not. Once you've settled on the Sportback bodystyle there are four powertrain options to choose from. The Sport version has 249bhp while the Performance has 302bhp. Both of these cars are rear-wheel drive and the Performance model is expected to be the biggest seller in the UK. It has the larger 94.9kWh battery (the Sport's battery is 75.8kWh) and delivers the Q6's biggest driving range, a highly impressive 402 miles. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Above that are the four-wheel drive 'quattro' cars, all with the larger battery and an electric motor on each axle. The standard quattro has 383bhp and the SQ6 Sportback e-tron quattro offers 483bhp; the driving ranges are 390 miles and 367 miles respectively. Big battery models can charge at up to 260kW (225kW for the smaller battery) so you could add 164 miles to the Performance model in 10 minutes with the right charger. Audi has thoughtfully included charging sockets on both sides of the car, too. Although, only one accepts rapid charging. All the Q6 e-tron models can also achieve a temporary 30bhp boost to their max power figures by way of the standard launch control mode. Using this, and a long enough piece of road, the official 0-62mph times range between 7.6s in the Sport and 4.3s in the SQ6, so no Q6 e-tron sportback could be described as slow. Advertisement - Article continues below We tried the rear-wheel drive Performance variant and the quattro on the super-smooth roads around Munich in Germany, and the Q6 comes across as a very capable and comfortable machine in both guises. The standard air suspension mostly served-up a composed ride over undulations and absorbed what bumps there were on our test route very well. Things can get a little busy at higher speeds where the Q6 has a tendency to wiggle from side-to-side where the opposing wheels encounter different surfaces or cambers. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below There's little body roll but the high kerb weight (2,200kg in the 'lighter' Performance model) is obvious in the planted but somewhat leaden-footed feel through direction changes. We found that the steering feel is better in the Performance model, which seemed slightly less direct around the straight ahead than the quattro. This made it that bit easier to place on the motorway without constant inputs. Generally, the steering is well judged, light around town then gaining weight at speed and in corners, but with no feedback to communicate what the wheels are up to. Grip seems plentiful with no indication that the powertrain in the RWD cars has enough about it to unsettle the car in dry conditions. The quattro feels even more secure, its all-wheel drive more than cancelling out its extra power. Advertisement - Article continues below The brakes are very powerful and really inspire confidence once you get used to the stopping power. The adaptive brake energy regeneration system, that alters the level of automatic braking according to the route and driving conditions, can make the response you get when lifting off the throttle a little unpredictable, though. We found it best to select 'B' mode - which gives true one-pedal driving by gradually bringing the car to a complete stop - around town and disable adaptive braking the rest of the time. If you want to persevere with it, the strength of the braking effect can be controlled by the steering wheel paddles. Refinement is impressive, the electric motor barely ever audible from inside the car and wind noise well suppressed until you get up to autobahn speeds. There's also very little road noise other than on really rough surfaces. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below From the driver's seat of the Q6 you feel quite enclosed by the wide centre console, the high dashboard and the relatively slim windscreen aperture. There's an unusual raised lip along the bottom edge of this windscreen that compounds this letterbox effect and if you like sitting low in the car, it means you can't see the bonnet at all. That removes a useful point of reference when threading through gaps. Advertisement - Article continues below The Q6 sits above the Q4 in Audi's range but it doesn't feel significantly more spacious inside than the smaller model. It's the first Audi to use the new PPE architecture that was developed with Porsche to also underpin the electric Porsche Macan and there's definitely a sporty feel to the interior of the Sportback, thanks in part to its slim glass area. The rear bench can seat two adults and has just about enough legroom for someone six-foot tall to sit behind a similarly tall driver. There's space under the front seats for your feet but the low roof is going to put anyone tall in contact with the headlining. The middle seat is on the slim side. The boot has a 511-litre capacity and what you lose in the Sportback conversion is really just height - the floor space is the same. There's a deep storage space beneath the floor that's easily big enough for the charging cables but if you've got a full load of luggage, there's also the 64-litre frunk (part of the optional Storage Pack) under the bonnet where you could put them. Fold the seats down and there's a 1,373-litre space to make use of. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Quality is hard to fault with Audi's usual high class materials in evidence and the display screens ( an 11.9' instrument panel and a 14.5-inch touchscreen) offering crisp, clear graphics. The complex menu systems take some getting used to but there are shortcut buttons to disable the driver assistance tech and to choose the different driving modes. In terms of trim levels, the range opens with the Sport at £64,000. This has 19' wheels, sports seats, LED lighting all round and a heat pump to boost cold weather range. S line trim has 20' wheels and a load of sporty styling add-ons for £3,000 more. Then you have the fully-loaded Edition 1 for another £5,000. It gets 21' wheels and sports suspension, LED Matrix lights, and an extra touchscreen for the front passenger. Strangely, it's also the only version with electric front seat adjustment. The SQ6 flagship models only come in Edition 1 spec for over £95,000 but the other powertrain options can be had in any trim. As you can no doubt imagine, the costs mount-up quite quickly as you climb the range, but no premium electric SUV comes cheap. The closely related Porsche Macan Electric starts at £69,000 and will be a tempting alternative for Q6 e-tron Sportback customers. Otherwise the spacious Polestar 3 starts at around £70,000. Model: Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron Performance Edition 1 Price: £73,975 Powertrain: Single E-motor and 94.9kWh battery Power/torque: 302bhp / 485Nm Transmission: single-speed, rear-wheel drive 0-62mph: 6.7 seconds Top speed: 130mph EV range: 402 miles Size (L/W/H): 4,771/1,965/1,665mm On sale: Now Interested in an Audi Q6? Compare deals on Audi's EV SUV and its rivals with our Find A Car service... Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge Citroen is plotting a new 2CV – but the risks are huge We talk to Citroen bosses on plans to reboot its icon – and do they go retro or futuristic? New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it's sleeker than ever New Kia Sportage breaks cover and it's sleeker than ever Full specification and details have been announced for the UK version of Kia's big-selling mid-size SUV Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options Best mid-size SUVs to buy 2025 - our expert pick of the top options Mid-size SUVs are hugely popular in the UK, and these are the very best of the current crop Best cars & vans 4 Jun 2025
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Two fighting for their lives after canal bridge crash in Sutton Coldfield
Two people are fighting for their lives after a two-car horror crash in Sutton Coldfield. The collision happened on the canal bridge in Bodymoor Heath Road, near Dog Lane junction, at around 6.45pm yesterday, May 4. A man and a woman involved in the collision - both in their 20s - were rushed to hospital in a critical condition. READ MORE: Birmingham criminals jailed in April 2025 from park murder gang to pimp and rich customer Police said three other occupants in the same car, a white Audi A3, were treated for injuries not thought to be life-threatening at this time. The vehicle had collided with a blue Audi Q6. The occupants of the second car suffered minor injuries. Warwickshire Police has urged anyone with information about this incident to contact the force. A force spokesperson said: "We're appealing for witnesses after a two-car collision left two people in a critical condition in hospital. "The collision occurred on the canal bridge in Bodymoor Heath Road near the junction with Dog Lane at around 6.45pm yesterday. "Following the collision a man and woman – both in their 20s – were taken to hospital with serious injuries where they remain in a critical condition. "Three other occupants of the car were treated for injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening at this time. "The five of them were travelling in a white Audi A3 when it collided with a blue Audi Q6. The occupants of the second car suffered minor injuries." Sergeant Dave Ruddy added: 'We've launched an investigation to establish exactly what caused this collision that has left two people in a critical condition. 'At this time, we don't believe anyone witnessed the collision, but we're keen to hear from anyone who saw either car in the moments before it occurred. "I'd ask anyone with dashcam footage from the area around the time of the collision to get in touch with us.' Anyone with information should contact police by calling 101, quoting incident 264 of May 4.
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Car review: Audi Q6 e-tron quattro is a fine-riding EV, saddled with a hefty road tax bill
Posh EV: The Audi Q6 e-tron looks smart with its blend of chunky lines and menacing grey paint job. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG SINGAPORE – Electric vehicles (EVs), especially if they are all-wheel drive and dual motor, are great fun. But the high road tax they attract can dent their appeal. Few models have it as bad as the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro. This sleek and luxurious sport utility vehicle (SUV) costs the owner $6,058 in annual road tax. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Ask the expert: Is there a ‘greener' way to tow my boat than my Audi diesel?
Dear Alex, I use my Audi Q3 40 TDI to tow a small boat trailer. My children and grandchildren want me to switch to a greener car, but I cannot find such a thing that can do what the Audi can – get to the south coast from Cheshire with my boat on two-thirds of a tank of diesel. I cannot find a reasonably priced electric car which will tow 2.2-tonnes and I have not seen a recharge station which will allow a car with a trailer. So it seems an impossible problem, although my children simply think I'm being old-fashioned. Am I wrong? – AL Dear AL, You're correct that the only EVs that can tow the weight you describe are pretty pricey. I count seven in total, of which the most 'affordable' is the Audi Q6 – starting price £60,000-odd. I also agree that towing is not something that's been factored in by designers of electric car charging bays. Those who tow with EVs usually have to unhitch their trailer, charge, then re-hitch before continuing their journey. I daresay we will eventually see dedicated chargers for towing vehicles appear in motorway services – but we're not there yet. Bearing all that in mind, I think switching to an EV doesn't make sense at the moment. What about a hybrid, though? The biggest dent in your Q3's green credentials is that it was rated at only two out of five stars by ADAC (the German equivalent to the AA) in its independent emissions tests. It said that while NOx emissions were impressive at moderate speeds, higher loads (such as on a motorway) generated a comparatively high amount of pollutants, albeit still within the legal limit. Switching to a hybrid would reduce those pollutants, although the CO2 emissions would be roughly the same. What's more, buying a new car incurs all the carbon cost inherent in the manufacture of a vehicle, which you could avoid by simply keeping your current car. So to summarise: switching to an EV is probably out of the question for a while at least; switching to a new hybrid would potentially reduce your NOx and particulate output, but cause a net increase in your CO2 emissions. Is making the change worth it? I don't believe so. If I were you, I'd stick with the Audi – especially if you're happy with it.
