AUDI HAS FIXED OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH MODERN EV DESIGN

Audi has big plans for its lineup, launching 20 new models in the next two years - which I think is one heck of an ambitious goal. Those new models include 10 EVs along with a combination of hybrid and gas vehicles that provide plenty of variety as the brand moves toward full electrification. The latest addition to the Audi stable is the fully electric A6 e-tron, which I had the chance to see at a special preview event in Germany.

These types of sneak peeks generally show what’s coming in the next few months or sometimes the next few years. In this case, Audi showed both the A5, which debuted earlier this month, and the A6 e-tron. There is no official on-sale date for either just yet, but both will likely arrive next spring or summer. The A5 is a beautifully designed car and the A6 e-tron shows off that same design language, but with an EV twist that includes a smile.

The Challenge Of Designing An EV

Electric vehicles are still relatively new, and it seems like some designers are struggling with how to style a car that doesn’t need a grille. This has led to legions of EVs with flat slabs of metal up front that look just awful. It’s as if no one really knows what the heck they’re supposed to do with that space, so they just slap a piece of metal on there and call it a day. Add to that the fact that many designers have been outspoken about how EV design is simply too aggressive, these days.

Shiro Nakamura, the designer behind the iconic Nissan GT-R, said that most electric cars are too focused on looking powerful and aggressive, hinting at a clear lack of "charming cars" in the electric vehicle sphere. Audi, thankfully, has designers who took this to hear. This is partly because Audi's CEO/CTO, Gernot Döllner, knows its customers value a well-designed car, and he makes it a priority for the company, saying that design has always been key to Audi, remaining one of the many reasons people choose to buy them. Early in 2023, Audi also hinted at a softening in modern car design.

And so I noticed that there was genuine enthusiasm from the design team at the preview event in Germany as they talked about small details, from lighting to trims, all of which came together for the final product. In the Audi A6 e-tron, the design includes a wide grille with a black surround. It doesn’t have the intricate details of a traditional grille, but neither is it a boring piece of plain metal. Instead, it shows off a minimalist design approach that not only looks good, but differentiates itself from Audi's gas vehicles. It also smiles at you. Really, it smiles, and once you notice, you can’t help but smile, too.

This EV Shows Off A Happy Face

Smiling cars aren't new, but they are few and far between these days (you know we're talking about the Mazda MX-5 Miata, particularly in its older generations). And it's quite cool that you can now find a smile on an electric car.

The smile starts with the Audi four-ring logo at the top center of the grille. Right below it there’s a small circle and right below that is where the patterned surface of the grille meets in the middle, in a curve just like a smile. Eyes, nose, mouth. This is the Audi that smiles at you, and it’s hard not to smile back at such a beautifully designed car.

Eye-catching details continue as you look at the sides of the A6 e-tron, where a black insert runs just above the door sills. It’s not just about design here, as this also highlights the area where the battery is housed, reinforcing that this is an electric vehicle.

Another key design element is the lighting. There’s a choice of several preset patterns for the front and rear lights. These are easily changed on a menu within the infotainment system, so you can personalize the look of your A6 e-tron all depending on your mood. Europe also gets animated versions of these lights that even include symbols, but US regulations prohibit that kind of fun.

Regulations also prevent the digital side mirrors that you see in these photos. They look super sleek and provide a better view of what’s alongside the vehicle, but Audi isn’t allowed to bring them to the US, as much as they’d like to give us this fancy piece of tech. They can, however, offer us one more lighting treat in the form of illuminated Audi rings on the back of the A6 e-tron. They looked fabulous in a well-lit studio, and I'm sure they're going to look even better when you're out on the road at night.

A Sportback Only In The US, But An Avant Elsewhere

Audi calls this a 'Sportback', which is what the rest of us call a liftback. It’s a naming convention that Audi has used for a while, along with 'Avant' for its wagons. There is an Avant version of the A6 e-tron, which makes this the first fully electric Audi available in both body styles - but of course, you can't get it in the US. This should surprise no one and is our own darn fault because we don’t buy enough wagons here for it to make financial sense for Audi to give us one.

While this is the first fully electric Audi to be available as both a Sportback and an Avant, it’s the second model to use the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture. The first PPE vehicle was the Q6 e-tron, which is an SUV, highlighting the versatility of this platform. It underpins the upcoming range of Audi EVs as a scalable architecture suited to a wide range of electric vehicles.

Vorsprung Durch Technik

Just in case your German is a little rusty, allow me to translate. This phrase means “progress through technology” and it’s a core part of Audi’s design process. It pertains to both the propulsion systems and infotainment, both of which have quickly become key features in any modern vehicle. In just a few years, we’ve gone from tiny little screens to massive screens that run the full length of the dashboard, and frankly, are more than a little distracting. Audi strikes a better balance than most with its new “digital stage.” It was in the new Q6 e-tron I drove earlier this year, and it does a solid job of providing all the information you want without distracting with unnecessary extras.

This balance comes despite the presence of three screens. There’s the usual instrument cluster and infotainment screen, but there's also a passenger screen - something that's gaining traction as a feature on high-end cars. The idea is that passengers can access some things, like navigation, to help the driver, but also entertain themselves with a movie. This, of course, isn’t visible by the driver as a safety measure. I've driven other vehicles with passenger screens and so far have yet to see one of my passengers play with one for more than a few minutes as a novelty. I think the jury is still out on whether these will become the norm or a passing fancy.

One of the things I genuinely dislike about these screens is that they're shiny black rectangles when they're off. Especially on a car with a light interior, they're just plain ugly. Audi solves that problem by showing an attractive pattern instead that blends with the dashboard rather than standing out. It’s easily our favorite small detail, and it is no surprise given Audi’s keen focus on design.

Another fun bit of technology inside the A6-etron is the optional panoramic glass roof. It becomes opaque at the touch of a button to block the sun when it's too bright. Rather than simply just making the whole roof clear or opaque, there are four different settings. This lets you choose to make some sections clear and some opaque so you let in exactly as much light as you want and it shines in exactly the right places. You can even make it striped in sections. I was in a studio, so I couldn't play with this in the sun, but I imagine kids are going to want it to be striped all the time because I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me think of a zebra.

Standing Up Against The Competition

There is some solid competition for the A6 e-tron, which includes the Polestar 2, BMW i4 Gran Coupe (where 'Gran Coupe' is BMW's lingo for 'Sportback'), and, of course, the Tesla Model S. There’s a mix of luxury and performance on that list with a wide range of prices. How well the A6 e-tron does on those fronts is still unknown, but it does appear to have the features and style to be a contender. My expectation is that it's going to deliver the kind of driving dynamics that are the hallmark of the Audi brand, so if the range is good and the price is competitive, it's likely to do quite well. And none of the others greet you with a smile.

2024-08-02T05:23:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd