With the announcement of a production version of the 2012 A6 L e-Tron, Audi->ke14 attempts to answer two problems posed by the Chinese->ke2090 luxury-car->ke505 market at the same time. The first of these is something that the A6->ke934 L in its regular form already addresses, the Chinese obsession with rear legroom. But the more important issue is that of fuel economy, and this the new car does quite well. This economy comes at a bit of a price when it comes to power, but this is a car intended only for the Chinese market, and China very much has its own set of rules. The car was first shown as a concept back in 2012, and has received a few tweaks since then.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2015 Audi A6 L e-tron.

2015 Audi A6 L e-tron

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 Audi A6 L e-tron
  • Engine/Motor: 4-Stroke, 4-Valve
  • Horsepower: 245
  • Torque: 358
  • Transmission: eight-speed tiptronic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

The exterior styling of the A6 L e-Tron is very close to that of the A6 L, the long-wheelbase version of the A6 that is built in China and just for the Chinese market. That car is similar in most respects to the regular A6, but 3.6 inches has been added to the total length of the car.

There are nevertheless a few details that set the car apart from the other A6 L. The e-Tron comes with a special set of 18-inch wheels, making it much more immediately recognizable. LED lights have been added around the air intakes, making for a small but very noticeable change in the look of the front fascia.

This is different from the standard fascia given to the original concept, and Audi has also scaled back the wheels, as the concept had a set measuring 21 inches.

Interior

The car's interior is aimed at a segment of the Chinese market that doesn't exist in other countries: buyers of midsized sedans who employ professional chauffeurs. One need not buy a Rolls-Royce Phantom->ke1283 to be driven around in China, and all three of the big German luxury brands now build long-wheelbase versions of their midsized models for this market.

That means that the 3.6 inches of extra length the A6 L has been given are devoted almost entirely to extra rear legroom. This remains the same for the e-Tron, but here the driver is also given the option of displaying information pertaining to the drivetrain and battery on the MMI screen.

The new battery packs intrude on trunk space a bit, but not so much that you wouldn't be able to get a suitcase in.

Drivetrain

Fuel economy is an extremely important issue in China, where smog levels in major cities reached crisis levels long ago. But concerns about the availability of charging stations have kept sales of pure electrics->ke1030 from really getting off of the ground, and that is presumably why Audi chose to go the plug-in hybrid->ke4486 route for this car. Although Audi already makes an A6 Hybrid, available for sale in most markets, the e-Tron takes it a step further, mating a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder to a disk-shaped electric motor mounted between the gasoline engine and the eight-speed automatic transmission.

This produces a combined 245 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, but more importantly, it delivers 106.9 mpg. The car has a 0-62 time of 8.4 seconds, which might not sound impressive, but in the fuel-sipping long-wheelbase segment, it's quite competitive.

The power number isn't huge, and if you opt to drive in pure electric mode, which the A6 L e-Tron can do for a range of 31 miles, power will be even lower. But the car can reach a top speed of 84 mph in all-electric mode, a huge improvement over the 37 mph originally quoted when the concept debuted.

It's still not especially impressive, but the e-Tron is presumably meant primarily for city driving, where smog is such a problem, and those who both need to take longer trips and are concerned about fuel economy will still have the option of the regular hybrid. And as tends to be the case with e-Tron models, Audi's signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system is not available, with power going only to the front wheels.

Drivetrain Specifications

Gasoline engine

2.0 TFSI four-cylinder

Gasoline output

211 HP

Torque

258 LB-FT

Electric motor

disk-shaped electric motor

Electric output

91 kW

Electric torque

162.3 Lb-FT

Transmission

Eight-speed tiptronic

Total output

245 HP

Total torque

368.8 Lb-FT

0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph)

8.4 seconds

Top speed

210 km/h (130.5 mph)

Electric range

31 miles

Total range

546.8 miles


Prices

Audi hasn't yet released pricing on the car, but with the price for the Chinese market of about $103,000 for the regular A6 Hybrid, it's a safe bet that this more battery-intensive model won't be cheap.

Competition

Tesla Model S

Although it isn't offered with an extended wheelbase, the Tesla Model S->ke3329 is basically the only game in town if you absolutely must have a pure electric luxury car. With some very impressive straight-line performance and an interior which easily rivals the more conventional cars in its segment, the Model S is an attractive alternative for those who wish to stay away from fossil fuels. That said, Tesla has had some serious trouble selling these cars in China, and pure electrics in general haven't been doing well.

Read our full review here.

2014 BMW 5-Series

Although the 5-Series->ke317 is offered as a Hybrid and with an extended wheelbase, these features can't be purchased together. But China does get some efficient four-cylinder options for the long wheelbase 5-Series that aren't usually offered in other markets. This unfortunately means that these more-efficient versions of the car are at least as underpowered as the Audi, but that's pretty much just par for the course in this segment in China.

Read our full review here.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes->ke187 offers the extended wheelbase on the E-Class,->ke373 sedan, a competitor to the A6 in every market where both are sold. There is no hybrid option, and even the smaller of the engines offered isn't exactly a fuel sipper. This is a supercharged 1.8 four-cylinder that offers roughly the same kind of performance and fuel economy as the 3.0-liter naturally aspirated V6 available to those who select the top trim level for the car. It seems odd that Mercedes has gone in such a different direction, but even in China there are always those more concerned about status than fuel economy.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

The features offered on the A6 L e-Tron aren't exactly groundbreaking, but Audi's packaging all of them together is a first for China. This could give the car an edge, but given the degree to which luxury EVs like the Tesla Model S have struggled in China, it's not exactly guaranteed that fuel economy will be enough of a priority to be advantageous for the e-Tron.