Audi’s new Q6 e-tron, the second car to be built atop the Volkswagen-Audi Group’s Premium Platform Electric is the very essence of a Teutonic Masterpiece.

The design is very German: bold yet functional, the Q6 e-tron projects a strong, masculine image with no superfluous lines.

The exterior displays a heavily chiseled yet handsome, evolutionary design theme that pushes Audi design to the next stage. The trademark Audi singleframe grill is inverted and closed off (to minimize drag), the front fenders feature what Audi calls blistered quattro fenders, a large glass house provides a light and airy interior, with a long wheelbase to provide a strength of Germanic stability, and the short overhangs front and back envision Teutonic athleticism fit for the Olympics.

To give credence to the batteries underneath, a focal component of Audi’s Premium Platform Electric or PPE, side blades on the doors put focus on them, now a key design feature of the Q6. The side blades are themselves not new: may high-performance RS models from Audi’s glorious past proudly displayed them.

Jointly developed with Porsche, the PPE architecture has the engineering chops to proudly carry the Audi (and Porsche) name. Alas, it does so in a market pining for far more affordable Chinese offerings, and in a western market that is slowly veering away from an idea of a fully electric future.

A misstep? Or an opportunity to further distance itself and manifest its comprehensive engineering superiority from “fast fashion” EV’s?

Regardless, Audi is rightly proud of the Q6 e-tron. The design is a masterpiece. But under the skin is where the boffins at Ingolstadt truly burned the midnight oil.

With an ethos of Vorsprung durch Technik or advancement through technology guiding the brand, the PPE that underpins the Q6 is a true technological tour-de-force: cutting edge driver assistance tech fitted as standard which include include multiple airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB) for forward and backward detection, to the lane assist systems like lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping.

It also comes with adaptive cruise assist with lane centering, a speed assistance system, and a 360-degree camera system for improved visibility. Audi’s Adaptive driving assistant plus Collision avoidance assist, Augmented reality head-up display and Adaptive cruise assist are fitted.

The two variants available in the Philippines are a rear-drive model with 326hp and 485 Newton-Meters of torque while the dual-motor quattro all-wheel drive pumps out 422 horsepower and an enormous 855 Newton-Meters of combined torque from its two electric motors accessed during launch control (275 Newton-Meters from the front motor and 580 Newton-Meters from the rear motor). And as we all know, horsepower sells cars but torque wins races!

The rear-wheel drive variant has a smaller 83kwh battery while the all-wheel drive quattro variant has a larger 100kwh battery. Both are supported by an 800 volt architecture, blessing them with a range of a 516 and 611 kilometer range respectively.

Real-world? Around 450km on the RWD variant and roughly 540km of range on the AWD variant. Speed plays a key factor. Keeping them below 100kmh yields the best real-world efficiency. Staying below a yawn-inducing 80kmh on the highway will really max out the range.

Inside, Audi also debuts an all-new interior architecture. Like rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, a massive panoramic screen dominates the dashboard landscape, with a modicum of physical buttons available.  A massive 14.5-inch center MMI touchscreen provides all in-car entertainment, vehicle info and climate control settings while the driver gets an 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit, all collectively known as Audi’s Digital Stage. Not to be left out, a 10.9-inch passenger display is offered too.

These screens use a curved OLED setup, with the passenger screen capable of independent entertainment functions and a dynamic privacy mode to prevent distractions for the driver. A powerful 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen surround sound system is fitted, transforming the roomy Q6 e-Tron into a veritable concert hall.

There’s also Audi’s voice prompt called Audi Assistant. Just say “hey Audi” and then give it any of the 800 available commands which the system will perform.

To drive the Q6 is to experience a stately, elegant and mature session behind the wheel. It flows and ebbs from corner to corner, especially with the dual-valve, twin-chamber air suspension that swallows every bump, small or large on the road. Comfort and refinement are otherworldly. It’s cosseting, soothing and relaxing.

On the highway, the Q6 feels very stable, confident and composed. This is its element. If you drive lots of highway moles, the Q6 e-Tron shines best. If you also have to drive through a lot of city traffic, the Q6’s excellent NVH isolation will be your best friend, allowing you to focus, filtering the noise from outside.

When the roads get tight, twisty and exciting, the Q6 thankfully has the footwork to match the roads. The Q6 corners flat, transfers weight around its four corners progressively and also has amazing brakes (matched wjth regenerative braking of course). You know it spent time at a proper dynamic finishing school to ensure it drives like a proper Audi. This is what differentiates marque brands like Audi from the much cheaper Chinese alternatives that feel like driving milk cartons with mega horsepower. Dangerous beyond typical city speeds.

Ironically, while the Q6 feels very capable and competent on challenging roads, it very much prefers cruising at high speeds, covering vast distances quickly and efficiently. At anything below 100kmh it feels yawn-inducing because refinement, comfort and stability are very good. You can easily find yourself well above the speed limit if you don’t pay attention to your right foot and the speedometer.

Thank the dual valve two-chamber air suspension which has amazing body control, stroke, plus the aforementioned chassis refinement.

The Audi’s challenge? Overcoming the overwhelming number of cheap Chinese brands that match some of the Q6 e-tron’s technological prowess in a new market that demands technology over pedigree, promising so much more for far less. And for a new generation of buyers seeking personal mobility, they all look for this definition of value.

But none of them offer the same build quality, solidity, driving experience and overall build quality as the Audi. It’s as if the Q6 is the EV for those who don’t want an EV. It drives pretty much like an Audi, like a regular car that has been around for a century and more. Not the limp, lifeless, four-wheeled appliances from cheaper manufacturers.

So while others become disposable gadgets, the Audi will continue to delight and deliver true emissions-free driving pleasure for years to come. And no other vehicle in this segment will ever look like a rolling masterpiece like the Q6 e-Tron.