• Audi’s Q6 e-tron Offroad features 510 HP and a raised ride height for serious off-roading.
  • New portal axles give the concept a 50% increase in wheel torque for more traction.
  • Despite its rugged specs, Audi hints the concept may evolve into a production model.

Update 1/27: Audi has dropped additional details and images of the Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept following the initial reveal on social media. The big takeaway? Audi seems to be testing the waters for a rugged, production version of the Q6 e-tron.

“The debuting Q6 gives a taste of a potential vehicle in the progressive off-road segment,” said Audi, hinting at the brand’s plans to inject some grit into its electric lineup. “We look forward to seeing our customers’ reactions to this highly emotive car,” commented CEO Gernot Dollner.

Under the hood—well, technically under the floor—the concept boasts dual electric motors delivering a combined 510 horsepower (380 kW), a figure on par with the SQ6 e-tron in Boost mode. However, the key upgrades are mechanical: the Q6 e-tron concept’s ride height has been raised by a substantial 160 mm (6.3 inches), its track widened by 250 mm (9.8 inches), and, most notably, it features portal axles.

Unlike traditional setups, the four portal axles are integrated directly into the wheel hubs, requiring Audi to redesign the suspension links. This new design allows for a total wheel torque of 13,400 Nm (9,883 lb-ft), a 4,400 Nm (3,245 lb-ft) increase over conventional setups, available in 10-second bursts. Bear in mind that this figure reflects the torque delivered to the wheels after being multiplied by the portal axles’ gear ratios, not the raw output of the electric motors themselves.

Audi explains that while traditional portal axles typically increase wheel torque by around 20 to 30 percent, this design provides a 50% boost. The trade-off is a slightly reduced top speed of 175 km/h (108 mph), but that’s more than enough for off-roading. In exchange, the concept can conquer gradients of up to 45 degrees.

Original story follows below.

Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”
Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”

Audi revealed a brand-new concept at its Facebook page. Dubbed the Q6 e-tron Offroad, it is the German automaker’s take on how a capable off-roader should look.

From the sole picture we have of its exterior, we can see that the concept is based on the Q6 Sportback e-tron, with very slim headlights at the top of the front end, although it differentiates itself with slim running lights further down the bumper and quad-LED lights that, we presume, were added to emphasize its off-road character. The same applies to the immensely wide wheel arches that house dark alloy wheels with beefy off-road tires and, at least from what we can see, a much longer suspension travel than the regular model.

More: Audi Confirms New Q3, A7, And PHEVs For 2025

Unfortunately, there’s no official press release at this moment, so all the information we have comes from Audi’s very laconic post. What it reveals is that it is fully electric (no surprise there) and it sports all-wheel drive (ditto), as well as “newly developed” portal axles (they didn’t care to elaborate on that).

All that, and the obviously high ground clearance, should make it quite capable off the beaten path, although Audi is keen to stress that it’s a concept and not a production vehicle. Nevertheless, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t spawn a road-going version sometime in the future, given the increased popularity of hardcore off-roaders, but truth be told, we wouldn’t bet on it.

Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”

Then again, there’s always the chance that it was developed with Dakar and rally-raid racing in mind – possibly in the new Stock category which demands that entries are not bespoke creations but rather based on production cars. Land Rover has already announced that it will compete in 2026 with a racer based on the 626 hp Defender Octa, and other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. However, the long stages in rally-raid events might pose quite a challenge for an all-electric car going flat-out, which would certainly make it even more interesting if Audi decides to race with one.

For what it’s worth, the Q6 Sportback e-tron quattro features a dual-motor setup with 383 hp (285 kW / 388 PS) that’s enough to propel it from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 5.9 seconds and go up to 395 miles (636 km) on a single charge. Given the concept’s extreme nature, though, we wouldn’t be surprised if it is actually based on the 510 hp (380 kW / 517 PS) SQ6 Sportback e-tron, which can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 4.3 seconds, reach a 143 mph (230 km/h) to speed, and travel 377 miles (607 km) between charges.

In any case, we expect a full release, hopefully including technical specs, to come out at some point, and will update this story accordingly, so stay tuned.

Audi Says Q6 e-tron Offroad Concept “Gives A Taste Of A Potential Vehicle”