Audi RS Q6 trademark hints at high-performance electric SUV

It’s been a busy year for Audi in terms of electric crossovers taking into account the world premieres of the Q4 E-Tron, Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and the more recent three-row Q5 E-Tron in China. There’s more to come soon in terms of a zero-emissions Q model as 2022 will be the year when the Four Rings will officially unveil the Q6 E-Tron as the company’s first model to ride on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) co-developed with Porsche. The latter will get its own electric crossover as the next-generation, EV-only Macan.

To be built at home in Ingolstadt, the new electric Q model could be followed by a high-performance version later in its life cycle if a recent trademark is any indication. Filed with the Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (INPI) in Argentina, Audi took legal measures on December 16 to secure the “RS Q6” moniker.

Set to go up against the Tesla Model X, the Audi RS Q6 is unlikely to arrive sooner than 2023 or 2024 considering the standard model won’t be going on sale until most likely towards the end of next year. As with all RS models from the German luxury brand, it should come as standard with Quattro all-wheel drive. That would effectively mean one electric motor at the front axle and another at the rear.

The Q6 / RS Q6 will have a few aces up its sleeve over the smaller MEB-based Q4 model by featuring air suspension, torque vectoring, rear-wheel steering, and support for fast charging at 350 kW. At least that’s what Audi and Porsche have said the PPE platform will be capable of, along with the promise of more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) of range based on the WLTP cycle. We’ve heard through the grapevine the RS model could push out 590 horsepower and a massive 612 pound-feet (830 Newton-meters) to both axles, but that remains to be seen.

It is believed the entry-level trim with RWD is going to carry a starting price of anywhere between $50,000 to $55,000 before any applicable incentives. 2022 could also see the launch of a second Audi EV based on the PPE underpinnings as the A6 E-Tron concept is rumored to morph into a production model as early as next year. Technical specifications emerged earlier today, but only for the Chinese version.

Source: Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (INPI)