The Audi A6 E-Tron electric saloon is under development on some gorgeous alpine roads. This video of its testing provides a close-up look at the upcoming EV.

The production-spec A6 E-Tron has a strong resemblance to the concept for the four-door. There are small tweaks like increasing the size of the lower portion of the split headlights. The inlets in the corners are less prominent on the road-going version. The trapezoidal opening in the centre of the lower fascia is bigger.

Gallery: Audi A6 E-Tron Saloon Spy Photos

The development engineers appear to be torture testing the brakes during a portion of this video. The A6 E-Tron has its emergency lights on and is driving slowly down the mountain. Occasionally, you can hear the brakes squeal.

The similarity with the Audi A6 E-Tron concept is most noticeable when viewing the vehicles in profile. There's a sleek roofline with an arching shape that flows to a short rear deck. The specifics are hard to see because of the camouflage, but there appears to be delicate sculpting along the flanks.

This A6 E-Tron development vehicle wears placeholder taillights. The concept has full-width lamps with a pixel-like design. The rear diffuser on the production model appears to be smaller than the concept.

The A6 E-Tron rides on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform. We don't have any info yet about the production-spec powertrain. The concept has an electric motor powering each axle with a total output of 470 bhp (350 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-metres). Audi estimates this is enough to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometres per hour) quicker than 4.0 seconds.

The production model's battery is also a mystery. The concept has a 100-kilowatt-hour pack offering an estimated range of over 435 miles (700 kilometres) in the WLTP test. The fast-charging system operates at up to 270 kilowatts, meaning plugging in for 10 minutes can provide up to 186 miles (300 kilometres) of range.

The A6 E-Tron should debut in production form later this year, and it would join Audi's range for the 2024 model year. An estate version is also coming, but this one might not go on sale in the United States.