Electric cars have come to stay! No wonder why everyone’s talking about this Audi Electric SUV.
We’ve seen the movies, Tron Legacy, and other sci-fi movies have done so well painting a future where we all have fancy electric cars that glow.
While this future is not far-fetched, it’s only a matter of time! Every car manufacturer will become a player, adding either a partially or fully powered Electric Vehicle to their lineup.
With the rising trend, Audi has launched the Q4 e-tron, the fifth electric vehicle in its growing portfolio. This addition brings the German automakers one step closer to their goal of bringing over 30 Electric Vehicles and plug-in hybrids to market by 2025.
For the last few years, Audi has presented its e-tron as a family of vehicles with three members; the Q4 40 e-tron, Q4 50 e-tron, and the Q4 Sportback 50 e-tron. All models with a tweak in design.
- 2019: all-new model
- 2020: Sportback model introduced
- 2021: driving range increased to 222 miles; Premium trim debuted
- 2022: Prestige trim replaced by Chronos Edition trim
The Audi Electric SUV
The Q4 Electric vehicle which was first revealed as a concept at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show is fashioned as an entry-level electric SUV model (judging from the price). It has a starting price of $44,995, which is about $1,000 cheaper than the gas-powered 2022 Q5 SUV.
The Q4 is a larger compact SUV with a short overhang and wheelbase of 9.1 feet.
While this SUV looks compact from the outside, it has an interior of 6 feet in length – almost the amount of space in a large full-size class SUV.
As a standard, the Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50 e-tron models come with 19′-inch wheels equipped with all-season tires. On the other hand, the Sportback variant of the Q4 50 e-tron quattro receives larger standard 20-inch wheels with all-season tires.
It is worth mentioning that the Q4 also shares the same platform and engineering with VW’s modular electric drive toolkit chassis, otherwise known as MEB platform.
This flexible modular system was first introduced by its parent company Volkswagen in 2016 in order to ensure the production of an efficient and cost-effective variety of Electric Vehicles.
Generally, Audi is positioned as a more powerful and luxurious option than Volkswagen, although they both share the same architecture on several of their vehicles.
The table below highlights the Audi Electric SUV key specs and prices
[wptb id=8636]Here are 7 noteworthy features of the the Audi e-tron
1. Super Fast Charge
The Q4 e-tron can take DC fast-charge up to 125 kW, and the automaker says that under “ideal conditions,” the battery goes from a state of charge (SOC) of 5-80% in 38 minutes.
According to Audi, it would take roughly nine hours to fully charge the Q4 e-tron with a 240-volt household power outlet or at a Level 2 public charging station.
But you can get an 80% charge in 30 minutes which can get you about 170 miles if plugged into a level 3 charge such as those offered by Volkswagen’s Electrify America initiative.
2. Drive Per Charge
On a full charge, the 2022 e-tron provides a driving range of 222 miles, while the 2022 e-tron Sportback has a slightly lower range of 218 miles.
While this variation may just be okay for an Electric Vehicle, the figures can rival other luxury electric cars like the Tesla Y Model.
Although this Audi Electric SUV lacks the driving range of some of its luxury electric SUV competitors, it boasts confident handling and has minimal body lean around curves, while its adaptive air suspension simultaneously smooths out road bumps to create a supple ride.
3. Luxury Interior
The interior happens to be one of the selling points of this Audi Electric SUV. In a class of luxury hybrid and electric SUVs, the Audi e-tron has one of the nicest cabins.
Inside the e-tron is filled with top-notch materials. All of its materials look and feel upscale, including its soft-touch plastics. Every model is outfitted with leather upholstery, and the top trim features wood accents.
Its high-end cabin is packed with technology, including an intuitive dual-screen infotainment system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa smartphone integration.
4. Drivetrain
The 2022 Audi e-tron seats on a sweet spot in the top luxury hybrid and electric SUV rankings. Its refined cabin, potent powertrain, and balanced ride help it stand out in this increasingly competitive class.
As expected of a luxury electric vehicle, the e-tron comes standard with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The dual electric motors on higher-end versions of the e-tron account for higher performance with a 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.8 seconds and allow for unique control of each axle – delivering power when and where it’s needed.
5. Seating and Capacity
The e-tron can hold up to five people. While both the SUV and Sportback models have plenty of space and support in the front row, there’s more headroom in the standard SUV configuration than in the Sportback.
For a class of Luxury hybrid and Electric SUVs, this Audi Electric SUV has an average amount of cargo space and all models come with a hands-free power liftgate.
Although it gets 28.5 cubic feet behind the back row and 56.5 cubic feet with the back row folded down, the Sportback’s cargo numbers are slightly lower – getting 27.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
Notably, for its ease of use, the LATCH system gets a ‘5 star good’ from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). There are two complete sets of LATCH connectors for the rear outboard seats and a tether anchor for the rear middle seat.
6. Towing Capacity
In it for the long haul?
The e-tron is an electric SUV that actually performs like an SUV. With a maximum towing rating of up to 4,000 lbs when properly equipped, this Audi electric SUV is only 500 lbs away from the Jeep Cherokee
Also, a Trailer Hitch Receiver comes as an option in the 2022 models.
7. Safety Features
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2021 e-tron an overall safety rating of five out of five stars, with four stars in the frontal crash test and five stars in the side crash and rollover tests.
The IIHS uses a different scale for grading collision avoidance features. The e-tron earned the highest rating of Superior for its standard front crash prevention systems. The e-tron received the highest rating of Good or the second-highest rating of Acceptable for how well its headlights illuminate the road ahead.
Here are the standard driver assistance features that come with the Audi e-tron:
- Forward collision warning
- Automatic emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane departure warning
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Automatic high-beam headlights
Also here are the available driver assistance features:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane keep assist
- Road sign recognition
- Surround-view parking camera system
Audi Elecric SUV: e-tron Photos
