Audi Q4 e-tron Introduction:
The Audi Q4 e-Tron shows up as a family-friendly electric car. The Q4 e-Tron is an effort by Audi to enter the all-electric SUV market. It will rival the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV 6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, VW ID.4, and the Skoda Enyaq. The variant which features the 77 kWh battery has a claimed range of 317 miles. It also comes with a smaller battery, and you can have a sportier-looking Sportback model. The Sportback model gets a lower roofline and a sharply sloped tailgate. It gets smart-looking LED tail lamps, big alloy wheels, an upright nose, a massive Audi grille, and the overall silhouette is sharper than the Volkswagen ID.4.
Audi Q4 e-tron Interior:
The cabin has a very contemporary design, it houses expensive-looking material, it gets a big 10.1-inch touchscreen and a digital instrument panel. The space on offer inside the cabin is excellent, and the flat-floor layout means that the rear seats are sufficiently roomy. Space on offer at the back seat is decent, but the boot is rather small. The Q4 is high on tech, and the controls are a bit fiddly.
Audi Q4 e-Tron Performance and economy:
The car comes with excellent refinement and comfort levels. While buying an Audi Q4 E-Tron you get to choose between two sizes of electric car batteries. The battery churns out 204 hp, it comes with a 77 kWh usable battery. The 35 e-Tron model gets a 52 kWh battery and a 170 hp motor. The car does 0-60 mph in under 9 seconds. It has a claimed range of 211 miles, the sleeker Sportback gets 217 miles of range.
The car also features a beefier Q4 ’40’ e-Tron with a 77 kWh battery and a 204 hp electric motor. The car can do 323 miles on a single charge. The Sportback version can do 328 miles (the most any Q4 e-Tron model can). Both these versions can do 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. The 50 e-tron quattro gets a second electric motor.
What drives the front wheels is the 299 hp motor, it gets a slightly shorter 302-mile range. The 50 e-Tron Quattro does a 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds. A 7 kW home-charging wall box will completely charge the batteries overnight. You can also charge from a public DC charger at speeds of up to 125 kW. This means 0-80% charging can be achieved in 35 minutes.
The 35 e-Tron model has a maximum 100 kW charging speed. The larger battery can only charge 25 kW faster. The smaller batteries are supposed to be charged more frequently.
Drive:
The Q4 e-Tron is a hefty car weighing above 2 tonnes. The drive for such a heavy car is sublime, credit to the torquey motor. It produces 310 Nm of torque all of which is available the moment you push the throttle. The light steering allows for ease of driving and has an impressive turning radius.
The car is comfy and refined, it rides smoothly even when you opt for the sportier S-Line model. There is no engine noise, and the only audible sound is that of the tires and wind. The car comes with a regenerative braking system, which means the batteries get charged while braking. Due to its massive weight, the car does not feel as much fun as a Ford or a Tesla at higher speeds.
Pricing:
The prices for the Q4 e-Tron start at £40,035 for the base 35 e-Tron in Sport trim. The 50 e-tron quattro in top-spec Vorsprung costs £64,355. The VW ID.4 or a Skoda Enyaq comes with the same mechanical and battery bits underneath and costs lesser than the Q4 e-Tron. Only the top-spec Vorsprung model (which starts at £54,310) comes with goodies like adaptive cruise control, a panoramic roof, a premium sound system, and a heads-up display.