Audi unveils the electrifying Q4-e-Tron
The electrifying Audi Q4 e-Tron
I missed an opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Audi e-Tron GT last week thanks to the pesky pandemic.
For those who missed it, the GT is Audi’s first fully electric sports tourer - a stunning piece of kit that manages to capture the beauty and excitement of an everyday supercar, without all that environmentally damaging stuff.
As statements go, it was Audi shouting from the rooftops “move over Tesla, there’s a new electric kid on the block”.
From what I’ve read, the e-Tron GT drives even better than it looks - but hopefully more of that sometime over the summer.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to spend a bit of time with the Audi Q8 - the company’s first venture into the fully electric luxury SUV market - and a clear signal that it was moving away from diesel and petrol models.
Both cars have a lot in common - elegance, style, mind-boggling technology and the reassurance that going green doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice anything in terms of performance and looks - and at the same time, reducing your carbon footprint. Then again, both cars are also eye-wateringly expensive, putting them out of reach of the vast majority of most of us.
Cue the Q4 e-tron, an SUV that combines all that fancy technical stuff, ticks the green boxes and falls within the reach of those looking for luxury without losing an arm and a leg in terms of price.
So green in fact, that Audi boasts that by the time you get behind the wheel of its fourth dedicated electric offering, it will be completely carbon neutral thanks to the use of recycled materials in 27 components, including the carpet.
For Audi, the Q4 e-Tron is it’s first real chance to grab a slice of the compact crossover SUV market so far dominated by Tesla.
It’s among up to a dozen models, including VW’s ID.4 and an electric version of the Porsche Macan, that will allow the company not only match the scale of production by Tesla by 2023, but surpass it.
According to Bloomberg, Audi’s parent company VW has ambitions of selling 600,000 purely battery-powered cars this year.
Speaking at the launch this week, Hildegard Wortmann, Audi’s sales chief said the Q4 e-tron and the Q4 Sportsback e-Tron “play a central role in the brand’s electrification strategy by launching in a particularly popular market segment, representing the entry point of Audi’s electric offerings and “showcase how our brand and our design are moving forward.”
Audi says the Q4 e-Tron offers more interior space, with additional emphasis on the driver.
The futuristic dash is divided into separate areas and integrates two displays. A separate horizontal operating panel houses the shifter for selecting the gears. Also totally new is the steering wheel with its seamless touch surfaces, which the driver uses to control the digital instrument cluster.
It is also the first Audi model to feature an augmented-reality head-up display, with information, including moving navigation commands, projected onto the windscreen in two separate fields and with varying depth of field.
In terms of battery life, Audi claims on a full charge, the Q4 e-Tron will deliver from between 330 – 511kms with the highest performance battery delivering up to 220 kW of power and capable of sprinting from 0 – 100 km/h in under 6.3 seconds.
There are two battery options - the Q4 ’35’ e-tron with a 52kWh battery that delivers 340km of range in the SUV and 350km in the Sportback. Both come with a 170hp electric motor.
You can also get a beefier Q4 ’40’ e-tron with a 77kWh battery and a 204hp electric motor.
At the top end is the Q4 ’50’ e-tron with dual motors and four-wheel drive. This version comes with the same 77kWh battery as the Q4 ’40’ e-tron, but SUV models have 485km of range and Sportback versions promising just over 500km.
Due to arrive in Ireland in June, prices will start from €41,465, including grants, VRT relief and delivery.
