With the Q4 Sportback e-tron, Audi widens the appeal of its mid-sized all-electric EV. Jonathan Crouch drives it.
The Q4 e-tron is an important model for Audi, so important that Ingolstadt feels the need to create two distinct variants, this Q4 Sportback e-tron derivative being the more dynamic-looking one. Like its standard counterpart, it's built on the Volkswagen Group MEB chassis for volume all-electric cars, but pushes the boundaries of that platform in terms of the premium prices being charged here for the size of car delivered. Still, you certainly get a very up-market feel that'll help ease you into your new electrified phase of motoring ownership.
Audi's all-electric e-tron range continues to widen as more is revealed of the company's capabilities when it comes to EV technology. The e-tron sub-brand once designated PHEVs. Then it was set aside for all-electric models, the first three of those being the e-tron large SUV, the e-tron Sportback large five-door GT and the e-tron GT quattro sports saloon. But these were merely preludes to the BEV model that really matters to Ingolstadt, the Q4 e-tron, offered with a choice of body shapes, this Q4 Sportback e-tron obviously being the sportier one.
Where the standard Q4 e-tron takes on the plushest versions of boxy compact EV crossovers like the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq iV, the Q4 Sportback e-tron takes aim more directly at sportier contenders in this class like the CUPRA Born. Actually, all the engineering bits that matter are common between these four cars, namely the MEB platform and the battery tech. Yet Audi claims to have put its own stamp on the way this car drives and feels. Let's see.
With its Q3 and Q5 Sportback models, Audi slightly differentiates the suspension feel with base variants but there's none of that here, so the Q4 Sportback e-tron drives in the same way as the conventional Q4 model. You select drive using a slider-type shifter situated on the centre console and once underway, there's the kind of instant throttle response you'd usually get from an EV of this sort. In terms of powertrains, there's nothing we haven't seen before in Volkswagen Group EVs. Audi no longer offers the base 35 e-tron variant with the smaller 52kWh battery and 170PS rear-driven electric motor because most customers found its modest 215 mile range figure inadequate. So the line-up starts with the Q4 40 e-tron, which has a bigger 76.6kWh (net) battery and a more powerful 204PS rear-driven motor, making 62mph in 8.5s and offering a 323 mile driving range.
The flagship Q4 50 e-tron also uses the 76.6kWh battery, but has both front and rear-mounted electric motors developing a combined 299PS. Which means 62mph in just 6.2s and a range of 302 miles. Plus, with this top performance variant, the top speed is lifted from the usual Q4 maximum of 99mph to 111mph. Across the range, there's the same kind of suspension set-up you'd find in other mid-sized Audi SUVs - a MacPherson strut front and five-link rear arrangement, with sports suspension available (which lowers ride height by 15mm) and adaptive damping offered further up the range.
The Q4 Sportback e-tron is definitely a sleeker thing than its standard-shape counterpart - and not just visually - the drag coefficient drops from 0.28 to o.26Cd. This sportier variant's more sharply swept back silhouette culminates in a roof spoiler that sits much lower on the split and steeply raked rear window, and as the area in which the air swirls as it comes off the vehicle is restricted to the zone beneath the spoiler, that area is significantly smaller than in the ordinary Q4 e-tron. This not only highlights the more unique design of this SUV coupe, but also enhances its range by around 7 miles, while also reducing the lift on the rear.
Inside, the front of cabin experience is, of course, the same as that of the ordinary Q4 e-tron, so there's a 10.25-inch instrument display and an 11.6-inch central monitor. Premium materials are generously applied around the cabin and Audi's keen to highlight the extensive interior storage areas. To accommodate the battery, the back seat is mounted 70mm higher than the front. Boot space in this Sportback actually rises slightly over the ordinary model - 535-litres rather than 520-litres; but capacity when the 40:20:40-split seatback is lowered falls slightly - 1,460-litres, rather than 1,490-litres.
There's a £1,500 premium to pay for Q4 Sportback e-tron ownership over the price of an ordinary Q4 e-tron. So you'll need to find from around £50,000 more for a 40 e-tron model with this sleeker body style. You'll need from around £57,000 upwards for the top 50 e-tron quattro 4WD Q4 Sportback model.There are lots of model options if you want to pay more, with variants ranging right the way up to just under the £64,000 price point. Yes, really.
There are three main trim levels - 'Sport', 'S line' and 'Edition 1'. Base 'Sport' variants get 19-inch Graphite Grey alloy wheels, those rims upgraded to 20-inches in size with the mid-level 'S line' trim level most customers will choose. Even base 'Sport' trim includes LED headlights, front sports seats, 3-Zone air conditioning and an 'MMI navigation Plus' media system with an 11.6-inch centre screen. The later includes navigation, a WiFi hotspot and Amazon Alexa integration. There's also a 10.25-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument screen, an 8-speaker 180-watt sound system, rear parking sensors and cruise control.
We covered driving range in our 'Driving Experience' section - and in our 'Design' section referenced the extra 7 miles of range made possible because of this Sportback bodystyle's sleeker aerodynamics. What about charging with the 76.6kWh net capacity battery of the Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50 e-tron? Well those variants have been engineered for charging speeds of up to 11kW during AC charging and 135kW for DC charging. With such a rapid public charger, WLTP testing has confirmed that in only 10 minutes, the Q4 40 e-tron can recharge enough electricity to cover a distance of about 80 miles. Charging at 135 kW in ideal conditions, the battery can achieve an 80% state of charge from a 5% starting point in 29 minutes. If you're using a conventional 7kW garage wallbox, a Q4 40 e-tron can charge 255 miles of range in eight and a quarter hours.
Using the myAudi app, owners can activate charging remotely using a smartphone. The app also provides access to the comfort remote preconditioning system, which enables remote adjustment of the cabin temperature and seat heating functions to ensure that the cabin climate is always comfortable well before a journey begins.
Accessing and paying for electricity while on the road can be easily taken care of using the 'e-tron Charging Service', which provides UK subscribers with one RFID payment card that is accepted at a vast number of charge points operated by 18 suppliers across the UK and Europe, and offers a choice of two fixed price charging tariffs.
Within the Q3 and Q5 ranges, the Sportback body shape tends to out-sell the conventional SUV version and we expect the same trend to be replicated here. After all, the Q4 Sportback e-tron doesn't cost vastly more than its boxier showroom stablemate, yet makes a significantly more dynamic driveway statement. There's no real penalty for the more slippery shape in terms of either boot space or rear cabin head room either.
In this form, the Q4 is more likely to appeal to premium EV customers who might be looking at more stylised rivals like the Polestar 2, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai IONIQ 5. Arguably, this Audi can shade all of these competitors when it comes to cabin ambiance - it has the finish, the luxury and (to some extent) the driving dynamics of an electric crossover from next class up. The kind of thing you'd get from larger EV models like the Jaguar I-PACE and the Mercedes EQC. But of course you pay for that. With Audi, it was ever thus.
