Audi Q4 e-tron will be Audi's mass-market electric car

Audi has officially revealed the Audi Q4 e-tron, the premium version of VW's ID.4, a mid-sized electric SUV. Audi is offering two styles, the conventional Q4 e-tron SUV and the Sportback, with a roofline that drops off more rapidly for coupe styling.

The new Q4 e-tron slots in under Audi's existing e-tron models. The original sat in the larger SUV category and had a price that matched, but with the Q4 e-tron starting from just over £40,000, it's likely to be accessible to a lot more drivers.

It also slots into a popular SUV size: big enough for the benefits of an SUV, but without all the worry about size that comes with larger models, particularly relevant on European roads and parking spaces.

There's also a mite more appeal to the offering than the larger models: while you can be assured of the quality, with a classic high-spec Audi interior, there are two battery sizes available at launch, the option of rear-wheel drive only if you want to keep costs down and aren't concerned about Quattro (or all-wheel drive), and a full range of trim options.

The batteries offered come in at 52kWh and 77kWh (that's the usable rather than gross capacity), and options for 125kW or 150kW single motor, or 220kW dual motor.

Audi is claiming a WLTP range of 316 miles, but what's perhaps surprising is that Audi is only offering 125kW charging. While this is a typical average rate for fast public chargers, 150kW chargers are now common, while up to 350kW is also available.

That underlines some interesting figures in the Q4 e-tron's stats: Audi isn't going all out on spec-sheet performance. The entry-level model does 0-62mph in 9 seconds and has a top speed of 99mph, which is rather modest, for an Audi. The top models give a lift in pace, covering that 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, but again that's barely on the chart for electric cars.

The modest figures are likely to put range first and perhaps leave space for an S model in the future with greater rapidity. But while in a face-off with Tesla you might dismiss those performance figures, the most important number will be real-world efficiency.

Getting 316 miles from the 77kWh battery would give 4.1 miles/kWh, which is a reasonable average. We've seen better (Kia e-Niro) and we've seen much worse (the bigger Audi e-tron) and of course, driving style will be the biggest factor.

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Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback

What Audi is really offering here is the appeal of an Audi, with a plush interior and plenty of connectivity, the practicality of the SUV format and the accessibility with that pricing - while the top spec model is some £15k more than the VW ID.4, both start at the same price and that will be attractive to drivers wanting the four rings on the front of their new car.

Perhaps the biggest giveaway about who Audi is pitching this car to comes from the new Sonos speakers on board. That's designed for people familiar with tech, people who have heard of Sonos - people like you.

The Audi Q4 e-tron is available to order now with deliveries from June 2021. The starting price for the Q4 35 e-tron Sport is £40,750.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback will be available to order in June with deliveries in September.

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