I recently drove a Audi Q4 e-Tron on a launch near Wetherby, but was only a day event so did not get chance to charge it from either home or a public charge point.
The official figures for the maximum range is just over 300 miles or 480km, but in my experience of having quite a few electric vehicles recently this is very optimistic and difficult to achieve. A more realistic figure would be around 380km, and even then you would need to drive it very carefully, and steadily. As a rough guide, you can generally knock around 25% of the claimed figures to get a better idea of how far it is likely to go.
The Q4 e-tron has an output of 150kW or equivalent to 204ps, and has a top speed of 160kph and goes from 0-100km/h in a very rapid 8.5 seconds, it is, like all electric cars, it feels really quick of the mark, and it just keeps going.
So what exactly is the Q4 Sportback well it is mid-size SUV, but it looks more like a five-door Coupe with its sloping rear end, but it does look very handsome from every angle.
The Q4 is based on Volkswagen Group’s EV-only ‘MEB’ platform, which also underpins Skoda Enyaq iV, Cupra Born, and VW’s ID.3 & ID.4, so it has some good company. There are three battery options, with different ranges just to make it a bit more complicated, but I won’t go into the technicalities of this, even I struggle to understand it.
You would think with that nicely designed rear end, with its ‘Coupe-Like styling you would lose some valuable luggage space compared to the regular Q4 SUV, which is a bit more ‘boxy’.
And the sloping rear roof doesn’t really affect head room for rear passengers either, although it doesn’t have the most room of cars this size, it’s not bad, and room doesn’t get compromised for style, so it’s a bit of a win-win.
The interior is typically Audi, everything is up to a very high standard, Audi were the pioneers of bringing exceptional quality, fit and finish and brilliant materials to the mainstream, and in all the years they have been masters in building luxury, yet affordable cars, they are still leaders in this art.
It is a quick car, though not as quick as some other electric cars, but if you wanted to keep up with a hot-hatch on some twisty, windy roads, the Q4 could easily compete very easily, and safely. But in reality this is not a sports car, it is a family SUV, powered by electric.
I enjoyed the short time I spent in the Q4 e-tron, was fun, high quality, quick and quiet.
