Audi Q4 e-tron Pros and Cons

Pros:

decent power consumption
good balance of buttons, knobs: not all touch screen ergonomics
excellent safety (5 Euro NCAP stars)
responsive all-wheel drive
excellent interior sound insulation from external noise, best of the trio Q4 e-tron, ID.4, Enyaq
very good power of 220 kW and 460 Nm of torque
very good crew space in front and rear
very rigid body
pockets in all doors can hold one-litre bottles, unfortunately no longer 1.5 litres
city consumption 18 kWh, i.e. a range of 430-450 km
very quiet electric drive
excellent build quality, nothing creaked on uneven surfaces
natural higher seating position in the rear - the seats support the thighs well
comfortable front seats with very good lateral guidance
sufficiently large and regular luggage compartment (520 l, 1490 l folded down)
large 12 inch digital instrument cluster
very good brakes - measured 100-0 km/h - 35.5 m
acceleration to 100 km/h in 6.1 s
powerful regenerative braking - saves conventional friction brakes
regular OTA (over-the-air) software updates, without the need to visit a service center
two large, sturdy bag hooks in the luggage compartment
space under the boot floor - for charging cables, but the front boot (frunk) would be better
colour head-up display
MIB3 infotainment speed
highway consumption of around 24 kWh, i.e. a highway range of 320 km

Cons:

125 kW charging only, but apparently will soon be increased via OTA update
quattro version has a worse turning circle than the rear-wheel drive version (11.5 vs. 10.2 m)
uncomfortable chassis (21-inch wheels + sport chassis at extra cost), I would recommend smaller 19 or 20-inch wheels
doesn't have a front trunk like the e-tron's bigger brother -- at least a small trunk for cables would be handy (if the rear trunk is completely full it's more practical)
voice assistant does not understand some basic commands
"piano" glossy plastics in some places in the interior - impractical, soon scratched
top speed 180 km/h (electronically limited)
kerb weight over 2200 kg

Test Drive

Audi Q4 e-tron 50 quattro - great performance and spaciousness, interesting price

For the first test of the Audi Q4 e-tron, we received the best version designated the "50 quattro". It boasts an impressive maximum output of 220 kW (and torque of 460 Nm), and of course all-wheel drive.

Unexpectedly spacious interior

The roominess is excellent despite the compact external appearance (length 4,588 mm, wheelbase 2,764 mm). There is nothing to complain about in the front; the windshield is shifted forward quite a bit, lending further to that feeling of spaciousness. There is also plenty of space in the back. I compared it with the Q5 model, and the difference is quite significant - the Q4 is far more spacious.

The luggage compartment with basic volume of 520 l is a bit smaller than, for example, ID.4 (543 l) or Enyaq (585 l), but it can still be described as absolutely sufficient. Regrettably, it does not have a frunk like the "big e-tron" Q4.

As expected, the interior is the best from among cars using the MEB platform, but in places, even the Q4 couldn’t escape cost-saving shortcuts. For example, the front doors have softened materials, whereas the rear doors in some places do not. Sure to please however are the separate air-conditioning knobs right under the main display, which unfortunately neither the ID.4 nor the Enyaq have.

Custom MIB3 infotainment

Interestingly, Audi has implemented its own "Audi" infotainment MIB3 on the MEB platform, so it looks almost the same as e.g. the larger e-tron’s system. On the plus side, there is not a tiny ID.4 instrument display, but rather a large 12-inch Virtual Cockpit. It can display the navigation map and much more. A SIM card keeps the MIB3 system constantly online, so it is able to inform, e.g. about the weather, or plan routes better, and it has the option of remote updates.

The chassis was very sporty - thrilling in the corners, but unfortunately the combination of the ultimate 21-inch wheels and the optional "sports" chassis sometimes caused unpleasant jolts when crossing over even small potholes or joints in the road. In other words, I do not recommend 21-inch wheels, but 19 or a maximum of 20-inch wheels.

220 kW, 460 Nm - you don't even need more

The twin-engine version of the Q4 e-tron 50 quattro will probably satisfy you completely. 220 kW and 460 Nm make the Q4 sovereign both in the city and on the highway, if you can live with a maximum speed limited to 180 km / h. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km is officially 6.2 s, but I've measured it several times (Dragy) and I actually average 0.1 s better. The only major disadvantage of the quattro version is that it does not have quite as good a steering angle as in the rear-wheel drive version.

Consumption and range

The battery with a usable capacity of 76.6 kWh (nominal 82 kWh) is sufficient for more than 400 km of city driving and approximately 320 km of highway driving. This corresponds to the consumption I measured. The city can be "driven" even at 18 kWh/100 km - quite a decent value - with highway driving coming in at around 24 kWh/100 km.

Charging on a hypercharger 150 kW

On the 150 kW DC charger Q4 achieved the highest charging power declared by the manufacturer at 125 kW (from 20% SOC). Then the power gradually decreases, so at 50% SOC you are at 100 kW and at 80% the power is already limited to 60 kW. This means that if you are in a hurry, it is no longer worth waiting to charge from 80 to 100% because it takes long to do so. I recharged 35 kWh in 30 minutes.

Conclusion

Audi is now finally offering an interesting and more affordable electric car. In most versions, the Q4 e-tron is not significantly more expensive than the ID.4 or Enyaq, but optional extras can easily push the price tag up a lot.

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